Henry Thomas Wight

Birth: unknown, England Death: Feb. 27, 1681 Dedham Norfolk County Massachusetts, USA

The following has been modified from William Ward Wight's "The Wights, A Record of Thomas Wight of Dedham and Medfield and His Descendants 1635-1890" (Milwaukee, 1890, p. 7) with [annotations] by the memorialist:

• Henry2 Wight (Thomas1) born at England, settled with his parents at Dedham in 1637. He joined the Dedham Church Aug. 14, 1646, and was admitted a freeman of the Mass. Bay Mar. 26, 1647. In 1652 he received two acres of land from his father "Thomas Wight doe alienate and grante unto Henery Wight his sonne." About the time of this grant Henry m. Jane Goodenow of Sudbury [but the date of the m. cannot be found in any pub. VR or Church rec.]. Henry Wight remained at Dedham when the remainder of his father's family removed to Medfield. • He is first mentioned in Dedham records in connection with town affairs in 1653, being appointed to the discharge of a town office. In 1658 he was made constable by the General Court. He was a selectman of Dedham for ten years, his first service being in 1661, and held that office at his death. In 1665 he received a grant of 120 acres from the town. On Feb. 24, 1671 [1671/2], Henry Wight was one of three Dedham citizens appointed to lay out a house lot for Rev. Samuel Mann [the memorialist's ancestor] at Wrentham, and to take care about the church lot there. • Henry is mentioned in his father's will as "my eldest son," and "my well beloved son," and was appointed one of his father's executors. Henry received in his father's will his father's "houses and lands lying and being in Dedham." This devise included the original grant of 12 acres from the town to Thomas Wight. Henry d. intestate at Dedham, Feb. 27, 1680 [sic, 1680/81] - or, as the record puts it, "Sergt. Henery Wight deceased 27:12:80" [sic]. Under date of Mar. 14, 1680 [1680/81] "At a Generall Meeting it was proposed whether the Town would chose another selectman in the room of Sergt. Wight, deceased." Power to administer his estate was granted Apr. 26, 1681 "unto Jane, his relict widow and Joseph Wight his eldest son." The inventory, accepted two days later, aggregated £524.1.0. [Suffolk County Probate Records, Vol. 9, 21.] • Wife Jane (Goodenow) Wight joined the Dedham church June 12, 1653, and d. at Dedham, May 16, 1684. Her estate was inventoried at £462.08.03 with Joseph Wight and Nathaniel Chickering appointed administrators.

Children.

• i. John Wight, b. Dec. 13, 1652, d. unm. at Dedham, Oct. 28, 1671.

• ii. Dea. Joseph Wight, b. May 11, 1654, d. June 23, 1729 at Dedham; m. 1) Jan. 15, 1679/80 at Dedham, Deborah Colburn, who d. Aug. 30, 1684 at Dedham; m. 2) Apr. 22, 1685 at Dedham, Mary Stearns, who d. Dec. 25, 1733 at Dedham. Five children of the family, two by wife Deborah, three by wife Mary.

• iii. Daniel Wight, b. Nov. 24 (bapt. Nov. 30), 1656, d. May 1, 1719 at Dedham; m. Feb. 17, 1685/6 at Dedham, Anna Dewing, who d. May 10, 1725 at Dedham. Three children of the family, all sons.

• iv. Benjamin Wight, b. June 18 (bapt. June 29), 1659, d. Mar. 10, 1738/9 at Sudbury, Mass.; m. Apr. 10, 1690 at Sudbury, Elizabeth Newell, dau. of Isaac Newell and Elizabeth Curtis, b. Jan. 6, 1668/9 at Roxbury, Mass. She d. Jan. 6, 1742/3 at Sudbury. Four children of the family.

• v. Jonathan Wight, b. July 2 (bapt. June 13), 1662, d. Mar. 20, 1717/8 at Wrentham, Mass.; m. Apr. 19, 1687 at Dedham, Elizabeth Haws. She m. 2) as his 2nd wife, Samuel Bullard of Dedham, and d. July 5, 1764 at Dedham.

That Sgt. Henry Wight and wife Jane both d. at Dedham prior to 1700, it is assumed they are interred at the Old Village Cemetery at Dedham where the earliest interments have no record of specific location or extant gravestones.

