NORTHERN NEW YORK
Genealogical and family history of northern New York: a record of the achievements of her people and the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation.
New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. 1910.
WIGHT
Up to the present time no definite information concerning the English forebears of the Wights has been brought to light. The family mentioned below is descended from Thomas Wight, who undoubtedly came from England, but nothing is know of him prior to his appearance in New England.
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(I) Thomas Wight was at Watertown, Mass. in 1635-36, and in July, 1637 was admitted an inhabitant of Dedham, Mass., receiving a grant of twelve acres of land for a homestead, and subsequently acquiring more real estate. With his wife Alice he united with the church, July 6, 1640, and was admitted a freeman Oct. 8, of that year. From 1640 to 1650 his name frequently appeared in the town records in connection with public affairs, and in addition to serving as a selectman for six years, from 1641, he served on several important committees. he was one of the fist to advocate the necessity of free educational facilities, signified his willingness to be taxed for that purpose, and it was mainly through his influence that a free public school was established in Dedham. In 1649 he became actively intereted in a project for dividing the town, which resulted in the setting off of the town of Medfield, and in 1650 was chosen chairman of a committee of five whose duty it was to supervise the surveying of house lots. Having removed to Medfield, his name does not appear in the Dedham records after 1650, and his ability and usefullness were thenceforward devoted to the interests of the new town.
In 1652 he was the wealthiest resident of Medfield. For ninetten years he served the town as a selectman, and in 1667 he became a deacon of the churhc. His will was made in 1672 and his death occurred in 1674.
The Christian name of his first wife, who accompanied him from England, was Alice, but her maiden surname is unknown. She died July 15, 1665, and on Dec. 7 of that year Thomas Wight married for his second wife, Mrs. Lydia Penniman, widow of James Penniman, of Boston, and a sister of John Eliot, the apostle to the Indians. She was a daughter of Bennett Eliot, and was probably baptized at Nasing, England, July 1, 1610. She died in Medfield prior to July 27, 1676, as her will was probated on that date.
The children of Thomas and Alice were:
Henry.
John.
Thomas.
Mary.
Who were probably born in England).
Samuel.
Ephraim.
(N. B. -- The earliest mention of the name Wight in the vital records of Dedham occurs in 1639 as follows: "Samuel, Son of Thomas and Alice Wight, was born 5 of the 12 month")>
(II) Ephraim, youngest child of Thomas and Alice Wight, was born in Dedham, Jan. 27, 1645, and was baptized Feb. 8, of that year. He was made a freeman Oct. 8, 1672, and appointed executor of his father's will, and having inherited the family homestead on Green street, he resided there until his death, which occurred Feb. 26, 1722-23. In addition to his Medfield estate he owned property in what is now Medway. An item in the early records of Medfield states that he contributed two bushes of Indian corn toward building "the new brick college at Cambridge" (Harvard). In 1697 he and his wife were listed among the members of the First Church in Medfield.
He was married in that town March 2, 1668, to Lydia Morse, who was baptized in Dedham, April 13, 1645, died July 14, 1722.
Children, all born in Medfield:
Lydia, March 14, 1669.
Esther, Jan. 13, 1670.
Ephraim, Jan. 25, 1672.
Miriam, Aug. 22, 1674.
Nathaniel, Sept. 12, 1678.
Daniel, Nov. 19, 1680.
Bethia, March 8, 1683.
Deborah, Dec. 1, 1685.
Ruth, July 20, 1688.
(III) Nathaniel, third son and fifth child of Ephraim and Lydia (Morse) Whight, was born in Medfield, Sept. 12, 1678. He was married in 1704 to Sarah Ellis, born March 7, 1687, daughter of John and Mary (Herring) Ellis, of Medfield. She died without issue Oct. 30, 1705, and on Dec. 30, 1706, Nathaniel Wight married for his second wife "Mehetable" Hinsdale, born in 1681. She was a granddaughter of Robert Hinsdale, who served in King Philip's war and was killed at Bloody Brook in 1675.
