John Waight & Batchelor Gregory Family

Wally Waits

©2015

John Weight married Batchellor Gregory on 4 Nov 1733 in Andover, Hampshire, England.[1]  Batchellor Gregory was christened 20 Oct 1714 in Andover, Hampshire, England.  She was the daughter of William and Ann Gregory.[2]  William Gregory married Ann Gillmore on 13 Jun 1698 in Andover.[3]

There are several Johns with variant spellings of the Weight name.  All were born in Hampshire, England.

John Waight was christened 30 Aug 1697 in Andover.[4]  He may also be the John who was recorded as being christened on 8 Sep 1697 in Andover.[5]  Both John Waight’s were the son of a Richard Waight.  The second entry may be a re-recording of the week earlier christening.

There are two other John Waight’s that might be the same who married Batchelor Gregory.  The first was christened 24 Mar 1707.  He was the son of John and Mary Waight and was christened in Andover.

A last John Waight was christened in Andover on 11 August 1707.  This John was the son of John and Margaret Waight.

Because the last two John Waight’s might have been too young to be the parent of the following children, it is believed that the John who was Richard’s son was the one who married Batchelor/-er/-ellor and christened the following children in Andover.

1  1.     Batchelor Waight was christened 4 Sep 1734.[6]  This was probably a daughter like her mother.

2  2.     Ann Waight was christened 7 Oct 1737.[7]

3  3.     John Waight was christened 3 Nov 1740.[8]

4  4.     Mary Waight was christened 15 Aug 1743.[9]

5  5.     Daniel Waight was christened 6 Jan 1747.[10]

6  6.     Sarah Waight was christened 27 May 1751.[11]

7  7.     Hannah Waight was christened 18 Jun 1753.[12]

This family of John Waight does not contain any wife or children who match with the household that arrived in Charlestown, South Carolina in 1768.

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[1] "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NLCR-CXV : accessed 21 November 2015), John Weight and Batchelor Gregory, 04 Nov 1733; citing Andover,Hampshire,England, reference ; FHL microfilm 890,181.

[2] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NDMQ-M24 : accessed 21 November 2015), Batchellor Gregory, 20 Oct 1714; citing Andover, Hampshire, England, reference item 4; FHL microfilm 1,041,197.

[3] "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NVJS-Y8V : accessed 21 November 2015), William Gregory and Ann Gillmore, 13 Jun 1698; citing Andover, Hampshire, England, reference ; FHL microfilm 1,041,197.

[4] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NDM3-FZK : accessed 21 November 2015), John Waight, 30 Aug 1697; citing Andover, Hampshire, England, reference item 2; FHL microfilm 1,041,197.

[5] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBNB-5JX : accessed 21 November 2015), John Waight, 08 Sep 1697; citing Andover, Hampshire, England, reference item 2; FHL microfilm 1,041,197.

[6] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NDM3-6LV : accessed 21 November 2015), Batchelor Waight, 04 Sep 1734; citing Andover, Hampshire, England, reference item 5; FHL microfilm 1,041,197.

[7] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J7CZ-RYG : accessed 21 November 2015), Ann Waight, 07 Oct 1737; citing Andover, Hampshire, England, reference item 5; FHL microfilm 1,041,197.

[8] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3LN-S4H : accessed 21 November 2015), John Waight, 03 Nov 1740; citing Andover, Hampshire, England, reference item 5; FHL microfilm 1,041,197.

[9] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J3LN-S3L : accessed 21 November 2015), Mary Waight, 15 Aug 1743; citing Andover, Hampshire, England, reference item 5; FHL microfilm 1,041,197.

[10] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NDM3-9L4 : accessed 21 November 2015), Daniel Waight, 06 Jan 1747; citing Andover, Hampshire, England, reference item 5; FHL microfilm 1,041,197.

[11] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J9HR-9VX : accessed 21 November 2015), Sarah Waight, 27 May 1751; citing Andover, Hampshire, England, reference item 5; FHL microfilm 1,041,197.

[12] "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NDM3-3BV : accessed 21 November 2015), Hannah Waight, 18 Jun 1753; citing Andover, Hampshire, England, reference item 5; FHL microfilm 1,041,197.

Did Allen Waits Commit Suicide?

By Wally Waits

©2015

I have long wanted to know how Allen Waits met his death in 1832.  I had conjectured a farming or hunting accident, land dispute with a neighbor or perhaps a disease.

I had never seriously considered suicide for some reason.  Now I know why I did not consider this possibility.

Roberta Estes discussed suicides in a blog entitled “Johann George Dorfler (1732-1790), Suicide, 52 Ancestors #98” located at https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/151095498b6be5ef.  She said that “Most suicides today are related to one of, or a combination of, several things: Depression, Alcohol or Drug Addiction, Terminal Diagnosis, Accidental [or] Extremely Traumatic Event.

In Roberta’s case, she had testimony that her ancestor’s death was self-inflicted.  In Allen’s case, there is no such statement that directly rules suicide in or out of consideration.  Yet, by following the same critical analysis like Roberta, it is possible to arrive at a better understanding of Allen’s end-of-life event.

It seems to me that the modern causes of suicide listed by Roberta might be sorted into two categories.  The two groupings are previous symptomatic indicated and sudden onset death.

Depression, Alcohol or Drug Addiction, Terminal Diagnosis and possibly some Extremely Traumatic Event might have prepared the family for Allen’s demise.  Accidental and [short-term] Terminal Diagnosis may not have provided much preparation for accepting Allen’s death.

One point that Roberta mentions provides an avenue for analyzing Allen’s death.  She wrote that “Suicide affects so many people, far more than just the person who dies.”

This observation provides a way for examining the issue of whether Allen committed suicide.  Some of the salient points in Allen’s life include the births of his children.  From his date of marriage, children were born like clockwork.  In eighteen years, ten children appear.  These children average 21 months between births.  This average fits well in the 18 to 24 months that is expected.  For this reason, it is possible to say that there does not appear to be any long-term problems in Allen’s health.

Short-term problems include farming or hunting accidents.  Farming and hunting accidents are more likely in my opinion.  Allen Waits was about age 42 when he died.  Because he had a son who died from a fall out of a tree when trying to retrieve a squirrel, it is entirely possible that he had a hunting accident. 

However, Allen died at the end of July, on the 29^th according to a Bible records his widow saw.  This is not a likely hunting season.  This was the harvesting time of a year.  This argues more favorable for a farming accident.  It was also the time of year when a person is chopping wood in advance of winter.  Lots of wood would be needed for the fireplace for cooking, for light and for warmth.  One of the accidents associated with chopping wood was when an axe ricocheted off a log and cut a gash on a leg. Gangrene is a terrible way to die, but there were occasions such as this when accidents lead to infections.  This was a century before antibiotics.

A family would have grieved over Allen’s death if he died from an accident.  But as Roberta said “Suicides affect many people…”  Had Allen died by his own hand there would have been questions about his family not taking steps to help him avoid this tragedy.

Yet four years later, Allen’s widow married a man believed to be at the top of society.  This probably would not have been acceptable had Allen taken his own life.  Furthermore, his children would not likely have named grandchildren after him.

Within four years of Allen’s death, a grandson was named Allen Waits Sanders.  Six more grandsons carried the “Allen” name.  There obviously was no stigma attached to his life.  He was revered, and was well remembered.

So, no, Allen Waits did not commit suicide.  At least that is my impression.