wright

1) A worker of wood, a carpenter or joiner.

1379 Andreas Wright, carpenter, Stockeld. It was a frequent suffix in specialist by-names such as ploughwright, sievewright and wheelwright, all dealt with separately. Such by-names could remain unstable long after surnames generally were hereditary: in 1404-5 the granger at Selby Abbey had the services of John Wright for carpentry work and his accounts show how he was employed: ‘searching in the woods and choosing timber for the mills, and renewing one inner wheel for the upper mill … and making mill spindles, cogs and other necessities’. In 1518, in the churchwardens’ accounts of St Michael, Spurriergate, payments were made to Emond Wryght who was also named as Emond the wright, York. The wrights who worked on York Minster had their own lodge, like the masons, a place where materials could be stored and they could relax: 1570-80 For helping to carry into the wryghte house standerdes, powles and boordes, York. The word was part of everyday vocabulary: 1642 the weeke afore wee intende to leade hey, wee sende worde to the Wright to come and see that the axle-trees and felfes of the waines bee sownde, Elmswell.

dates 1379 1404-1405 1518 1570-1580 1642

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