Herbert was the son of Moses and Susan Phoebe Wright (née Sharp/Sharpe).
Both his parents were born in Kirtling, Cambridgeshire. Moses was born on 22 November 1872 (O/N/D Newmarket) the son of James and Elizabeth Wright. Susan Phoebe was born on 8 October 1874 (O/N/D Newmarket), the daughter of William and Sarah Sharpe, and was baptised as Kirtling on 23 May 1875.
Moses and Susan were married in 1894 (O/N/D Newmarket) and had eight children of whom two died in infancy. Seven children have been traced from census records and birth registrations: Edith Eve b. 1895 (A/M/J) d. 1895 (J/A/S); Frank b. Kirtling 1896; Herbert b. Kirtling 1 May 1898; Arthur Edward b. Kirtling 1900; Elizabeth Edith E. (Edith) b. Kirtling 1903; Julia Ethel b. b. Herringswell Suffolk 18 May 1906 and Millie b. Herringswell 14 July 1908.
In 1901 Susan (27) was living in Burwell, Cambridgeshire, with her parents-in-law James Wright (73), a retired hurdle maker, and his wife Elizabeth (68), and her three sons Frank (4), Herbert (2) and Arthur (8 months). They were living either in the same property or next door to Moses' brother James, his wife Eliza (m. 1891) and their three children.
Moses and Susan's next child, Elizabeth, was born two years later, also in Kirtling, but their two youngest daughters, Julia and Millie were both born in Suffolk in 1906 and 1908 respectively.
However, Moses (38), a farm labourer, and Susan were living again living in Cambridgeshire by 1911, in Burwell. In the home were their six surviving children: Frank, a farm labourer, Herbert, Edward, Elizabeth (7), Julia (4) and Millie (2).
The family later moved to Nottinghamshire as when Herbert attested in 1916 he named his mother as his next of kin; the military record gave her address as 46 Vernon Street, Worksop. However, his next of kin was later amended to his wife, Edith A Cooper, whom Harold married in 1917 (J/A/S Worksop). The CWGC record gives his widow's address as 11 Park Avenue, Mansfield.
Moses and Susan probably continued to live in Nottinghamshire after the war although by 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled they were living in Bunny near Bradmore, Nottinghamshire. Moses was a retired miner. Also in the household were Julia E Campbell who was probably their daughter who had married Henry F Campnell in 1935 (J/F/M Stepney London) and Julia's daughter Sheila Campbell (b. 26 September 1933, reg. Hull Yorkshire), together with Dorothy May Wright (b. 14 January 1915, later Barwick). There were also two other members of the household whose records remain closed.
Susan probably died in 19 November 1942 and Moses in 1960 (J/F/M Nottingham).