Vashenan Listmates, Earlier we asked if anyone on the List had a marriage date for Elizabeth Bushong and William Wright. So far, no answers. We found the obit for Elizabeth Bushong who married William Wright in the Shenandoah Herald for 1890. There are so many curious unanswered questions about her and the family. For instance, when her father Andrew Bushong wrote his Will, she was married and yet it does not appear that way in the Will. Of course, this does give credence to the suit filed in Shenandoah County by grandson Henry Snapp after Andrew Bushong death where the grandson claimed that his grandfather did not write the Will. He claimed that John Bushong wrote it and passed it off as his father's Will. We posted this Chancery suit back in March 2009 as part of our post about Andrew Bushong but am re-posting some of it here. Check BOSCHONG Archives for the entire suit. We can find no marriage record for Elizabeth Bushong and William Wright which really bugs us. There should be one! Elizabeth Bushong Wright and husband William Wright had three confirmed children and yet we have seen many submitters state five. Until we can determine the exact date of the marriage, we cannot add the two young boys who died early on as their children. -------------------- This Chancery Bill was rather interesting. Evidently Henry Snapp thought that the Will of his grandfather Andrew Bushong was a fake and was trying to have it made null and void in the Court. We find it rather interesting that the other two Executors named in the Will refused to serve with John Bushong and that all of the depositions for this case are missing from the files. Grandson Henry Snapp stated in his Bill that Jacob, William and David were now residents of Virginia but that was not true. They had been residents of Ohio for a long time but whether they made the trip back to Virginia for this suit is not clear since much of the paperwork is missing. The one good bit of information that came from this Bill is the fact that it gives us the exact month that Andrew Bushong died, that being January in the year 1853. ------------------------------- Shenandoah County Virginia Chancery Bill Records held at Library of Virginia, Richmond Filed March 1853 Case #1854-017 Exr. of Andrew Bushong et als Plaintiff: Henry Snapp Defendants: John Bushong, Executor Andrew Bushong deceased And Isaac Bushong, Henry Bushong, David Bushong, William Bushong, Jacob Bushong, John Jacobs and wife Sarah Bushong, William Wright and wife Elizabeth To the honorable the Judge of the Circuit Court for the County of Shenandoah Respectively complaining sheweth unto Your Honor, Your Orator Henry Snapp, that sometime in the month of January 1853, one Andrew Bushong, then a resident of Shenandoah County, died leaving as his only heirs at law, the following persons VIZ: John Bushong, Andrew Bushong, Isaac Bushong, Henry Bushong, David Bushong, William Bushong, Jacob Bushong, Sarah the wife of John Jacobs, Elizabeth the wife of William Wright and Your Orator Henry Snapp (the only child of Margaret his Mother, now deceased, a daughter of said Andrew Bushong, that died many years ago.) Your Orator sheweth that said Andrew Bushong died seized and possessed of a large real and personal Estate, situate in the County aforesaid: As to all which his children, and grandchild above named are the only heirs and distributees. That the County Court of Shenandoah, at its March Term 1853, admitted to probate a paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of said Andrew Bushong deceased; an official copy of which and after, now admitting the same to probate is filed herewith as Exhibit No. 1 and I pray so to be taken as part of this Bill. That this so called pretended will was prepared by John Bushong one of the Executors therein named who qualified as such executor given bond and security as required by law, the other executors named in said will refusing to qualify as will fully appear by reference to Exhibit No. 1 as aforesaid. Your Orator and heir so charges that the said paper writing so produced and admitted to publish as aforesaid was not and is not the last will and testament of the said Andrew Bushong deceased. It is further shown that Your Orator and the above named children of Andrew Bushong deceased VIZ: John, Andrew. Isaac. Henry. David. William. Jacob. Sarah Jacobs wife of John Jacobs and Elizabeth wife of William Wright are devisees under said pretended will and are therefore necessary parties to this suit. That said Jacob Bushong, William Bushong, and David Bushong are now residents of this Commonwealth; and that all the heirs reside in the County of Shenandoah. To