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Early Life Martha Coffin Wright was the youngest of eight children some of her well know siblings names were Sarah, Lucretia, Eliza, Mary, and Thomas. All of her siblings were born in Nantucket and she was the only born in Boston. When she was two years old, Martha moved to Philadelphia and lived there for a total of 15 years. While living in Philadelphia, she was influenced by her elder sisters and her mother. Her father died in 1815, at the age of 48, because he contracted typhus fever. After, spending 15 years in Philadelphia Martha moved to upstate New York where she lived for many years. She moved to Aurora, New York which is located near the Finger Lakes in November of 1827. Martha’s eldest sister Anna was a huge influence on the person she was. Anna was the one who sent Martha to school at the Westcott Boarding School in 1821. This was the same school that her three other siblings attended 10 years earlier.

Personal Life Martha had six children, Marianna, Whom she had with her first husband, Tallman, Eliza, Ellen, William, and Francis. After the death of her husband in 1826 she met a man by the name of Julius Catlin and continued to see him. In 1828, they both expressed their wish to become engaged and married. Yet, nothing ever came of the relationship because Julius’s father did not approve of Martha and he met an early death in 1828. This was not the end of Martha’s love life. In 1829 she met a man by the name of David Wright, a lawyer, and they were soon married; on November 18th. David Wright was a Quaker just like Martha and was born and raised in Bucks County, PA.

Women’s Right Convention In September of 1852, Martha attended a convention in Syracuse, NY where she gave her first speech on women’s rights. This very convention was where she was first introduced to Susan B. Anthony. Martha attended many conventions and lectures all the way until 1862, when the Civil War occurred. She felt it would be best to focus on the war. She still continued her fight for the American Anti-Slavery Society.

Underground Railroad Martha and her husband David were huge in the act to abolish slavery they shared this common interest with their close friends in Auburn, NY the Seward family. William Henry Seward at the time was the elected governor of New York State. Seward’s wife Frances Seward and his sister Lazette Worden became interested in the works of the Women’s Right movement, but never actively were involved.

Auburn, NY Home In 1839 the Wright family moved to 192 Genesee Street Auburn, NY. The house was very large and close to the court house. This was key for her husband David’s career as a lawyer. The house would be a key part in housing slaves and important figures during the women’s movement. Examples of such slaves and important figures were Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony.

Death Martha Coffin Wright died on January 4th, 1875. She is buried in Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, NY.

Descendants Anna Coffin Eliza and Benjamin Yarnall Family spread across Orange, NJ, Philadelphia, PA and Brooklyn, NY