Richard (Dick) was the son of John and Martha Wragby (née Thorpe).
His father was born in Cropwell Butler and his mother in Manthorpe, Grantham, Lincolnshire. They were married in 1875 (reg. Grantham) and had four surviving sons and another who died in infancy. All the children were born in Cropwell Butler and were baptised at Tithby Holy Trinity: John William b. 1876, Robert Stephen b. 1880, Richard Stanley b. 1883 d. 1883, George Horace b. 1884 and Richard Lionel Thorpe (birth reg. Lionel Thorpe) b. 1886 bap. 11 October 1887.
In 1881 John, a tailor and draper, Martha and their two sons, John and Robert, were visitors in Manthorpe cum Little Gonerby, Lincolnshire, the home of Martha's parents, Robert and Hannah Thorpe.
In 1891 the family was recorded living in Cropwell Butler where John and Martha continued to live until their deaths.
The four sons were still living with their parents in 1901, William (24) a railway porter, Robert (20) a tailor, Horace (16) a grocer and Richard (14) who was still at school. Also in the household was the widowed Hannah Thorpe,
By 1911 only Richard, a tailor, was still living with his parents. John William had probably married in 1910 and it is likely that they emigrated to Ohio, America (record of the burial of a John W Wragby 1937, Mentor, Lake County, Ohio). There is a record of a Robert Stephen Wragby (30, b. 1880) departing England for Quebec onboard SS Royal George on 18 August 1910. George Horace may also have left England for America before 1911 as there is a record of a George H Wragby (27) departing Boston Mass. onboard SS Fanconia (Cunard), arriving Liverpool on 17 December 1911.
George Horace probably returned to America before the outbreak of war, but returned to England from Cleveland, Ohio, to enlist in the Imperial Forces, arriving Liverpool 12 December 1914 (SS Lusitania). He had previously been employed as a motor car salesman/motor mechanic (Packard Company) and served in the ASC (RASC), M2/022148 Motor Driver, achieving the rank of CQMS by the time of his discharge from the army. He served at home from 13 December-22 July 1915 and then with the BEF France (attd. RFC) from 23 July 1915 to February 1920. George's service record notes that he had 'expressed a willingness to remain in service until 30 November 1919', undated but perhaps a decision made after the Armistice. However, he was not discharged from the Army until 11 June 1920 having served for 5 years 181 days. He qualified for the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. George made a successful application for repatration ie paid passage, to America where he gave his intended address as Cleveland, Ohio. There is a record that he married in America and also applied for naturalization.
Martha Wragby died on 1 January 1923, aged 70, and John Wragby died on 28 September 1926, aged 74; both were buried in Cropwell Butler cemetery.