Nataniel Wight was one of the founders of the town of Medway, which was set off from Medfield in 1713, and his residence was located on the old Mandon road not far from the Charles river. He served as a selectman for the years 1715-17, and continued to reside there until about the year 1721. Having in the latter year purhcased land in Thompson, Conn., then a parish of Killingly, he removed thither, and, when Thompson Parish was organized (1728), he was one of the sixteen residents who were eligible to own pews in the meeting house. He subsequently disposed of his property in Medfield, making his last sale of real estate there in 1743. Nathaniel Wight and his second wife both died prior to 1768.
Children, born in Medfield:
Mehetable, born Oct. 4, 1707.
Eliphalet, April 16, 1711.
Levi, Oct. 24, 1712.
John.
Born in Medway:
Israel, May 31, 1716.
Sarah, Aug. 29, 1719.
Deborah, Sept. 8, 1720.
(IV) Levi, second son and third child of Nathaniel and "Mehetable" (Hinsdale) Wight, was born in Medfield, Oct. 24, 1712, died in Oxford, Mass., in 1797. His name frequently occurs in the records of land transactions in Killingly, and in 1755 he sold his residence there to Jacob Wightman. He removed to Oxrod, Mass., probably before 1785. He was married in Killingly, Dec. 1, 1742, to Susannah Barstow, who died in Oxford, June 29, 1787.
Children:
Uzziel, born Sept. 23, 1743, died young.
Uzziel, born Nov. 6, 1745, died Nov 1762.
Olive, July 9, 1748.
Huldah, Nov. 16, 1750.
Lydia, Oct. 25, 1754
(these births were recorded in Killingly town records).
Abigail, Jan. 30, 1757.
Levi, March 24, 1759, died in infancy.
Levi, born in Thompson, July 3, 1761.
Caleb, Sept. 14, 1763.
(V) John, third son and fifth child of Levi and Susannah (Barstow) Wight, was born in Killingly, Nov. 2, 1752. He accompanied his family to Oxford and resided there until 1794, in which year he removed with two of his brothers to Fairfield, Herkimer county, New York, where he died about 1808.
He married Betsey Robinson, and she became the mother of nine children, six of whom were born in Oxford, and the others were born in Fairfield:
Uzziel, born March 22, 1781.
Abner.
Jason, July 13, 1785.
Reuben, May 16, 1788.
Abigail, Oct. 2, 1791.
Betsey, Sept. 18, 1793.
The next three were born in Fairfield, N.Y.
John, Jan. 17, 1796.
Alvin, July 24, 1799.
Harvey, April 11, 1805.
This family removed to Fowler, St. Lawrence county, N.Y., between the years 1820 and 1823, and Mrs. Betsey Wight died at the advanced age of ninety-three years, having survived her husband half a century.
(VI) Abner, second child of John and Betsey (Robinson) Wight, was born in Oxford, April 1, 1783. He was a carpenter by trade and also tilled the soil. He resided in Oppenheim, New York, until about 1823, when he removed to Fowler, and resided there for the remainder of his life. In his religious belief he was a Universalist. His death occurred May 23, 1836.
Alexander, Feb. 22, 1806.
Amanda, April 15, 1808.
Betsey, Sept. 2, 1810.
Abner, see below.
Sally, Feb. 14, 1816.
John, Oct. 7, 1818.
Aurilla, Sept. 22, 1821.
(VII) Abner (2), second son and fifth child of Abner (1) Wight, was born in Oppenheim, Dec. 2, 1813. The greater portion of his life was spent in Fowler, where he cultivated a farm, and for several years he taught a singing school in that town. He died at the home of his daughter Frances in October, 1888.
On June 22, 1836, he married Clarissa Shumway, born Jan. 6, 1814, daughter of Joel and Jemima (Taintor) Shumway.
Children:
Frances A.
Charles Lester, born Aug. 3, 1846.
Robert Eugene, June 28, 1848.
Mrs. Abner Wight died about the year 1880 in the town of Fowler.
(VIII) Frances A., only daughter of Abner (2) and Clarissa (Shumway) Wight, was born in Fowler, Oct. 30, 1841. On May 5, 1864, she married Justus Brayton Abbott. (see Abbott, VIII).
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