1942 – Sat. Dad & Chief went out to see Ray. He got To bed about about 12. Mrs Harris was here awhile
1943 – Sunday. Dad & Bud worked Today. Marie came over & we took her home. Candice phil & Gerry & Bud went To show.
1944 – Mon. Washed & Did Most of my ironing. No Mail. We went into Town Then Marie came by & we Took her home.
1945 – Got up late Dutch went To work. Mrs Norris was here. I am cleaning house & listening To Radio Tonight.
1946 – No entry
This is only one of numerous Coat of Arms that have been assigned to a Wright in early times. It will be interesting to research how and why Coats or Arms are awarded.
The ancestors of the Wright family lived among ancient Scottish people called Boernicians. They were one of the ancient clans of the Scottish-English borderlands. Despite the border that separated the Scottish families of the north from the English families of the south, many of the clans remained united, by territory and interest, across the border. Most felt little allegiance to either Scotland or England. There were about 1000 clans divided across the border.
The history of the Boernician peoples reached a turning point in the 13th century. The dramatic escalation of clan warfare brought chiefs from both the English and the Scottish sides of the border to meet at Carlisle in 1246. At this meeting the chiefs cooperated in drafting a new and unique set of laws for the entire borderland territory. For example, it was a greater offense to refuse to help a neighbor recover property than it was to steal them in the first place. For refusal of assistance, a person could be hanged without trial. These laws were unlike any in existence in Britain, Scotland, Ireland or Europe.
Nevertheless, by 1587, numerous Border Clans had been condemned by an Act of Scottish Parliament for lawlessness. After the unification of the crowns of Scotland and England in 1603, James VI of Scotland attempted to break up the “unruly border clans.” The border clans were banished to England, Scotland, Ireland and the colonies. Our ancestors can be traced back to England.
The name Wright is derived from the Old English “wyrhta” meaning “worker” or, more specifically, “woodworker, carpenter, craftsman,” and was used to refer to a carpenter. In medieval rolls, the name was often Latinized as Faber.
1942 – Aubrey worked went To Glendale & got trunks this morning & he has slept ever since I have been writing letters.
1943 – SATURDAY Slept Late Dad & Bud went To work I went To store & cleaned house made pie am Reading Dad & Bud working
1944 – Sunday. Dutch worked Days. Marie didnt come Its Been a long Day – Hope we get Buds picture Tomorrow
1945 – We went after the meat & I made sausage tonight I should wash tomorrow. Marie came by & went on into town.
1946 – No entry
The 1945 entry lets us know why Grama went to the Legan’s yesterday to help them butcher. Today she is making sausage.
1942 – Daddy worked last night Harris came by & Took me for a ride today. Aubrey slept all Day. Aubrey goes To work at 10:30
1943 – FRIDAY Dad & Bud worked Marie came last night & we went To San Louis Shopping she went Back on Bus at 6:15. I went to Rig with Bairds
1944 – Dad slept late we went To town got letter from Bud & Irma(?). Didnt see Marie. Sun shining again Today
1945 – Went over & Helped Legans Butcher. came home & Dad went To work at 3.30 Marie came By & stayed all night.
1946 – No entry
1942 – Went to San Fernando Couldnt find anything came To Filmore Nehewal & got a cabin for a week $6.00 Dad is sleeping goes to work at 12.00
1943 – THURSDAY Slept late Dad & Bud went To work afternoon tour Marie is coming tonight I am making her a pumpkin pie
1944 – Dad slept late went To Town Marie didn’t come by had a dinner Date. No mail
1945 – Sunday. Marie Didnt come out Dad went in To town & stayed & Just got home in time to go to town. Sure is lonesome
1946 – No entry
The town Grama & family settled in in 1942 was Newhall, CA. They stayed there until April 21st. Newhall is the southernmost and oldest district of Santa Clarita, CA.It was the first Anglo settlement in the valley. It was an independent and unincorporated town in 1942. It wasn’t until 1987 when it was incorporated into Santa Clarita, CA. It was just 10 miles north of San Fernando, so it was a logical area to look for a place to stay when they couldn’t find anything in San Fernando, CA.
The 1945 entry is sad, but loneliness seems to be a theme throughout this diary. “The boys” are working long hours and they are often in a new town. I imagine plenty of other oil workers and their families have made the move to the new fields but who knows where they have found to live. Grama doesn’t drive so she can’t get around the area to visit friends. I imagine that’s a common situation with the other wives. If her daughter, Marie, doesn’t come by Grama is often lonely.
