Helen Sinton1

(circa 1820 - 12 January 1883)
FatherPeter Sinton2 (fr 1783 - 1788 - Jan 1866)
MotherJane Wight (cir. 1783 - Sep 1858); (Jane is assumed to be Helen's mother despite Helen's death cert saying her mother was Helen - esp. given Walter's known preference for the bottle)2
Relationship2nd great-grandmother of Lorna Henderson

BMDB data

     Helen Sinton was born cir. 1820 Chesterhouse, Par. of Southdean, ROX, SCT, The 1841 Census implies 1819, "born Cty"; the 1881 c 1820 b South Dean; dth cert in 1883 gives age as 62, which implies 1821 and family heresay provides the Chesters, as does the 1851 census. No birth or christening found on ROX Parish Registers. Given the family info re Chesterhouse, I've assumed that is where she was born.3,2,4,5
     Helen Sinton married Walter Wight, son of William Wight and Elizabeth Richardson, on 20 Jun 1841 Maxton, ROX, SCT, by banns, entry reads: "Pro.(clamation) of Walter Wight & Helen Sinton both of this parish."6
     Helen Sinton died on 12 Jan 1883 Maxton, Roxburghshire; Dist 798 cert #1 reads: Helen Wight (married to Walter Wight, farmer), d. 1883 January 12th, 1hr 15min am Maxton, 62 yrs. Father Peter Sinton farm steward dec., Mother Helen m.s. Wight dec. Of head calculus 3 yrs, suppurating ulcer (illegible), informant Walter Wight, husband, present.
     Memorium card reads: In affectionate remembrance of Helen Sinton the beloved wife of Walter Wight, who died at Maxton on Fri 12th Jan 1883 aged 62 years. Interred in Maxton Churchyard. Her end was peace. Much we loved thee, much we mourn? Our joys on earth with thee are o'er. Oh why should we in anguish weep, Thou art not lost but gone before"
     Note: husband Walter gave her mother's name as Helen. I'm assuming Jane is indeed Helen's mother given a) Walter's known preference for the bottle b) the naming of 1st dtr c) the known Hownam and Chesterhouse connection.2,7,1 She was buried with Walter Wight Maxton, Roxburghshire, Their h/stone reads: IMO Helen Sinton wife of Walter Wight who died at Maxton 12.1.1883 aged 64 also the above Walter Wight who died 31.10.1886 aged 71 also their daughter Susan R. Wight who died 15.3.1860 aged 14 mths."8
     Helen puts the lie to the oft quoted belief that our ancestors didn't travel (which they obviously did if they got from Scotland to NZ anyway). When I opened a photo frame to examine great great grannie more closely, I was amazed to find that it had been taken in Cleveland Ohio. I later found the likely connection being that son William was there, at least when Walter wrote his will in 1886. My estimated date of the photo was originally c 1865 and the absence of a marriage record in Scotland for said son, led me to jump to the conclusion that possibly she went to America when William and Margaret married. Subsequent research found that this marriage was 1894, several years after Helen had died, so much for that theory. And as William didn't arrive in Ohio until Aug 1872, the photo date is presumably after that.9

Census/Where lived/Occupations

     According to family rumour Helen Sinton lived Chesterhouse, Hounam, Southdean, ROX, SCT, In 1995 this was a ruined farm cottage reachable only by foot half-way up the hillside directly opposite the gates for Hownam Mains. Family rumour (erroneously) also had Chester House, Hounam, as being in Jedburgh and where Helen and Walter married.10 She appeared on the census of 7 Jun 1841 Maxton, ROX, SCT, in the household of William Wight.4
     Helen appeared on the census of 30 Mar 1851 with Walter Wight Maxton, Roxburghshire, enumerated as WIGHT: Walter, 31, b Maxton, carter & farmer of 20 ac, wife Helen 31 b Chesters. Children: Elizabeth 7, Jane 9, William, 5 all scholars, Helen 3, Peter 10 mths, all b Maxton.5
     The census of 7 Apr 1861 showed Helen with her husband Walter, their sons William and Peter, their dtrs Hellen, Elisabeth, Margaret, Isabella and Beatrice at the West End Farmhouse, Maxton, Par. of Maxton, ROX, SCT, household enumerated as WIGHT: 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.)11,12
     The census of 7 Apr 1871 showed Helen with her husband Walter, their dtrs Elisabeth, Beatrice and Isabella, their son Peter on the Sth side of Kelso Rd, Maxton Village, Par. of Maxton, ROX, SCT, household enumerated as WIGHT: Walter, head, mar, 53, farmer of 33 acres arable, b Maxton; wife Helen 49 farmer's wife b Southdean; Children (all b Maxton): Elizabeth 27 farmer's dtr; Peter S, farmer's son 20; Isabella, farmer's dtr 16; Beatrice T farmer's dtr 14; (entry before was for Walter's niece Mary with her husband John Thomson entry after a Peter & Grace Slater.13)
     The census of 3 Apr 1881 showed Helen with her husband Walter, their son Peter, their dtr Beatrice Cottage, Maxton Village, Par. of Maxton, ROX, SCT, household enumerated as WIGHT: Walter, 65, Farmer Of 33 Acres & Contractor Employing Two Men, b Maxton; wife Helen 61 b South Dean (sic). Children (both b Maxton and unm): Peter S. 29, farm servant; Beatrice T, 23. Also farm servant Thomas Hogg, unm, 58 b Stitchell. Neighbours were David & Mary Archibald in Maxton West End Old Farm House and George and Mary Learmond in a Cottage In Maxton Village.3

