Name

John Wright

Description

Newspaper Photograph of Rifleman John Wright.

Life Story

Name: John Wright.

Service Number: 796.

Rank: Rifleman.

Battalion: 9th Battalion.

Regiment: Royal Irish Rifles.

Born: 27th December 1881, County Antrim

Died: 18th March 1916.

Address: 29 Fifth Street, Belfast

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Ulster Volunteer John Wright lived with his wife Evelyn and children at 29 Fifth Street, Shankill Road, Belfast.

The 1911 Ireland Census has John living at 8 Midland Street, Greater Shankill Area, Belfast, with his wife, 4 sons, George, 6 years, James, 3 years, William, 1 year, John, under 1 year, and 2 daughters, Evaline Victoria, 9 years, Dollie, 5 years. Johns occupation is given as General Labourer.

John married Eva Wright, Nee Gamble on the 6th August 1899 and they went on to have 8 children, Eveline Victoria, 29,11,1901, George, 5,7,1904, Elizabeth, 13,2,1906, James Gamble, 28,11,1907, Alfred, 10,4,1909, John, 11,2,1911, Louisa Fanny, 16,5,1912, Harold, 18,7,1915.

John was a member of the West Belfast Ulster Volunteer Force

John joined the Royal Irish Rifles.

He was posted as part of the British Expeditionary Forces to France on the 4th of October 1915.

John Wright was a Rifleman in the 9th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles when he was Killed In Action in France on the 18th March 1916.

A local newspaper states.

Rifleman John Wright Royal Irish Rifles, killed. Deceased leaves a wife and eight young children, who reside at 29 Fifth Street, Belfast. He was a member of the West Belfast U.V.F.

Another states.

Rifleman Wright was a member of the West Belfast Regiment U.V.F, and enlisted since the war was declared. He leaves a wife and eight children, whose ages range from 14 years to eight months. They reside at 29 Fifth Street, Belfast. Rev James Quinn, C.F. (St Michael's) has sent the widow a sympathetic letter, in the course of which he says - Your husband was hit by a splinter from a rifle grenade while on duty in the trenches and killed. He was buried in a little cemetery set apart for our soldiers, and where so many others of our brave Belfastmen lie. He has made good use of his life, and died in a good cause, and that will, I have no doubt, always be a consolation to you.

A Dependants Pension Form shows his wife Eva as claimant.

A Will, signed and dated 11th October 1915, states that he leaves all of his property and effects to his wife Mrs Eva Wright. 29 Fifth Street, off Conway Street, Shankill Road.

His Soldiers Effects were also left to his wife Eva.

He received the British War Medal, Victory Medal and 1914-1915 Star.

He is Remembered at the Thiepval Memorial, France.

To Remember Is To Honour

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