That is another thing. Do you notice that wherever they live; Pismo Beach, Santa Maria, Newhall, etc. Marie is either close enough to “come by” every day or so or she lives with them. She is working so what’s the deal? Does she get a new job in every town? Unlikely. The fact that she “comes by” tells me she is living elsewhere. But Pismo Beach to Newhall, for example, is 159 miles. Even if you draw a circle enclosing all those towns and assume Marie lives at the exact center, she would be 80 miles away from them at times. With no car how does she get there so often? Why oh why didn’t I ask these questions when my mother was alive to answer? I’ll have to dig a little deeper to see what I can find out on my own.
This is the only picture I have found of Newhall, California. It was taken in 1919. Hopefully, it looked better than this in 1942.
1942 – We Left Santa Maria at 12.45 & got to Castie stayed in cabin all Night Aubrey went to work at Midnight
1943 – WED. I slept late untill Boys got up went To store & & they went to work Afternoon Tour. I ironed tonight Its now 10. Oclock.
1944 – Marie went To work Dad slept late. Sunshiny No mail today again. Got paid I Bought a $100.00 Bond at Bank
1945 – Sat. Dad slept awhile & we went over To Beach awhile came home & went to Bed early.
1946 – No entry
Our second featured ancestor is John Robert Coakley. He was born on 13 Jan 1849. This is how we are related: My dad’s mother was Georgia Mary Coakley. Her father was Thomas Lewis Coakley. Her grandfather was William Jefferson Coakley and his father was Lewis Coakley. Lewis Coakley had a brother named George Coakley, who was the father of our John Robert Coakley. That makes him my 1st cousin 4X removed. (Hey. It’s hard to find an ancestor with a specific birth date. Remember, I’m posting about ancestors who were born in 52 specific weeks.)
James Robert Coakley was born, lived, and died in Green Co., KY. He married Nancy E. Dearen and went on to have six children. He died on 6 Jul 1913 at the age of 64.
1942 – Monday & Marie worked I washed & packed some More Maby we will move Tomorrow.
1943 – Tuesday. Today is again a pretty Day I washed after Mrs Baird Dad & Bud went To work afternoon Tour I ironed some tonight
1944 – Marie came by this weather is Beatuiful so warm & sun shiny. They have a prowler here.
1945 – Dad slept all Day Marie came by took her into Town. Sure lonesome without our Boy-
1946 – No entry
In 1943 they must have lived somewhere with shared laundry facilities since she mentions washing “after Mrs. Baird”. 1944’s entry is kind of odd. The weather is beautiful and, oh, by the way, there is a prowler here. What?
1942 – Today was sunday Dad Took Load To Taft went by Castie. Marie & Loland went To show Tonight. I am alone
1943 – Mon. Dad & Bud worked afternoon tour. I got my hair fixed I have felt so blue all evening I don’t know why
1944 – I mended & crocheted Marie & Dad worked Marie came by & took Bus into Town will stay all night Tomorrow
1945 – Took Bud To Taft Met Erma? Saw Minnie got home at 8:30 . Sure miss Bud wish he was back.
1946 – No entry
I googled the Castie California mentioned in the 1942 entry and found no such place. This could be spelled wrong or a nickname. It could also be the name of the oil field and not a municipality. It will be fun to find out more. If any of you know more about it, add your information in the comments. The 1945 entry is fun as well. Grama mentions meeting Erma. Erma is Bud’s future wife. (Now we know what all Bud’s trips to Taft are about. LOL) Is this the first time they have met her? Or, does this mean they all met up in Taft for the day. Since this is the first mention of Erma in this diary, I’ll bet this is the first time they’ve met her so I wonder if the question mark after her name means Grama is not sure about her. That feeling must not have lasted because I believe they wound up having a nice relationship with her during her marriage to Bud.This is just a fun glimpse into what Grama was thinking on the day she met her future daughter-in-law.
1942 – Marie worked today & went To Little Theater Tonight Marg has cold Dad works Last Tour Tonight
1943 – I thot Marie would be home today Made her a cake & had fried chicken. Bud & Dad worked afternoon Tour today I am all alone tonight
1944 – Monday & I washed & ironed Today Marie came by & Took Bus into Town. No mail from Bud
1945 – Mrs Legan came we went To town Dad & Bud slept Had chicken Dinner for Bud he leaves tomorrow
1946 – No entry
I believe in the 1942 entry the Marg that Grama refers to is Marie’s friend, Margie. The 1943 entry was strange. Grama thought Marie would be home and made her a cake and a lovely fried chicken dinner. Why the cake? Marie’s birthday was just three days prior to this event and the whole family had eaten out in celebration. The January 7th entry made no mention of a cake so perhaps Grama was making it up to her today. Sad that, for whatever reason, Marie did not come by. Today, we would expect that Marie would have called to say she couldn’t come or Grama would have called to ask if she was coming but they very well might not have had a telephone in either house so they couldn’t communicate that information.
Wandering Through My Roots 