External links

     Click here to see Helen's page on WikiTree, a (free) collaborative on-line tree.14

Family

Walter Wight (Sep 1816 - Oct 1886)
Children
  • Jane H Wight1,15,16 (Jan 1842 - Nov 1922)
  • Elizabeth Richardson Wight1,17 (Nov 1843 - Sep 1884)
  • William Wight1,18 (Mar 1846 - Jul 1896)
  • Helen Sinton Wight1 (Mar 1848 - Apr 1941)
  • Peter Sinton Wight1 (May 1850 - Mar 1927)
  • Margaret Wight1 (Jul 1852 - Apr 1931)
  • Isabella Wight1 (Jul 1854 - May 1932)
  • Beatrice Thomson Wight+1 (Dec 1856 - Jul 1935)
  • Susan Robertson Wight1 (Jan 1859 - Mar 1860)
ChartsWilliam RICHARDSON of Pringlestead, Eckford
RUNCIMAN of Earlston/Wanton Walls
SINTON
WIGHT
My pedigree chart
Paternal ancestors of Lorna
Paternal timeline
FAMILTON

Helen Sinton WIGHT's ancestors

Last Edited20 Apr 2018

Citations

  1. Letter, Helen Sinton HENDERSON nee WIGHT (43) to family, 28 Nov 1875, original held by L Henderson.
  2. Helen WIGHT nee SINTON (43), DC WIGHT, Helen, nee SINTON, 12 Jan 1883, Maxton, ROX.
  3. 1881 Census transcripts, UK, via Family Search/LDS CDs, FHL Film 0224042 GRO Ref Volume 798 EnumDist 2 Page 9, extracted c 2000.
  4. Census image, SCT, Maxton, ROX, Pg 4, hsehold of William WIGHT Page 4, p/copy held, taken Sep 1994.
  5. 1851 census, Borders, ROX, Maxton, Melrose, Jedburgh, Southdean, Dist 806 Dist 3.
  6. Births baptisms burials: Maxton, ROX (Dist 798), Marriage proclamations 1841, trans. in the Borders Archives at Selkirk by L McIntosh Sep/Oct 1994/5.
  7. WIGHT ancestors and relations memorabilia, In memorium card "Helen SINTON Fri 12th Jan 1883" on reverse: W Weddell, stationer to the University 48 Sth Bridge & 7 W Newington Edinb.
  8. Borders FHS, MIs: ROX Maxton, Entry #117.
  9. "Lorna's Family History Musings", Jul 2005.
  10. Various, interviews / personal knowledge , Location visited by Lorna Sep/Oct 1994/5.
  11. CENSUS 1861: Borders ROX/BEW, Dist 798 Sched. 28 Maxton, ROX.
  12. H D W (15319), "Borders Corres. ex H D W," e-mail to L Henderson (1), 1861 Census, Maxton, extract rcvd Jun 1997.
  13. Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, 1871 Census: Maxton, ROX: 798 Dist 2 Page 5 Schedule #22, extracted Apr 2005.
  14. WikiTree online at http://WikiTree.com/, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Sinton-3, uploaded Oct 2011.
  15. Births baptisms burials: Maxton, ROX (Dist 798), Register of Births and Baptisms: Jane WIGHT 1842, extracted Sep 1994.
  16. GRO, SCT, BDM searches at GRO SCT: Dth 1922 Jane MIDDLEMAS, nee SINTON, trans. Stuart H, Mar 2004.
  17. Births baptisms burials: Maxton, ROX (Dist 798), Register of Births and Baptisms: Elisabeth WIGHT 1843, extracted Sep 1994.
  18. Births baptisms burials: Maxton, ROX (Dist 798), Register of Births and Baptisms: William WIGHT 1846, extracted Sep 1994.

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.