the end therefore that justice may be done and Your Orator prays that said John Bushong an heir together and as executor of the so called last will and testament of Andrew Bushong deceased, Andrew Bushong, Isaac Bushong, Henry Bushong, David Bushong, William Bushong, Jacob Bushong, John Jacobs and Sarah his wife and William Wright and Elizabeth his wife may be made parties, defendants to this suit and answer this Bill upon oath: That the Court will direct an issue to be tried at its bar "whether the said paper writing admitted to probate as aforesaid, is the true last will and testament of the said Andrew Bushong deceased and that the Item may be set aside and declared null and void so that Your Orator and the sons and daughter aforesaid Andrew Bushong deceased may be let in as heirs and distributees of the Estate of deceased and that the court will grant other and further general relief on the premises and the circumstances of the case may require and will compel with the proceedings of a Court of Equity and as in duty bound Your Orator will ever pray for. A. Anderson, PG Transcribed by Gloria Bushong ----------------------- The Shenandoah Herald Woodstock, Virginia Friday, 29 August 1890 Page 3, Column 1 GENERAL LOCAL NEWS Mrs. Betsy Wright, an aged lady of near Maurertown, this county, died on Sunday, 17th August. Mrs. Wright was the mother of Mr. George Wright, of this county, Mr. Andy M. Wright, of Prince William County, Virginia., and Mr. Silas K. Wright, of Luray, Page County, Virginia. Her age was 78 years. JONAS BURNER CEMETERY Shenandoah County, Virginia Elizabeth Bushong Wright 14 November 1811 17 August 1890 w/o William Photo of Elizabeth and of her tombstone in our photo albums on our website. --------------------------- 1850 Federal Census: Virginia 58th District, Shenandoah County Enumerated 20 August 1850 Page 61A Lines 22-28, HH 872/876 William Wright 44/Male/Farmer/$4000/VA Elizabeth Wright 39/Female/VA Andrew Wright 7/Male/VA Silas Wright 5/Male/VA Georgia F. Wright 9mos/Female/VA {Died before 1860 census} Jacob Bowsenberger 20/Male/Miller/VA Eliza Brown 33/Female/VA ----------------------------- 1860 Federal Census: Virginia Woodstock District, Shenandoah County Enumerated 13 November 1860 Page 278/ 828 Lines 13-18, HH 1893/1891 William Wright 55/Male/Farmer/$3200-$645/VA Elizabeth Wright 49/Female/VA Andrew Wright 17/Male/FarmHand/VA Silas Wright 15/Male/FarmHand/AttendedSchool/VA George Wright 12/Male/AttendedSchool/VA Recepta Funk 18/Female/VA ------------------------------- Between the 1860 and 1870 census William Wright disappears. We can find no death record or tombstone on him. -------------------------------- 1870 Federal Census: Virginia Wincester City, Frederick County Enumerated 10 August 1870 Page 193A Lines 8-12, HH 466/549 Andrew M. Wright 27/RetailMerchant/$150/VA Addie F. Wright 24/KeepingHouse/VA Carrie R. Wright 1/VA ELIZABETH WRIGHT 59/FormerlyKeepingHouse/VA {Elizabeth Bushong Wright} --------------------------------- 1880 Federal Census: Virginia Johnston Township, ED 85, Shenandoah County Enumerated 5 June 1880 Page 398A Lines 26-36, HH 66/68 A. M. Wright Head/Male/White/Married/37/Farmer/VA/VA/VA Adiline F. Wright Wife/Female/White/35/KeepingHouse/VA/VA/VA Annie L. Wright Dau/Female/White/12/AtHome/VA/Va/VA Carrie R. Wright Dau/Female/White/10/VA/VA/VA Rush L. Wright Son/Male/White/9/VA/VA./VA Lizzie A. Wright Dau/Female/White/7/VA/VA/VA Katie F. Wright Dau/Female/White/6/VA/VA/VA Mary S. Wright Dau/Female/White/4/VA/VA/VA Rosie V. Wright Dau/Female/White/3/VA/VA/VA George M. Wright Son/Male/White/1/VA/VA/VA ELIZABETH WRIGHT Mother/Female/White/68/AtHome/VA/VA/VA ------------------------------------ Possible children of William Wright and Elizabeth Bushong but not proven since there is no marriage record to determine date of marriage to coincide with birth of these children. BOWMAN-FISHER CEMETERY Maurertown, Shenandoah County, Virginia JOHN H. WRIGHT 30 August 1841 12 October 1848 s/o W. & E. JOSEPH M. WRIGHT Died 25 November 1846 s/o W. & E. ---------------------------------- We found the following marriage bonds in the Shenandoah County marriages which would explain Wright children buried in the Bowman-Fisher Cemetery, but no marriage for William Wright and Elizabeth Bushong: Benjamin Wright & Eliza Fisher 10 September 1840 Bondsman - Abraham Fauber Joseph Fisher & Barbara Wright 5 March 1839 Bondsman - Benjamin Wright James Wright & Elizabeth Coffman (Two dates) 30 March 1843 23 March 1843 Andrew Bushong Jr. & Cathrine Wright 3 April 1844 Bondsman - William Wright ------------------------------------- Researched and Submitted by Gloria Bushong