Joel Tombleson Wright was born in Upwell, Isle of Ely, England, 16 March, 1834.   He emigrated to Canada in 1855 and studied for the ministry, being ordained Deacon and Priest by Bishop Benjamin Cronyn.   He was assigned his first parish, St. James' Church, Wardsville, August 27, 1861 and was also responsible for the adjacent Florence, Bothwell, Newbury and Glencoe.   In 1863, Mr. Wright supervised the building of Christ Church, Newbury, which remains in use to the present day.   In 1870, Bothwell and Thamesville were joined, leaving Wardsville, Newbury and Glencoe as a three-point Parish.   He resigned in 1870 to become Rector of St. James' Church, St. Marys.

Rev Joel Tombleson Wright arrived in St. Marys in April 1870 and was rector for 18 years.   During his time as rector significant alterations were made to the church building.   St James was a simple, rectangular building when Rev. Wright arrived.   The church took on its present appearance in 1886 with the addition of an 80-foot tower, a chancel, a new entrance and the roof being raised.

Rev Wright was plaintiff in the celebrated chancery suit, Wright vs. the Synod of Huron. The Diocese of Huron in administrating a trust created when the Clergy Reserves had been secularized decided to redirect funds that had previously gone to clergy to other purposes. In 1881 Wright, who had been receiving $200 a year from the trust, on behalf of himself and other clergy of the diocese, sought to have the funds restored to the individual clergy. He won at Chancery Court in London but the decision was reversed on appeal. The case finally reached the Supreme Court of Canada, which decided against Mr. Wright, who thereupon, in 1884, appealed to the privy council of Great Britain. In 1886 Rev Wright agreed to drop the case.

Mr. Wright then served as Rector of St. John's Arva, 1888 to 1890; Leave of Absence, 1890; Rector of Northfield, Norwich and Otterville, 1891 to 1903. He was superannuated on May 1, 1903. He died on February 10, 1911.