Alfred Wright

To search our directory of workers at HM Factory Gretna either enter any name, place of birth or place of death in the search box or if you know what their job was from select from the drop-down menu.

Go back to directory.

Foreman

Birthplace Lancashire Nelson England Date of Birth: January 19, 1876 Date of Death: January 1, 1939

Biography

Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by): Alfred Wright.

Gender: Male.

Date and Place of Birth: ABT 1876. Nelson, Lancashire.

Date and Place of Death: 1939, Nelson, Lancashire (death registered between January and March of that year).

Nationality: British.

Biography

Childhood: His siblings were Sarah Ellen (1879-), Willie (1881-1881) and Ernest Dean (1883-).

Parents: Thomas Dean (1856-) and Nancy Wright (1855-).

Parent’s occupations: His father was a cotton weaver. The 1881 census states that his mother was also a cotton weaver.

Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: N/A.

Occupation: The 1911 census refers to him as a cotton weaver.

Place of residence at Gretna: N/A.

Job title at Gretna: Munitions worker. Eventually became a foreman in the works, where he started as a labourer (he stayed there for four years).

Marital status: Married Florence Mary Wilward (1877-) on 21st November 1898. The Parish was Nelson, St Mary, Lancashire, England.

Children: His children were Florence Ellen (1900-) and Alfred Ernest Wright (1903-).

Travels: He went to work at H.M. Factory Gretna during the First World War.

Awards/recognitions: He was rewarded an OBE for the removal of the explosive described below, along with the five other men who removed it.

Trivia / any other information: ‘One afternoon when he went to the factory a bad charge of explosive was found and he, along with five other men of the shift, volunteered to remove it though at great risk’.

‘The official description of how Mr. Wright won the honour is as follows: “For great courage shown on what might have been a very serious occasion”’.

When he died he was living at 80, Water Street, Nelson.

Before he went to Gretna during World War One, he was working with looms at Holden Brothers, Barrowford, where he had been employed as a weaver for ten years.

He was buried in Nelson Cemetery. ‘the services at the house and graveside being conducted by the Rev. A.H. Candler.

The chief mourners were:- Mrs. Wright, Alfred Wright, Melbourne Wright, George Wright, Mr. Ernest Wright, Mrs. Spencer, Mrs. Ernest Dean, Mrs. Crookall, Mrs. Ryan.