The Right William Wright
( The following resolution was adopted at the NSWFD convention Oct. 1, 2004 )
“Whereas the Registrar General and the Genealogist of the NSWFD became aware in 2002 of new research by Robert N. Grant which cast doubt on the identification of William Wright (son of John Wright II, grandson of John Wright I, and great-grandson of Maj. Francis Wright and Anne Washington his wife) as the William Wright who died in Fauquier County in 1805/6, and were persuaded that this was an error,
And whereas the Society's Genealogist, John A. Washington, then wrote an article "A Wrong William Wright?" [the question mark being accidentally omitted in the printed version by a typographical error] in the 2003 edition of Washington Words, carefully describing the nature of Mr. Grant's research and inviting all concerned parties to submit any evidence that could dispute Mr. Grant's arguments,
And whereas no such evidence was received by either the Registrar General or
the Genealogist in the year and a half between the publication of Washington
Words in the spring of 2003 and the annual convention of the NSWFD held in
Washington, Ga., Oct. 1-3, 2004,
And whereas Mr. Grant has published his discussion with extensive
documentation and cogent arguments in his book, The Identification of 1809
William Wright of Franklin County, Virginia, as the Son of 1792 John Wright of
Fauquier County, Virginia, and Elizabeth Bronaugh Darnall Wright (Heritage
Books, Inc., 2004),
Therefore, be it resolved by the NSWFD that this Society recognizes William
Wright (died Franklin County, Virginia, 1809, and further identified in the
aforementioned book) as the son of John Wright II, who was the grandson of
Maj. Francis Wright and Anne Washington his wife, and that henceforth
descendants of this William Wright will be eligible for membership in the
Society, and that new applicants descended from William Wright who died in
Fauquier County in 1805/6 will not be eligible for membership, and be it
further resolved that members hitherto admitted in good faith as descendants
of any William Wright will continue to be welcomed and recognized as members of
the Society.”