Walter Wight

     
     Walter Wight was born on 17 Sep 1816 at Maxton, ROX, SCT, 1851 census implies 1820, dtr Helen's note¹ says "Walter WIGHT my Father died Oct 31st 1886 aged 71" which implies c. 1815. Actual date entered in register³ is 17th Sep 1816.^1,3 He was baptized on 15 Oct 1816 at Maxton, ROX, SCT; "William Wight, carrier in Maxton and his wife Elisabeth Richardson had a child born 17th Sept 1816 and baptised 15th Oct following called Walter."³
     Walter Wight married Helen Sinton, daughter of Peter Sinton and Jane Wight, on 20 Jun 1841 at Maxton, ROX, SCT, by banns, entry reads: "Pro.(clamation) of Walter Wight & Helen Sinton both of this parish."⁴
     Walter Wight died on 31 Oct 1886 at Maxton, ROX, SCT, at age 70; Dist 798 Cert #8 reads: "Walter Wight (Farmer) (widower of Helen m.s. Sinton), 1886 Oct 31 between 7 & 8 o'clock am, Maxton, 71 yrs (should be 70). Father: William Wight , farmer, dec, Mother: Elisabeth m.s. Richardson dec. Cause: Cardiac exhaustion after alcoholic excess. Certified by Jas Galt FRCSE(M?), informant Peter S Wight, son, registered Nov 2nd at Maxton Schoolhouse"
Dtr Helen's note¹ 1875 reads "Walter Wight my Father died Oct 31st 1886 aged 71."^1,2 He was buried with Helen Sinton at Maxton, ROX, SCT, 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."⁵
     Walter Wight appeared on the census of 7 Jun 1841 at Maxton, ROX, SCT, in the household of William Wight.⁶ Walter Wight was given as a residenter at Maxton, ROX, SCT, fr 1842 - 1846.⁷ He filed an Inventory for the estate of William Wight, his father at Jedburgh, ROX, SCT, on 25 Oct 1847, Wm having died at Maxton, intestate, on 12 Sep 1847. It is a very detailed document, the detail being rather out of proportion to the total of £84 16/6d for the "Stock, crop household furnture and other effects".
     The kitchen held an eight day clock, 2 wooden beds, 6 wooden chairs, a stool and a resting chair, a press, shelf & dresser, 12 plates, bowls, spoons (very old), knives & forks; 2 tin pitchers, 2 kitchen tables, a kettle, 3 pots, a pan of candlesticks, 2 tin jugs and a looking glass;
     in "the room" were: a round table, a looking glass, 2 pictures, a clothes press, a tray, a pair of candlestick snuffers & tray, 4½ pairs of coarse sheets, 5 pr of blankets, 2 chaff beds, a feather bolster, 2 feather pillows, 2 bed covers, 2 suits of clothes, a plaid & great coat, 2 pr of shoes, an old set of china, 1½ doz of bottles, a lot of lumber;
     "in a chest": an old press, a barrell churn & stand, a girdle & frying pan, a washing tub and small kit, a seive, an old chest, an old barrel for meal
     the crop consisted of: ¾ of an acre of turnips, an acre of beans, 3 smallsacks of oats, 2 small sacks of wheat and a small sack of barley, a lot of straw, a small lot of Hay, a quantity of threased(?) barley
     the implements" were: 2 carts with wheels and ?? axle tree, an old cart wheel & axle tree, an iron plough, 2 old wooden ploughs, a cart frame, a scythe, an axe, old fanners, 2 set of cart harness, 2 sets of plough harness, 2 grapes (?), 3 shoes, 2 rakes and 2 forks, a shove (sic) and a spade, pair of wooden harness, 11 sacks, 6 sickles
     "stock" consisted of a brown cart horse, a black cart horse, a red and white farm cow
     and in the barn were: a seive and 2 flails, a thrashing board, a hand turnip machine, a quantity of coals and a quantity of fire wood
     the whole being signed off by Angus Sutherland, Licensed appraiser.⁸ Fr 1848 - 1854 Walter Wight was a tenant at Maxton, ROX, SCT.⁹ Bet 1851 - 1861 Walter was a carter & farmer of 20 acres at Maxton, ROX, SCT.^10,11
     Walter appeared on the census of 30 Mar 1851 with Helen Wight at Maxton, ROX, SCT, enumerated as 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.¹⁰
     The census of 7 Apr 1861 showed Walter with his wife Helen, their sons William and Peter, their dtrs Hellen, Elisabeth, Margaret, Isabella and Beatrice at the West End Farmhouse, Maxton, ROX, SCT, household 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).^11,12 Walter Wight was registered as a voter and described as a farmer in 1866 at Maxton, ROX, SCT.¹³ He was a farmer under Prop: Rt Hon Lord Polwarth, Melrose, his lease being under 19 yrs, yrly value £56/7/6 in 1869 at Maxton, ROX, SCT.¹⁴ He was a farmer of three fields at Lariet St B. under Prop. John Ballantyne, farmer, Humbiehurst by Canobie per Curle & Erskine, solicitors, Melrose, occupier, Walter Wight, Maxton, lease under 19 yrs, feu duty £0.2s.10 payable to His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, yearly rent/value £34.0.0 bet 1869 - 1870 at Lariet, St Boswells, ROX, SCT.¹⁵
     The census of 7 Apr 1871 showed Walter with his wife Helen, their dtrs Elisabeth, Beatrice and Isabella, their son Peter on the Sth side of Kelso Rd, Maxton Village, 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).¹⁶ By 1881 Walter was a farmer of 33 acres & contractor employing two men at Maxton, ROX, SCT.¹⁷
     The census of 3 Apr 1881 showed Walter with his wife Helen, their son Peter, their dtr Beatrice in a Cottage, Maxton Village, 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.¹⁷ Bet 1886 - 1887 Walter Wight and Peter Sinton Wight were farmers "Three fields at Laret, owned John Ballantyne, draper, Carlisle, tenant, Walter Wight & Peter Wight farmers, Maxton" at Lariet, St Boswells, ROX, SCT.¹⁸ Walter Wight was described as a farmer on his dth cert in Oct 1886 at Maxton, ROX, SCT.¹⁹
     Walter Wight of Maxton, ROX, SCT, left a will on 31 Oct 1886 Walter named son Peter as heir, but left the following legacies:
William Wight, my eldest son presently in Cleveland Ohio, £14. To each of my daughters Mrs Jane Wight or Middlemass, wife of Thomas Middlemass dairyman Gorgie, Mrs Helen Wight or Henderson wife of - Henderson, Otago, NZ, Mrs Isabella Wight or Clark wife of John Clark, shepherd, Catpair, Mrs Beatrice Thomson Wight or Gibson, wife of John Gibson, joiner, Edinburgh and Mrs Margaret Wight or Soutar, wife of David Soutar, Cupar, Fife, the sum of £7, and to Alexander Watson (later in doc, Whitson), Muirhouselaw Tilework, St Boswells, husband of my deceased dtr Mrs Elizabeth Wight or Watson... (interesting that he doesn't know the forename of his dtr in NZ's husband).²⁰
     Walter used to go to St Boswell's market, and the horse always stopped at Buccleugh Hotel, often to the consternation of anyone else doing the market trip instead of Walter.²¹