Isabella Wight1

(circa 1800 - 23 April 1869)
FatherJames Wight (say 1755 - ); I have to admit that the link between this James Wight and dtr Isabella is tentative, based purely on Isabella's father James Wight being a joiner. There are 3 couples names James Wight and Isabella Hall on the Borders in the right time frame. It is a given that Isabella White nee Wight and James Wight, carpenter of Yetholm and Jedburgh are siblings and that their father James was a joiner. Whether or not they are also siblings of the Jane Wight who married Peter Sinton is open to interpretation, particularly now that I've re-interpreted the Hounam MI which shows James Hall Wight as their son, which gives James & Isabella two sons named James of an age1,2
MotherIsabella Hall (say 1758 - Jul 1816); I have to admit that the link between this Isabella Hall and dtr Isabella is tentative, based purely on Isabella's father James Wight being a joiner. There are 3 couples names James Wight and Isabella Hall on the Borders in the right time frame. It is a given that Isabella White nee Wight and James Wight, carpenter of Yetholm and Jedburgh are siblings and that their father James was a joiner. Whether or not they are also siblings of the Jane Wight who married Peter Sinton is open to interpretation1
Relationship4th great-aunt of Lorna Henderson

BMDB data

     Isabella Wight was born cir. 1800 Jedburgh, ROX, SCT.1,3
     Isabella Wight married James White on 11 Dec 1836 Edinburgh, MLN, SCT, unusually, the IGI extracted record shows not only Isabella's husband, but also her father, James WIGHT, so I think I have the right one.1,4
     Isabella White died on 23 Apr 1869 Melville Castle, Lasswade, MLN, SCT; cert reads: Isabella White, housekeeper, widow of James White, butcher, died 9am aged 69, of influenza, 3 wks; d/o James Wight, carpenter and Isabella m.s. Hall, both dec. Inf. Isabella Stewart (relationship unclear ?niece?)5

Census/Where lived/Occupations

     Isabella Wight appeared on the census of 1861 Melville Castle, Lasswade, MLN, SCT, enumerated as Isabella Wight, 60, widowed, housekeeper b Jedburgh. Also at home on census night were the butler, kitchen maid, house maid and a footman.3

All the other info

     I don't think Isabella would recognise her charge today. The web shows that Melville Castle, built in 1786, was a country house hotel in the 1950s then became virtually derelict, but over the last 10 yrs has been restored, opening as an exclusive hotel in 2003.
     Whereas I am sure that Isabella's parents were a James Wight, joiner and Isabella Hall, and that this matches the info for her brother James, I am not yet as confident that this is the same James Wight, joiner, and Isabella Hall, parents of the Jane Wight who married Peter Sinton, and have cast even more doubt on this identification with a rethink about the Hounam h/stone of Isabella and her parents which shows a son James Hall. The rethink is that he's actually James Hall Wight and Isabella's son, whose dates coincde with that for Isabella's brother James. Which means two James' of about the same age. For now, I've joined both to the same family in the hope further evidence will ensue.6,7

Family

James White (say 1800 - bef. 1861)
Last Edited8 Jun 2022

Citations

  1. Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Dth 1869 Isabella WHITE nee WIGHT, Dist 691 Pg 11 #33, copy d/loaded Jan 2006.
  2. "Lorna's Family History Musings", Apr 2008.
  3. Census image, SCT, 1861 Census: Lasswade, MLN Dist 691 ED 2 Folio 2 Pg 2 Sched 9, copy d/loaded Jan 2006.
  4. Online search: assorted surnames, International Genealogical Index (IGI), Marr. 1836 James WHTE and Isabella d/o James WIGHT, batch M119847, extracted Jan 2006.
  5. Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Dth 1869 Isabella WHITE nee WIGHT, reg. Lasswade (MLN) Dist 691 Pg 11 #33, copy d/loaded Jan 2006.
  6. "Lorna's Family History Musings", Jan 2006 & Aug 2007.
  7. Www SINTON searches & misc. correspondence Melville Castle (http://www.melvillecastle.com/), extracted Jan 2006.

E. & O. E. Some/most parish records are rather hard to read and names, places hard to interpret, particularly if you are unfamiliar with an area.