Jacob P. Wright (abt 1825-1874) of AME Zion Church & the courts
Jacob P. Wright is something of a mystery. Through his self-publishing A History of the A. M. E. Zion Church, Lansingburgh, N. Y., from 1841 to 1868 https://archive.org/details/historyofamezion00wrig it's possible to know something about him through his own words and that slim volume is probably the first book published by an African-American in Lansingburgh. On some level, that provides a lot more information than can be found for many people.However, when trying to supplement information from his book, or fill out other parts of his life, newspaper items (only a few of which are included here) complicate matters somewhat. At least a couple of the Troy newspapers often treated him to ridicule, sometimes rendering his speech in dialect. It can be hard to be certain what was factual.According to an obituary (below) he was born in Delaware, though the 1870 US Census identified his place of birth as New Jersey. He appeared in the 1866 Troy Directory (which also encompassed Lansingburgh, Green Island, and West Troy) as a chimney sweep. Gone from the 1867 directory, he reappeared in 1868 as a whitewasher.In 1869 he's identified in the Troy Directory as "Rev." for the first time, and in subsequent years the title remained though his profession was given as "lawyer." The earliest newspaper item that's been located pertaining to him at the moment is from 1867 and identifies him as a Reverend in Lansingburgh, so his life as one lasted at least for 1867-1869. His 1868 book indicated "This is the first charge I ever would take, out of fifteen churches I have built or rebuilt, and I have preached over twenty years" (13). That could indicate he'd been an active Christian since 1847 or so, but had only just taken a position as a church leader.Finding some other sources regarding his life other than the Troy Daily Times and the Troy Daily Whig would be very helpful!
For the first time in the history of Rensselaer county (says the Troy Times), a colored man acted as counsel in a criminal case in the Court of Sessions on Friday. He was the ex-Rev. Jacob Wright of Lansingburgh, who had been assigned by our democratic county judge to the defence of James Anderson, also a colored man, who was charged with an assault with intent to kill.New York Evening Post. March 23, 1870: 1 col 4.—Brother Wright, the Lansingburgh colored lawyer, appeared as counsel in a dog case in the Justices' Court this morning, and was successful. His client was a colored lady who had been attacked by a canine owned by Mrs. Ann Fitzgerald of Lansingburgh. The Court ordered the proper officer to put an end to the existence of the wicked dog."City Notes." Troy Daily Times. May 10, 1870: 3 col 1.