Richard Wright was a Bollington grocer and corn merchant in the late 19th and early 20thC. He also operated Prestbury corn mill, one of the last in the area. Unusually, after his death, his executors, sons Clifford and Leslie, continued the business in the name of ‘Exors of Richard Wright’. It would be more usual today to continue in its original name but with new proprietors.
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Richard Wright and his wife Martha Ann, nee Wright, married at Bollington Wesleyan Methodist church on 18 October 1893. Richard died in February 1926. Martha Ann lived for over 100 years, 1868-1969. Richard and Martha Ann had a grocery shop at 13-15 Shrigley Road, as well as the Prestbury corn mill. Martha Ann’s mother was lady’s maid to Miss Agnes Greg, sister of Samuel Greg of The Mount, at her house in Lowerhouse in the 1860s. Read more about this fascinating story in Voices From The Past by Jean M Wright, 2005, available from the Discovery Centre . |
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| In January 1929 the proprietors of the corn mill bought the very latest in road transport – a Thornycroft 2 ton hinged sided lorry, type ‘A2’ Subsidy, with a 25/40hp engine. This description comes from the back of the manufacturer’s file photograph of the vehicle, reproduced here. |  |
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Prestbury corn mill suffered a devastating fire on 29th March 1940 and was largely destroyed. A number of photographs were taken of this event and they can be seen in the Discovery Centre . Most noticeable is that the fire was fought entirely by the workforce without the aid of any fire brigade. The mill was rebuilt. Clifford Wright died in August 1940 and brother Leslie carried on the business until he sold it to Hamlyns in November 1946. |
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