Notes for: Susannah (Susan) Bodine

Subject: Susan Bodine and Barzillai Wright
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001
From: "tkracke1" (tkracke1 at email.msn.com)

Dave,

I'm trying to locate information on Barzillai and Susan Bodine Wright. So far this is a puzzle and maybe you can help.

My great-great grandmother was Martha Wright, born March 3, 1813 in New Jersey, married David Cowles (Cole) March 10, 1835 in Franklin County, Ohio. In the census Barzillai is listed but unable to locate children. I see you have a Marmaduke, do you know of any of his siblings other than W. B. Wright, shown below? The following is what I have located about this family.

Thank you,
Tom

Centennial History of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio (Chicago: S. J. Clarke Pub Co., 1909), p. 52:
The summer and fall of 1823 exceeded anything before known for sickness. The whole country was little else than one vast infirmary--whole families were frequently prostrate without well members enough to take care of the sick ones. The diseases wre bilious and intermittent fevers, of all types, from the common fever and ague to the most malignant. Although the mortality was great, still it was not excessively so in proportion to the number of sick. Many prominent men were taken off that season, amongst whom were Lucas Sullivant, Judge John A. McDowell, Judge John Kerr, David S. Brederick, Barzillai Wright, keeper of the penitentiary, and others. The ensuing year, 1824, was also very sickly, but not so much so as 1823. Amongst the prominent old citizens carried off this year were Captain Joseph Vance, Billingsby Bull, Esquire, James Culbertson, John Starr, Sr., and others.

NEW JERSEY COLONIAL
DOCUMENTS
CALENDAR OF WILLS
Note: Database RIN or Record Numbers are enclosed in { } brackets.

1800-1809

1807, May 12 -- Wright, Martha, {11114} of Springfield Twsp., Burlington Co.; will of. House and lot in Juliustown to be rented. Son, Samuel Wright and two daughters, Abigail Hazelton and Ruth Wilson, to have said house and lot during their lives, and after their death, same to Barzillai Wright. Martha Reve (daughter of my son-in-law, Samuel Reve), Martha Wilson daughter of Ruth Wilson). Two daughters to have wearing apparel. Executors-son, Samuel, and friend, Caleb Earl. Witness-JohnPlatt, Caleb E. Wright, Isaac Bigelow. Proved June 6, 1812, when Samuel Wright signed as acting Executor. File 12615 C.

War of 1812

BARZILLAI WRIGHT ANDRUSS BATT'N (1814), NEW JERSEY MIL.

Genealogy of the Olmsted Family in America , page 128, Genealogy Library

(1657) MARY LAVINIA OLMSTED. b. May 15, 1818; d. Aug. 15, 1879; m. Feb. 4, 1835, W. B. Wright (M. D.), of Cincinnati, Ohio; b. Nov., 1803; son of Barzillai and Susan (Bodine) Wright, of Trenton, N. J. Dr. Wright was Professor in Ohio Med. Col., Cincinnati, Ohio.

From Ronny Bodine:

New Mills (Pemberton) Circuit Records, 1787-1815 (Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, vol. 73, 1998, p. 53)
30 Dec 1802--Was joined together in holy matrimony Barzelar Write of Newhanover township and Susannah Bodine of Washunton township Both in the County of Burlington by David Bartine Elder. Witness Francis Bodine Junr, Elizabeth Throp.

Barzella Wright appears as a Private on the rolls of Capt. John J. Wilson's Company of Volunteer Infantry, Major Isaac Andruss' Detachment of New Jersey Detached Militia, having been enrolled 15 Aug 1814 and discharged 18 Sept 1814. (Record of Officers and Men of New Jersey in Wars 1791-1815, Trenton, 1909, p. 58).

William T. Martin in his "History of Franklin County" (Columbus: Follett, Foster & Co., 1858), p. 350-351 writes that in Feb 1822, Barzillai Wright was elected keeper of the city penitentiary. "Wright was a stranger, from New Jersey, and had only been about three months in the State; and his election occasioned considerable murmuring and excitement among the friends of Kooken [Capt. James Kooken, Keeper 1815-1822], both in and out of the Legislature. It was contended that he was ineligible to the office, under the clause of the Constituion, which provided, "That no person shall be appointed to any office within any county, who shall not have been a citizen and inhabitant therein one year next before his appointment." But on the other hand, it was argued, that this was an office not mentioned in nor known to the Constituion, and therefore the above clause was not applicable to it. In the summer of 1823, Wright died..." What happened to Barzillai Wright is reported by William Alexander Taylor in his "Centennial History of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio (Chicago: S. J. Clarke Pub Co., 1909), p. 52: "The summer and fall of 1823 exceeded anything before known for sickness." "Many prominent men were taken off that season amongst whom were.....Barzillai Wright, keeper of the penitentiary, and others." The Trenton (N.J.) "Federalist" of 4 Aug 1823 reported his death "On the 17th ult. at Columbus, State of Ohio, Barzillai Wright, formerly of this place."

In 1850, Susan Wright, age 68, was living in Harrison Township, Vigo County, Indiana; in 1860, age 79, she was living in a boarding house in Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio and in 1870, age 89, was living in the home of her son Marmaduke Wright, a physician, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Children: Marmaduke Burr (1803-1879). Helped revitalize hospitals throughout Ohio to incorporate a more advanced and humane system of caring for the insane. He became Professor of Materia Medica at the Medical College of Ohio, Cincinnati in 1838. He served as chair of Obstetrics at that institution from 1840 to 1850; then again from 1860 to 1868 at which time he became an emeritus professor at his own request. He served on the Ohio State Medical Society committee of Medical Ethics in 1854 and was well known for his integrity and principles. He served as Dean of the College of Medicine the following terms 1842-1843, 1847-1848, 1860-1862 and 1867-1869.