| Matthew John Wright was the son of Rev. William Wright and Charlotte McWilliams Robinson. William Wright and Charlotte Robinson were married on 9th December 1880 in the district of Ballymena.
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| Matthew Wright was born on 23rd. February 1888. He was one of eight children, all born in Newtownards.
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| Family: William Wright, Charlotte McWilliams Wright, Archibald Robinson Wright (born 22nd October 1881), Thomas Wright (born 28th September 1882), William Martin Wright (born 23rd April 1884), Hannah Dunlop Wright (born 23rd June 1885), Charlotte McWilliams Wright (born 13th January 1887), Matthew John Wright (born 23rd February 1888), Richard Ponsonby Maxwell Wright (born 9th July 1890), Alfred James Wright (born 5th June 1897).
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| The 1901 census lists Matthew as age 12 living with the family at house 3 in Corporation South, Newtownards, County Down. Matthew was still at school. His father was a Presbyterian Clergyman.
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| The 1911 census lists Matthew as age 22 living with the family at house 21 in Circular Street, Newtownards, County Down. He was working as a Timber Merchant's Assistant.
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| Matthew was in the employment of Messrs John Stevenson Ltd, Coalisland for a time.
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| Prior to enlisting, Second Lieutenant Wright was in the employment of Messrs James P Corry Ltd, Belfast. His occupation before joining up was a cashier, and he lived at home with his father, Revered William Wright of Springfield Manse, Newtownards.
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| 1914
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| Matthew Wright enlisted as a Private in the 14th Royal Irish Rifles (the Young Citizen Volunteers), having joined at Belfast on the 6th of October 1914. When he enlisted in 1914 he was 26 years and 7 months old. His enlistment papers, in his file at the National Archives, also records that he was 5' 6 3/4" tall, weighed 168 lbs. and had blue eyes and brown hair.
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| 1915
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| He applied for a commission only a few weeks after enlisting and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in January 1915, receiving his commission in the same battalion
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| He proceeded with the Young Citizens to France on 30th October 1915, and for a time was engaged instructing in the bomb throwing school.
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| 1916
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| He had been on leave shortly before he was killed, and this leave had been extended as he had reported with a fractured rib to a doctor on the 12th of May and was discharged on the 26th of May.
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| He received permission to extend his home leave, but he refused to accept the privilege, preferring as he stated, to be with the boys at the front.
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| Second Lieutenant Matthew Wright reported back to his battalion on the 27th of May 1916 (10 days later than originally scheduled), and was to die just over a month later.
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| Second Lieutenant Matthew Wright was the 14th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles when he was killed in action at the Somme on 1st July 1916. He was 28 years old.
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| The Field Service form reporting his death states that he was killed in action, and that his place of burial was 'not forthcoming' – a regular description for the Somme's casualties.
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| The telegram announcing his death was sent to his father on the 5th of July 1916.
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 15th July 1916: Second Lieutenant Matthew J Wright
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| Second Lieutenant Matthew J Wright, Royal Irish Rifles (Young Citizen Volunteers), was killed in action on 1st July. He is a fourth son of the Rev Dr Wright, and one of his three soldier sons who joined the colours. He joined the Young Citizen Volunteers as a private shortly after the outbreak of war, receiving his commission in the same battalion couple of months later. He proceeded with the Young Citizens to France in October last year, and for a time was engaged instructing in the bomb throwing school. He met with a rather serious accident in May last, and was sent home to recuperate. He received permission to extend his home leave, but he refused to accept the privilege, preferring as he stated, to be with the boys at the front. Prior to enlisting, Second Lieutenant Wright was in the employment of Messrs James P Corry Ltd, Belfast, and formerly in the employment of Messrs John Stevenson Ltd, Coalisland.
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| Matthew Wright was the fourth son of the Rev Dr Wright, and one of his three soldier sons who joined the colours. Rev Wright's other sons survived the war. William Martin Wright and Richard Ponsonby Maxwell Wright were the two sons who survived.
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| Last Will and Testament
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| In his will, which was administered on 18th April 1917 his effects totalling £152-4s-10d were left to his father.
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| Memorials
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| Second Lieutenant Matthew J Wright has no known grave and are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.
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| After the war a small headstone was placed in Thiepval Wood in memory of 2nd Lt. Matthew John Wright. This was later removed to and installed in the nearby Ulster Tower for safekeeping. It remains there to this day.
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| The Masonic Lodge in Newtownards was renamed in memory of 2nd Lieut. Matthew Wright, Royal Irish Rifles, killed in action at Thiepval in 1916. The dedication ceremony took place in the Masonic Hall, James Street, Newtownards in February, 1919, over which Rt. Rev. Bro. J. D. Williamson, M.D., J.P., presided accompanied by other members of Provincial Grand Lodge, one of whom was V.W. Bro. William Wright, D.D., father of Lieut. Matthew Wright.
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| Second Lieutenant Wright is commemorated on Newtownards First Presbyterian Church WW1 War Memorial.
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| Second Lieutenant Wright is also commemorated on Newtownards War Memorial.
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| The CWGC record Second Lieutenant Wright as the son of the Rev. William Wright, D.D. and Charlotte McW. Wright, of Newtownards, Co. Down.
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