Family links:

Parents:

 Thomas Wight (1607 - 1674)

 Alice Roundy? Wight (1608 - 1665)

Spouse:

 Jane Goodenow Wight (1634 - 1684)*

Children:

 Jonathan Wight (1662 - 1718)*

*Calculated relationship

Burial: Old Village Cemetery Dedham Norfolk County Massachusetts, USA

GEDCOM Note

2 AGE 16-17 2 AGE 50-51 2 AGE 16-17

Ancestral File Number:<AFN> LBQ8-P9

GEDCOM Note

!Births, Marriages, Deaths, James Savage Vol IV p542-543.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Wight-138
Henry Wight (abt. 1623 - 1680)

Henry Wight
Born about 1623 in Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Englandmap
Son of Thomas Wight and Alice (Unknown) Wight
Brother of Ann Wight, John Wight, Thomas Wight, Samuel Wight, Mary (Wight) Ellis, David Wight and Ephraim Wight
Husband of Jane (Goodenow) Wight — married about 1652 in Massachusetts Bay Colonymap
DESCENDANTS descendants
Father of John Wight, Joseph Wight, Daniel David Wight, Benjamin Wight and Jonathan Wight
Died 27 Feb 1680 at about age 57 in Dedham, Dedham, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colonymap
PROBLEMS/QUESTIONSProfile manager: Kim Elder private message [send private message]
Profile last modified 27 Aug 2021 | Created 1 Jul 2011
This page has been accessed 1,208 times.
Contents

[hide]
1 Biography
1.1 Birth and Baptism
1.2 Emigration
1.3 Colonial Life
1.4 Marriage
1.5 Children
1.6 Death and Estate
1.7 Research Notes
2 Sources
Biography

Birth and Baptism

Henry Wight was probably born by about 1623, given his freeman status in Dedham, Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1647 indicating that he was established in the town with property ownership and church membership.

His origin is listed many times as the Isle of Wight, England but there do not seem to be any valid records showing this so it may be simply through name association and based on a single unsourced family history book (see below). Similarly, his mother is listed sometimes as Alice "Roundy" but again, without proper sourcing. Her name is usually included as part of an interesting but unsupported story about a rich young girl selling her jewels to elope to America with her true love Thomas Wight. More research is clearly needed in this area. The "Isle of Wight" origin is stated in "The Wight family..." memoir by Danforth Phipps Wight (see References) but as the author clearly admits, sourced by "family tradition" alone. Since his parents specific origins and birth/baptism dates area also unknown, it is simply not possible to state Henry's origins with any certainty.

Emigration

Henry arrived with his parents Thomas and Alice LNU prior to Thomas' first documented appearance in Dedham, Massachusetts on 18 Jul 1637 when Thomas was admitted as an inhabitant of the town.[1]

Colonial Life

Note that most of the information in this section comes from "The Wights" which many times lists it's primary sources.

Henry joined the Dedham Church Aug. 14, 1646, and was admitted a freeman of the Mass. Bay Mar. 26, 1647.[2][1] In 1652 he received two acres of land from his father "Thomas Wight doe alienate and grante unto Henery Wight his sonne."

Henry Wight remained at Dedham when the remainder of his father's family removed to Medfield.

He is first mentioned in Dedham records in connection with town affairs in 1653, being appointed to the discharge of a town office. In 1658 he was made constable by the General Court. He was a selectman of Dedham for ten years, his first service being in 1661, and held that office at his death. In 1665 he received a grant of 120 acres from the town. On Feb. 24, 1671 [1671/2], Henry Wight was one of three Dedham citizens appointed to lay out a house lot for Rev. Samuel Mann [the memorialist's ancestor] at Wrentham, and to take care about the church lot there.

Henry is mentioned in his father's will as "my eldest son," and "my well beloved son," and was appointed one of his father's executors. Henry received in his father's will his father's "houses and lands lying and being in Dedham." This devise included the original grant of 12 acres from the town to Thomas Wight. Henry d. intestate at Dedham, Feb. 27, 1680 [sic, 1680/81] - or, as the record puts it, "Sergt. Henery Wight deceased 27:12:80" [sic]. Under date of Mar. 14, 1680 [1680/81] "At a Generall Meeting it was proposed whether the Town would chose another selectman in the room of Sergt. Wight, deceased." Power to administer his estate was granted Apr. 26, 1681 "unto Jane, his relict widow and Joseph Wight his eldest son." The inventory, accepted two days later, aggregated £524.1.0. [Suffolk County Probate Records, Vol. 9, 21.]

