Francis Wast (Francis John West)

Birth: about 1643 in Lynn, Massachusetts

Death: Jan. 2, 1696 in North Kingston, Washington County, Rhode Island

Francis was the son of Matthew and Nicoles West. They were both born in England. His parents settled in Lynn, Massachusetts where Francis was born.

He married Susanna Soule, the daughter of George Soule of Plymouth Colony. Susannah was probably born about 1642 in Duxbury, Plymouth Co., Mass.

Francis had several spellings of his last name, including both Wast and West. -------------------- From the WorldConnect Database: "The Freeman, Howe, Parke, Stockwell, Thatcher, Martin etc", by Peter Howe Freeman:

"Name also appears as Wast.

There is no FGRA sheet for Francis West although one is indicated on theFGRA sheet of George Soule. His name is on the Crapo Family Organization pedigree compiled by Mrs. Dorothy D. Hall (now deceased).This had sources: "Mayflower Families Through Five Generations" V. 3;Memorandum Book of Samuel West, grandson of Wm., son of Francis, published in "Mayflower Desc." V. 26; Vital Records of Plymouth, Plymouth, Mass., in "Mayflower Desc." V. 14."Mayflower Families..." says "We have been unable to find place or date of birth, date of death or parentage for Francis."

A family group sheet of Matthew West of Newport, Newport, R. I., in the FGRA collection of the Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah,shows Francis who married Susanna Soule as sixth son. It was submitted by Mrs. Emma P. Walton, Centervile, Utah. Her sources were "West Family reg B9 E 1 p 402; Allred Families B2F1C; B12E9; MayflowerDescendents Am Pub A Vol 26; Conn S11".

Matthew is also given as father in "Genealogy of George West and James R.Kimble" by A. L. Pino, (FHL 929.273 W52p), references, "State Gen.Library, Albany, New York: Historical Society Record, Wayne Co. N. Y. ;and Records in possession of Maud Clossen", and in "History ofStonington, New London, Conn." by R. A. Wheeler, 1900 (FHL 974.65/S1 D2w,also on films 847758 and 900000)

Richley Crapo, 654 E. 1980 N., North Logan, Utah 84341-1933, wonders if Francis might be the son of Francis West and Margery Reeves. He says the records he has seen of Francis and Margery do not include a son Francis, however there are some interesting facts about them that leads him to suspect that he might be their first child. According to Attendants' Court records published in Shurtleff's "Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England" Francis and Margery were married 27 Feb 1639/40 and they were convicted about nine months later, on 17 Nov 1640, of "incontenency with one another before marriage" and were apparently of Duxbury, where Francis was required to build some stocks within the following three months. Their residence at Duxbury would have made them neighbors of George Soule, father of Suzannah, who was wife of our Francis.

Richley says that Francis and Margery's first recorded child in all sources he has seen was Samuel, who was born in 1643. He states that there is clearly room for an earlier child and says "Unfortunately, the court record gives no particulars about the reason for the charges brought against Francis and Margery. They might, of course, have been accused by someone, but why so long afterwards? Such accusations were not uncommon and the most common reason was the birth of a full-term child too early after the marriage ceremony. If our Francis, named for his father, was the source of the legal accusation all the loose ends are neatly tied together." He notes that this may prove impossible to document, unless the father's will could be found.

The LDS Ancestral File has another wife for Francis who married Susanna Soule. It is Elizabeth Soule Jr., daughter of George Soule and Mary Bucket or Becket. It has Francis Walker as Elizabeth's first spouse and Francis John West as second spouse, married about 1680. However, it has Francis' first wife as Susanna Soule and her death 1707.

"Mayflower Families...." shows Elizabeth with only the one marriage to Francis Walker who died 1702 and quotes a 1668 deed to "Francis Walker, husband to my daughter Elizabeth."

From "Mayflower Families....": Francis and Susanna and family "resided inthat part of Kings Towne, R.I. which became North Kingstown in 1722/3. We have been unable to find place or date of birth, date of death orparentage for Francis.

"When Gov. Andros took over the King's Province in 1687, he levied taxes on the inhabitants of Kingstown, renamed Rochester. Included in the list were Francis Wast senior, Francis Wast junior, and Richard Wast. Only Francis senior had a rate, that of 2 shillings 1 pence. The children of this family have been difficult to trace. Francis, Susannah, and Martha remained in the Kingstown, R.I., area; William removed to Newport, R.I., probably after the death of his first wife. Clement moved to Charlestown, R.I., and then disappears from R.I. records, perhaps moving to Dutchess County, N.Y. Richard returned to Plymouth and Bristol County, living in Middleboro and Taunton. We have not found Peter, John nor Thomas. This family name has a variety of spellings in the public records: WAST, WEST, WASTE, WEAST being common variants. Of the four "West" families in Plymouth Colony only this family has its surname used in forms other than WEST suggesting that the original name, while phonetically similar, was distinct from West. Some of Susanna's children are identified in the Samuel West Memorandum Book published in the 'Mayflower Descendant'."

The memorandum book of Samuel West published in "Mayflower Desc." V. 26 says "My great grandfather Francis West came from Europe to America soon after the first settlement at Plymouth and soon after hisarrival he married a young lady by the name of Sole, daughter of Mr. George Sole...by whom he had seven sons and daughters. His sons names were Francis, Thomas, Peter, William, Richard, Clemment and John. His daughters names were Martha & Susanna. Martha married a Fones by whom she had children. Susanna married a Barber by whom she had a number of sons & daughters." "