Caleb Wight (1809 - 1893)

Born 26 Feb 1809 in Gilead, Oxford, Massachusetts, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Fannie Lary (Burbank) Wight — married 3 Dec 1839 in Gilead, Oxford, Maine, United States

Descendants

Died 23 Dec 1893 at age 84 in Gilead, Oxford, Maine, United States

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Biography

Caleb was born on February 26, 1809, in Gilead, Maine. He was the son of Ephraim Wight and Susannah Patch.^[1]

Caleb was a farmer in Gilead, Maine.^[2]

He married Fannie Lary Burbank on December 3, 1839.^[3] Their children included:^[2]

• Eliza, born December 4, 1840
• Ellen, born June 11, 1842; died September 9, 1846
• Mark Trafton, born December 15, 1843
• Diana, born October 15, 1845
• Eli, born February 25, 1848
• Vesta (Wight) Chapman (1849-1922), born December 30, 1849
• Caleb, born December 8, 1851
• Mina, born September 19, 1853
• Thomas, born October 12, 1855
• John, born October 24, 1857
• Fannie, born September 29, 1861; died October 16, 1861

Caleb died on December 23, 1893, in Gilead.^[4] He is buried in Chapman Cemetery in Gilead.^[5] A notice of his death was published in the Oxford Democrat on January 2, 1894:^[6]

Caleb Wight, the oldest and one of the most respected persons in town, died Friday night at his son John's after one day's sickness; aged nearly 85

An obituary was published in Zion's Herald:^[7]

Caleb Wight was born in Gilead, Maine, Feb. 28, 1809, and died, Dec. 23, 1893, in the house which had been his home for more than eighty years.

He was converted in the summer of 1838, under the preaching of Rev. Chas. Lovejoy. In January, 1839, he joined the M. E. Church, of which he has ever since been an earnest and faithful member. In December, 1839, he married Miss Fanny L. Burbank. Nine of their eleven children are now living. Since the death of his wife, which occurred May 29, 1885, Bro. Wight has been cared for by a son and daughter, whose tender hands and loving hearts have done what they could to bring peace and gladness to father's heart. At the time of his death he had lived in Gilead more years than any other inhabitant of the town.

He was a man of firm convictions, and always voted as he prayed. As an abolitionist he had but one yoke-fellow in town for many years. As a Christian he was exemplary. He early erected a family altar and kept it up as long as he could sit in his chair and hold the Book.

His sickness was brief — only three days of suffering and then God send the chariot for his aged servant. Bro. Wight's home always contained a "prophet's chamber" and many a poor, weary itinerant was sheltered and fed. He has been a subscriber for ZION'S HERALD more than fifty years. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them."

Research Notes

No probate records found for Caleb Wight in Oxford County.^[8] McCann-752 21:41, 23 January 2024 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2H2D-F9C : 2 March 2021), Caleb Wight, 26 Feb 1809; citing Gilead, , Maine, United States, multiple sources, Maine; FHL microfilm.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Wight, 200
3. ↑ "Maine Marriages, 1771-1907", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4F8-S2V : 14 January 2020), Caleb Wight, 1839.
4. ↑ "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KC6Q-9QD : 2 March 2021), Caleb Wight, 23 Dec 1893; citing Gilean, , Maine, United States, multiple sources, Maine; FHL microfilm.
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167606566/caleb-wight : accessed 07 September 2021), memorial page for Caleb Wight (28 Feb 1809–23 Dec 1893), Find a Grave Memorial ID 167606566, citing Chapman Cemetery, Gilead, Oxford County, Maine, USA ; Maintained by Stan Arnold (contributor 48121400) .
6. ↑ Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.), 02 Jan. 1894. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83009653/1894-01-02/ed-1/seq-3/>
7. ↑ Zion's Herald (Boston, Mass.), 7 Mar 1894, Page 15
8. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9W6-FHKY?i=449&cc=2040540&cat=293706

• Wight, William Ward. The Wights. A record of Thomas Wight of Dedham and Medfield and of his descendants, 1635-1890. Milwaukee: Swain & Tate, Printers, 1890. pp. 119, 200
• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6V9-3MY : 22 December 2020), Caleb Wight, Gilead, Oxford, Maine, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDC7-4LF : 18 February 2021), Caleb Wight, 1860.
• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6D5-865 : 29 May 2021), Caleb Wight, 1870.
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF3Y-YKZ : 19 February 2021), Caleb Wight, Gilead, Oxford, Maine, United States; citing enumeration district ED 125, sheet 134B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,484.