Marriage

Henry married Jane Goodenow (of Sudbury) around 1652. A specific date of 15 June 1651 is sometimes provided by unsourced sites such as FindAGrave. They were definitely married before the March 1654 will of her father John who listed her as daughter Jane Wight. They had five children during their marriage.

Wife Jane joined the Dedham church June 12, 1653, and d. at Dedham, May 16, 1684. Her estate was inventoried at £462.08.03 with Joseph Wight and Nathaniel Chickering appointed administrators.

Children

John Wight, b. Dec. 13, 1652, d. unm. at Dedham, Oct. 28, 1671.
Dea. Joseph Wight, b. May 11, 1654, d. June 23, 1729 at Dedham; m. 1) Jan. 15, 1679/80 at Dedham, Deborah Colburn, who d. Aug. 30, 1684 at Dedham; m. 2) Apr. 22, 1685 at Dedham, Mary Stearns, who d. Dec. 25, 1733 at Dedham. Five children of the family, two by wife Deborah, three by wife Mary.
Daniel Wight, b. Nov. 24 (bapt. Nov. 30), 1656, d. May 1, 1719 at Dedham; m. Feb. 17, 1685/6 at Dedham, Anna Dewing, who d. May 10, 1725 at Dedham. Three children of the family, all sons.
Benjamin Wight, b. June 18 (bapt. June 29), 1659, d. Mar. 10, 1738/9 at Sudbury, Mass.; m. Apr. 10, 1690 at Sudbury, Elizabeth Newell, dau. of Isaac Newell and Elizabeth Curtis, b. Jan. 6, 1668/9 at Roxbury, Mass. She d. Jan. 6, 1742/3 at Sudbury. Four children of the family.
Jonathan Wight, b. July 2 (bapt. June 13), 1662, d. Mar. 20, 1717/8 at Wrentham, Mass.; m. Apr. 19, 1687 at Dedham, Elizabeth Haws. She m. 2) as his 2nd wife, Samuel Bullard of Dedham, and d. July 5, 1764 at Dedham.[3]
Death and Estate

He died intestate on February 27, 1680/81, in Dedham, Massachusetts, at the age of 52, and is presumed to be buried there although the earliest internments have no record of specific location or extant gravestones. A town meeting of 14 March that year noted that he had deceased and power to administer his estate was granted to relict Jane on 26 Apr 1681.[1]

Research Notes

Charles Henry Pope in "Pioneers of Massachusetts" lists the Henry Wight who was a freeman in Dedham in 1647 as the BROTHER of Thomas Wight, not the son of Thomas. He listed Henry's wife Jane as last name unknown and the list of children matches what is on the profile of this Henry.[2]

Pope is almost certainly wrong about the relationship, but freeman status in 1647 would "usually" indicate that Henry was at least 25 and very likely older and owned some property along with belonging to church, which he did. So Henry's birth was probably earlier than 1628. =

Henry was born in 1629. Henry Wight ... He passed away in 1680.[4]

Sources

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Wight, William Ward. The Wights: A Record of Thomas Wight of Dedham and Medfield. Milwaukee, Swain & Tate, 1890 https://archive.org/stream/wightsrecordofth00wigh#page/n17/mode/2up
↑ 2.0 2.1 The pioneers of Massachusetts, a descriptive list, drawn from records of the colonies, towns and churches and other contemporaneous documents Author Pope, Charles Henry, 1841-1918 https://archive.org/stream/pioneersofmassac00pope#page/496/mode/2up
↑ Ware Genealogy : Robert Ware of Dedham, Massachusetts, 1642-1699 and his lineal descendants page 57 https://archive.org/details/waregenealogyrob00ware/page/56/mode/2up
↑ A source for this information is needed.

The Wight family : memoir of Thomas Wight of Dedham, Mass., with genealogical notices of his descendants, from 1637 to 1840 Author Wight, Danforth Phipps https://archive.org/stream/wightfamilymemoi00byuwigh#page/6/mode/2up
The Mayflower Descendant, Vol. 43 No 1 January 1993 Alden 33 (subscription required)
Find A Grave: Memorial #94777567
The Wights: A Record of Thomas Wight of Dedham and Medfield, Chapter 2, pg. 7 https://books.google.com/books?id=t-QUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=He...