Patience Lovell Wright was born in Bordentown, New Jersey, in 1725. She became the first professionally recognized American-born sculptor, working in wax. By the time the Revolution began she was living in London, where her studio became a gathering point for pro-American figures. She corresponded with Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Dickinson throughout the war. Those letters are in the archive.
Wright began making wax portrait figures in New Jersey following the death of her husband Joseph Wright in 1769. She moved to New York with her children and established a successful exhibition of wax portraits. In 1772 she moved to London, where she quickly attracted prominent clientele including King George III and members of Parliament. Her London studio on Pall Mall became a well-known attraction.
Wright was unusual in her access: she mixed socially with British elites in her professional capacity while holding strongly pro-American views. She was known for speaking freely and unconventionally in these settings. When war broke out between Britain and the colonies, she was positioned in London with direct access to British political and social figures.
During the war years Wright maintained a correspondence with several American leaders. Her letters to Benjamin Franklin, held at the American Philosophical Society and accessible through Founders Online, report on conditions in England and the attitudes of British political figures. Her letter to John Adams of November 1, 1783 is at Founders Online. Her letters to John Dickinson are held at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
I have been doing all in my Power to serve my Country and my friends in america — I have at Sundry times given such information as has fallen in my Way, and have wrote and sent many letters to Dr. Franklin and others.
Wright remained in London throughout the war and after. She attempted to return to America in 1786 but fell from her carriage in London and died of her injuries in March 1786. She was approximately sixty-one years old. Her son Joseph Wright, who had also moved to London and become a portrait painter, returned to the United States after the war and became known for his portraits of George Washington.
Wright's primary legacy in the archive is her correspondence: the Founders Online letters to Adams and Franklin, and the Dickinson letters at HSP. These establish her as a pro-American figure with direct connections to multiple founders during the war years, regardless of the questions surrounding the espionage methods attributed to her.
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