William Wight

BMDB data

     William Wight was born on 2 Mar 1846 Maxton, ROX, SCT, and appears in the Henderson birthday book³, in his sister, Helen Sinton Henderson nee Wight's, hand writing as "William Wight" on Feb 2nd" which contradicts her own date in the family events letter, and the parish records.^2,1,3 He was christened on 29 Mar 1846 Maxton, Roxburghshire; The entry reads: "Walter Wight residenter in Maxton who was born in Maxton parish and Helen Sinton his wife had a son born at Maxton on the second day of March eighteen hundred and forty six years baptised on the twenty ninth day of same month and called William."¹
     William Wight married Margaret A Richardson, daughter of George Richardson and Margaret Ann Preston, on 27 Dec 1894 St Johns Episcopal Ch, Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., OH, USA, the entry in his sister Helen's family record letter reads: "William Wight born 2nd March 1846 married Margaret Richardson, he died July 1st 1896". A search of the Scottish marriage indices did not show this marriage, so I assumed it either occured in the States, or elsewhere. I eventually found an IGI record of a marriage of William Wight to Margaret A Richardson in Ohio, which fits with where he was when his father died. The date is 2 years before his own death and he would have been 48 and Margaret 30. I have often wondered if she was a relation as William's grandmother was a Richardson. Subsequent research provided their not very informative marriage record in Ohio⁴. It consisted of two parts, one an affidavit by William applying for a marriage license for "himself" and Margaret A Richardson, and swearing on oath that Margaret was not less than 18, William no less than 21 and they had respectively no wife/husband living and their relationship was no closer than second cousins. The marriage return attached verified that, Mr William Wight and Margaret A Richardson "were by me legally joined in marriage, Rev Silas H Dunning.^4,2,5,6,7"
     William Wight died on 1 Jul 1896 Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., OH, USA, at age 50; date originally from sister's list of birth/death dates², confirmed by Cleveland Ohio "Record of Deaths" for 1896, which lists William Wight aged 50, a white married male of 595 Jennings St, Ward 38, Cleveland - born Scotland, died of typhoid fever, buried Riverside Cemetery. (Of the 36 dths on the page, all July 1st, 5 were for children dying of cholera.)^8,9 He was buried in the Riverside Cem., Cleveland, OH, USA, Some notes I found about the cemetery describe it as: "Near the Cleveland Zoo ... opened in 1876, which was once the 102-acre Titus Brainard Farm. The first major cemetery on the West Side, this contains grave sites for many early Cleveland businessmen, including seven brewers, and the founder of the Cuyahoga County library system, Linda Ann Eastman. This cemetery has the familiar rolling hills and well-manicured lawns of modern memorial parks. It's also the home of Riverside Chapel, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and is being restored. Deep in the 1876 chapel's basement lies a storage room which once housed caskets, and their occupants, through the winter until they could be buried in the spring."^9,10

Migration

     William arrived Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., OH, USA, in Aug 1872; as given in his "declaration of aliens" oath.^11,12

Census/Where lived/Occupations

     William Wight appeared on the census of 30 Mar 1851 Maxton, ROX, SCT, in the household of Walter Wight and Helen Wight as son of Walter.¹³
     The census of 7 Apr 1861 showed William and Peter and their sisters Hellen, Elisabeth, Margaret, Isabella and Beatrice in the household of their parents Walter and Helen Wight at the West End Farmhouse, Maxton, Par. of Maxton, ROX, SCT, enumerated as Walter, 44 b Maxton, farmer 20 acres & carter, wife Helen 42 b Southdean. Children, all b Maxton: Elisabeth, 17, William 15 farmer's son ag lab, Helen 13, Peter 10, Margaret 8, Isabella 6, Beatrice T 4 (place detail from Harry, although he only implies this was from this census.)^14,15
     William Wight appeared on the census of 1871 9 High St, Selkirk, SEL, SCT, enumerated as HATTIE: Robert 56 baker b Selkirk; wife Jessie 54 b ?Hannington?, ROX; Children: Jane 15, Mary 14, Anderson 13, all b Selkirk; Lodgers: William WIGHT 24, b Maxton, ROX, George RUTHERFORD 28 b Jedburgh, both blacksmiths.^16,12
     William appeared on the census of 8 Jun 1880 Friary (?) St (60), Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., OH, USA, as a boarder with George Richardson and Margaret Ann Richardson his future in-laws enumerated as RICHARDSON: George, 41, machinist; wife Margarette, 40, both b Sct, both parents b Sct; Dtrs: Margarette, 16; Georgina, 11, both at school, b Ohio; Boarder: William WHITE, 35, blacksmith, b SCT, both parents b SCT (note incorrect spelling, in addition he was indexed as aged 45, so no wonder I had difficulty finding Margaret's future husband.)¹⁷

Wills/bequests

     Helen, Jane, William, Margaret, Isabella and Beatrice were beneficiaries in the 31 Oct 1886 will of their father Walter Wight of Maxton, ROX, SCT, along with Alexander Whitson.¹⁸
     William Wight Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., OH, USA, wrote a will on 28 Jun 1896 leaving his entire estate to his wife Margaret the date being three days before his death. It had no special provisions and wasn't witnessed by any known relations.¹⁹ Margaret A Wight applied to the Probate Court Cuyahoga Co., OH, USA, on 6 Jul 1896 to be appointed administrator on the estate of William Wight; the application states that William died on or about the 1st of July 1896 leaving a widow and the following named persons as his next of kin: Jane Middlemis, sister, Scotland; Peter Wight, brother, Scotland; Henderson, sister, New Zealand; sister, Scotland. Did Margaret not know all her sisters-in-laws' names? Helen was the Henderson one, but which of Isabella or Beatrice was meant by the other sister in Scotland is not known. It also stated that the whole personal estate consisted of blacksmith plant, tools & stock accounts receivable, actuals to be filed, the probate value of which will not exceed $5,000, and real estate of two houses & lots, No 595 Jennings standing in law ?couhied? and No 175 Abbey St both of Cleveland Ohio, value of which not exceeding $6,000 and was signed by Margaret A Wight, residing at 595 Jennings Ave, City on the 6th July.²⁰

All the other info

     William Wight was naturalized on 4 Apr 1879 Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., OH, USA; his declaration of aliens record dated 17 Feb 1877 reads: "I, William Wight, an alien, and native of Scotland, being duly sworn, depose and say, that I first arrived in the United States in the month of August A.D. 1872 and that it is bona fida my intention to become a citizen of the United States,and to renounce, forever, all allegiance and fidelity to every Foreign Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly all allegiance and fidelity to Victoria Queen of Great Britain whose subject I am". He finally became a US citizen on 4 Apr 1879.^21,11 He was visited by his mother Helen Sinton Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., OH, as the photo I have of her was taken there.²²