Are Joseph Waite's Children the Immigrants?

There are many problems in establishing the English origins of the W(ai/ei)(gh)t(es) emigrants who arrived in Charlestown, Colony of South Carolina in 1768.  The first is that the household does not appear to be a nuclear family of a father, mother and their offspring.  This question of family structure was discussed in previous blogs.

Repeated attempts to locate the “family” of John and Mary is the "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database on FamilySearch.org website has proven unsuccessful.  What this database does show is the diversity of spellings for the surname and the geographical breath of the surname across the British landscape.  Couple that with the gaps in the surviving records, one has a monumental task of researching the English origins of the American Waits family.

Not with standing, the "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database shows that one of the strongest concentrations of the surname is in the Wiltshire area of southwestern England.  It just so happens that this Shire is near to the Port of Bristol at which the immigrants supposedly boarded when the ship St. Helena, Capt. George Arthur, sailed for the American colonies.

Another area of concentration of the surname is Hampshire, adjacent to Wiltshire.  Portsmouth is the center of commercial activity in Hampshire, having been an important English harbor for a thousand years.

In May, 1767,[1] Capt. Arthur was sailing form South Carolina for Gosport in the Portsmouth harbor.  The St. Helena was possibly loaded with wood and naval stores destined for the military base at Gosport. 

Being on England’s southern coast, it would have been convenient for the St. Helena to stop at Gosport after departing Bristol.  Perhaps Capt. Arthur hoped to load additional cargo for the return trip to Charlestown.  It may just as well have been where additional passengers boarded. 

The St. Helena’s arrival in Gosport in the first half of 1767 would not have been when the Waight family boarded for the journey to the American Colonies.  The St. Helena would have boarded in December of the same year, possibly after Capt. Arthur had returned to Charlestown twice before being back at a English port looking for more freight.  It would have been convenient for Hampshire residents to agree to sail with Capt. Arthur either upon the arrival of the St. Helena after the ship had departed Bristol or upon its return to Gosport.

The children of Joseph Waite closely matches the Waight children in forename and in birth order.  Francis and Grace Waite of Hampshire christened a son named Joseph on 17 Sep 1718 at the High Street Independent Church in Gosport.[2]

Joseph Waite christened the following children at the East Street Independent Church in Andover, Hampshire, England:

Rebecca Waite, 21 May 1739[3]

Hannah Waite, 8 Feb 1740[4]

William Waite, 20 Apr 1742[5]

Sarah Waite, 24 Feb 1743[6]

Joseph Waite, 8 May 1743[7]

John Waite, 5 Jun 1745[8]

Samuel Waite, 15 Sep 1747[9]

Benjamin Waite, 2 Jun 1748[10]

Jacob Waite, 3 Apr 1749[11]

Nathaniel Waite, 12 Dec 1749[12]

All of these dates would have been entered into the church records by a scribe.  It is doubtful that Joseph Waite or his wife either had a Bible or kept a record of their children’s birth or christening dates.  In all probability, they were illiterate, possibly only being able to make a mark when they signed their names.

Waight Emigrants                               Hampshire Waites

And their ages                                     And their ages in 1768

************************************************

John               19                                  John                25

Samuel           15                                  Samuel           21

Benjamin       13                                  Benjamin        20

Sarah               8                                   Sarah              25

John and Samuel are born 4 yrs. apart  John & Samuel are 4 years apart

Samuel & Benjamin are 2 yrs. apart     Samuel & Benjamin are 3 years apart

Sarah is 5 years younger than Benj.     Sarah is five years older than Benjamin

ARE these the same people?  Only more research will tell.

[1] New York Gazette, 12 May 1767, page 3 contains an account of the St. Helena being met at sea heading for Gosport.

[2] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JQYB-BMN : accessed 14 March 2015), Joseph Wait, 17 Sep 1718; citing HIGH STREET-INDEPENDENT,GOSPORT,HAMPSHIRE,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 0595453 (RG4 1391, 805), 0595453 (RG4 401).

[3] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JMV7-DWP : accessed 14 March 2015), Rebecca Waite, 21 May 1739; citing EAST STREET INDEPENDENT,ANDOVER,HAMPSHIRE,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 0595452 (RG4 2298, 710), 0595452 (RG4 709).

[4] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NPCH-M2H : accessed 14 March 2015), Hannah Waite, 08 Feb 1740; citing EAST STREET INDEPENDENT,ANDOVER,HAMPSHIRE,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 0595452 (RG4 2298, 710), 0595452 (RG4 709).

[5] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J3CT-RSW : accessed 14 March 2015), William Waite, 20 Apr 1742; citing EAST STREET INDEPENDENT,ANDOVER,HAMPSHIRE,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 0595452 (RG4 2298, 710), 0595452 (RG4 709).

[6] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NYTJ-V83 : accessed 14 March 2015), Sarah Waite, 24 Feb 1743; citing EAST STREET INDEPENDENT,ANDOVER,HAMPSHIRE,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 0595452 (RG4 2298, 710), 0595452 (RG4 709).

[7] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JMV7-8LR : accessed 14 March 2015), Joseph Waite, 08 May 1743; citing EAST STREET INDEPENDENT,ANDOVER,HAMPSHIRE,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 0595452 (RG4 2298, 710), 0595452 (RG4 709).  There is obviously a mix up in the data for this child that requires searching the original records.

[8] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NPC4-TM1 : accessed 14 March 2015), John Waite, 05 Jun 1745; citing EAST STREET INDEPENDENT,ANDOVER,HAMPSHIRE,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 0595452 (RG4 2298, 710), 0595452 (RG4 709).

[9] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NPC4-TM9 : accessed 14 March 2015), Samuel Waite, 15 Sep 1747; citing EAST STREET INDEPENDENT,ANDOVER,HAMPSHIRE,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 0595452 (RG4 2298, 710), 0595452 (RG4 709).

[10] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NPC4-Y83 : accessed 14 March 2015), Benjamin Waite, 02 Jun 1748; citing EAST STREET INDEPENDENT,ANDOVER,HAMPSHIRE,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 0595452 (RG4 2298, 710), 0595452 (RG4 709).

[11] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NPC4-YZF : accessed 14 March 2015), Jacob Waite, 03 Apr 1749; citing EAST STREET INDEPENDENT,ANDOVER,HAMPSHIRE,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 0595452 (RG4 2298, 710), 0595452 (RG4 709).

[12] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NPC4-TM3 : accessed 14 March 2015), Nathaniel Waite, 12 Dec 1749; citing EAST STREET INDEPENDENT,ANDOVER,HAMPSHIRE,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 0595452 (RG4 2298, 710), 0595452 (RG4 709).