Tom was born on 8th or 10th January 1898 in Exeter, Devon, to Francis 'Frank' George Wright (29), a tinsmith and plumber, and Emma Wright (nee Bennett) (26), a former domestic servant and housewife.
Tom was baptised on 27th January 1898 in St Mary Major, Exeter. At the time of his baptism, the family lived at 10 Prospect Place, in Exeter's West Quarter.
Though his record of baptism clearly states his middle name as 'Edwin', his records of birth and death give his middle name as 'Edward'. I have kept with Edwin, as I has access to a copy of the original baptism record and may read it for myself; whilst I only have transcripts of the records of birth and death.
Tom was the fourth of ten children (eight boys and two girls):
- Francis 'Will' William 1891 - 1967 (76)
- George Charles 1893 - 1918 (25)
- Charles Arthur 1897 - 1897 (5 weeks old)
- Thomas 'Tom' Edwin 1898 - 1977 (78 or 79)
- Walter Henry 1900 - 1986 (85 or 86)
- Ernest 'Len' Leonard 1905 - 1981 (76)
- Samuel 'Sam' John 1908 - 1977 (68)
- Florence 'Florrie' Ellen 1910 - 1999 (88)
- Doris May 1912 - 1991 (79)
- Harold Reginald 1914 - 1985 (70)
Ten months before Tom's birth, his older brother Charles passed away, aged only five weeks, in March 1897.
Though they family lived at 10 Prospect Place, at the time of Tom's baptism; when Tom's older brothers Will and George began attending Rack Street in 1898 and 1899, the family's address was given as 3 Prospect Place. Around 1899/1900, the family moved again to nearby 6 Teigh Place, another small court off Rack Street.
1901 Census:
Tom himself began attending Rack Street Central School, aged seven, on 2nd October 1905. He would leave the school, aged thirteen, on 20th October 1911.
1911 Census:
Around 1912, George and his family moved out of the West Quarter to 11 Clinton Street, also in Exeter.
Tom was sixteen, when the First World War began. His older brother George served. After four years in the Territorial Royal Army Medical Corps, George, aged twenty-one, joined the 7th Reserve (Cyclist) Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment as a private, on 17th December 1914. He served at 'Home' until only the 6th January 1915 - only twenty days later - when he was deemed unfit. George passed away, aged only twenty-five, in March 1918, in Exeter.
Aged nineteen, Tom, along with his friend, sailor Thomas Price, was summoned to court for being drunk and incapable in Exeter High Street. The evening of their jolly, the 20th September 1917, marked the last day of Thomas' leave and our Tom had been treating his friend to a night out. Each had to pay 4s.
From the Western Times of 22nd September 1917:
Around 1918/1919, Tom, now in his early twenties, moved from his native Exeter, over forty miles north-east, to Bridgewater in Somerset.
In Jul/Aug/Sep 1919, Tom (21), a shop porter and later a plumber, married Eva Florence Pitman (19), in Bridgewater.
Tom and Eva had four children (two girls and two boys):
- Kathleen Joyce Patience 1920 -
- Francis Brian J 1924 -
- Arthur D A 1932 -
- Pamela Gwen 1934 -
1939 Census:
In March 1939, when Tom was forty-one, his father Frank passed away, aged seventy, in Exeter.
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| The Wright Family, c.1940 Stood from left to right: Walter, Doris, Florrie and Harold Sat from left to right: Sam, Tom, their mother Emma, Will and Len |
On 14th December 1944, when Tom was forty-six, his mother Emma passed away, aged seventy-three, in Exeter.
In Jan/Feb/March 1977, Tom himself passed away, aged seventy-eight or seventy-nine, in the district of Sedgemoor, Somerset.
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