Researching George Wright

Wright was born in Clonakilty, County Cork, son of Thomas Wright. His father and brothers practiced as solicitors in Clonakilty: one of his brothers was H.T. Wright, Clerk of the Peace for Cork. He married Mary Barrington in 1881. His family owned Fernhill House, Clonakilty, which is now a hotel.

He was called to the Bar in 1871, took silk in 1884, and served as Solicitor-General for Ireland from January 1900 to 1903 in the Unionist government headed by Lord Salisbury. He was appointed to the Queen's Bench Division of the Irish High Court in 1903 where he served till his death. He was immensely popular with his colleagues and greatly respected as a lawyer. A colleague humorously described him as a man who is "on the borderline of genius but never trespasses"; a popular verse hailed him as "Judge Wright, who's never wrong!"

Wright died on 15 May 1913.

Wright was best known for his virtuoso performances on the huge Wurlitzer theater pipe organs at the famed Fox Theater on Market Street in San Francisco and the ornate Paramount Theaters in both New York City and Oakland. In the early1940s he was an active performer on radio, first on the west coast; in 1944 he was transferred to New York City by NBC, and played numerous radio shows from 1944-1951. In 1948 he was hired as solo organist at the Paramount Theatre in Times Square. He left New York in 1951. The early 50s brought fame via his iconic recordings on HIFI Records, using the 5-manual Wurlitzer originally from the Paradise Theatre, Chicago, installed in the home of HIFI owner Richard Vaughn. The 60s brought more fame through his recordings (primarily on the DOT label) on the organ sponsored by Leslie organ speaker inventor Don Leslie and installed in his warehouse on S. Fair Oaks Blvd. in South Pasadena. In the 70s, he installed a theatre pipe organ in his home in the Hollywood Hills, and recorded numerous CDs on the BANDA label. He concertized widely across the United States. He also played two concerts in the UK (one on a Conn electronic organ, as a Conn promotional event, the other on the Wurlitzer organ in the Gaumont State Theatre, Kilburn, London).

He was born in Charlottetown, the son of Susanna Turner and Thomas Wright, who became in 1773 the first surveyor general of St. John's Island. Wright worked for his father for several years as deputy surveyor. On December 28, 1807 he married Phebe Cambridge, the daughter of merchant John Cambridge. In the following year, he went into business with his father-in-law and a brother-in-law. From 1810 to 1811, he served as high sheriff. In 1813, when the partnership dissolved, he became owner of a brewery and mills near Charlottetown. Wright served in the militia during the War of 1812, reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was named to the province's Council in 1813. In 1828, he was named assistant judge in the province's Supreme Court and also became surveyor general. Wright helped establish the Central Agricultural Society and served as its president. He died in Charlottetown at the age of 62.

His son George also served as surveyor general for Prince Edward Island.

On September 26, 2011, Wright was arrested in Portugal. The FBI requested his extradition from Portugal to the United States, but the request was denied on the grounds that Wright is a Portuguese citizen.

Wright began his baseball career in Norfolk, Virginia playing for the Red Stockings in 1904.

He moved to the Brooklyn Royal Giants and played shortstop there in 1905 and 1906, moving to the Philadelphia Quaker Giants for the last part of 1906.

He returned to the Leland Giants in 1907, where he would remain until a court battle split the Leland Giants in 1910. Wright went to the Chicago Giants and played there in 1910.

He moved on to the New York Lincoln Giants in 1911, and finished up the last part of the season with the last known team he was known to play on (at this time), the Brooklyn Royal Giants in 1913.

Wright received votes listing him on the 1952 Pittsburgh Courier player-voted poll of the Negro Leagues' best players ever.

He was a philanthropist who developed the first housing project in the province. He left in his will his house to the Local Council of Women of Halifax to further the cause of women's suffrage (women's right to vote was achieved six years after Wright's death). He also was one of the large contributors to the Y.M.C.A. building fund and Dalhousie University.

An enthusiastic yachtsman, Wright owned several boats in including the sloop Princess, built by H.W. Embree and Sons in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia. Wright also created the George Wright Cup, a racing trophy for sail races at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron.

Although his body was never found, he has a grave marker in the Christ Church cemetery in Dartmouth.