On Sept. 28, 1789, Richard Bright was born in Bristol, the third son of a wealthy merchant and banker, Richard Bright Sr., and wife Sarah Heywood. A medical pioneer and one of the leading physician's of his time, known as the "The Father of Nephrology" he was one of the early pioneers in the research of kidney diseases. Bright was born in Bristol, Gloucestershire, the son of a merchant and banker. In 1808, Bright began his higher learning at the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland where he started with philosophy, economics, and mathematics. The following year, Bright turned to medicine. In 1810, Bright accompanied Sir George Mackenzie on a summer expedition to Iceland where he conducted naturalist studies. In the autumn, Bright continued his medical studies at Guy's Hospital in London. There he worked alongside two other celebrated medical pioneers, Thomas Addison and Thomas Hodgkin. His research into the causes and symptoms of kidney disease led to his identifying what became known as Bright's disease. For this, he is considered the "father of nephrology”. After two years at the hospital, he returned to Edinburgh where he was granted his medical doctorate in September 1813 after completing his dissertation "De erysipelate contagioso". In the 1820's and 1830's, Bright worked at Guy's Hospital in London, where he taught and practiced medicine. He also carried out research into the causes and symptoms of kidney disease. His work lead to the naming of one form of kidney disease called "Bright's disease". Richard Bright also served as Physician Extraordinary to her Majesty, Queen Victoria. On December 11, 1858, Bright became severely ill due to complications of heart disease and was unable to recover. He died in London aged 69 on December 16.

Robert Bright (1795 -1869) of Abbots Leigh

Robert Bright of Bristol, and Abbot's Leigh, Somerset, was born on 12 August 1795. He was High Sheriff of Bristol in 1852. He married Caroline, daughter of Thomas Tyndall, Esq., of The Fort, Bristol on 4 June 1821, and he died 19 September 1869. He was a prominent landowner and partner in the mercantile and shipping house of Gibbs & Bright of Bristol, Liverpool and London trading in slaves and cotton. He lived at the Chantry, originally a small mansion house. The original part of the house has features dating from the 18th Century.

Robert Bright’s grandfather Henry Bright (1715-1777) hailed from Worcestershire and at 16 years of age was apprenticed to Richard Meylor who had also come from Worcestershire to live at Ham Green and was a West Indian merchant. Henry married Meylor’s daughter, Sarah. Henry Bright prospered and became a merchant in his own right and was a founder of the ‘Old Bank’ in Bristol. He was well known in the West Indies especially in Kingston as a leading agent in the West Indian Trade having managed some 21 voyages between 1749 and 1766. He was a member of the Whig party and became an MP for Bristol and served the City as High Sheriff and Mayor. The City remembered him for being philanthropic in education and for the foundation of the Theatre Royal. Henry Bright died in 1777, Sarah his wife having died earlier The Ham Green estate came into the Bright family ownership through Sarah Meylor.

Henry and Sarah’s son Richard Bright (1754 - 1840} who married Sarah Heywood made Ham Green his principal residence in preference to the Bright family’s Bristol town house at 29 Queen Square. Richard Bright continued his father’s lucrative mercantile activities but was also an amateur ‘man of science”, maintaining an extensive correspondence with many of the leading scientific figures of the period. These enthusiasms were passed on to his son of the same name Richard became the eminent physician and discoverer of nephritis or kidney disease, now popularly known as “Brights Disease”.

The younger son Robert was born in 1795. Robert Bright (1795-1869) followed in his fathers mercantile footsteps and entered the world of business taking over from his father even before he was 21. On the death of their father Richard and Robert Bright inherited estates in Worcester, Wales, Hampshire and Bristol. Having been involved in the ‘slave trade’ at the time of abolition in 1833 Parliament voted £20 million pounds compensation to the slave owners. Robert Bright received £3,280.