A Bed to Sleep In, $40 Per Year and a Horse

In a land agreement between Richard Wight and daughter Carrie P. Barr, Richard was promised $40.00 a year, a horse, and support for the rest of his natural life.

Richard Wight was my 2^nd Great Grandfather born 1834 at McDonough, Chenango Co., NY to Jonas Sweetland Wight and Caroline Ackley. He was raised in McDonough and somehow met and married 2^nd Great Grandmother Emily Brundage from Wawayanda, Orange Co., NY. They lived in New York, then spent some time in Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., Iowa and returned to Orange County, NY by 1868.

After Great Grandmother Emily died, Richard made his home in McDonough (1875) with his three older children—Carrie, Anna and Bertie. His two youngest daughters, Eleanor and Emily, remained with their grandparents, Orsamus C. Brundage and Phebe Kimber, in Wawayanda, NY.

By 1880, Richard was working as a farm laborer in Wawayanda close to the youngest Wight girls. Carrie was about 18 years old and had recently married Fred Barr in Chenango County.

Now that I’ve given you a little background, I’m ready to begin this post.

It wasn’t until I began researching Richard Wight’s mother, Caroline (Ackley) Wight that I learned Great Grandfather owned land in Smithville. Grandfather’s mother, along with his brothers and their wives sold the ‘Jonas Wight farm’ to him Nov. 23, 1889.

A few months later, Richard, received a $2,000 legacy owed him from his father’s estate.

  

Document from Jonas Wight’s estate packet

Later that year Richard sold his interest in a 122-acre tract originally part of the ‘Jonas Wight farm’ to his daughter Carrie P. Barr. I find it odd Richard did not include Carrie’s husband, Fred Barr, in the agreement. When the deed was written, Carrie was 29 years old and had already been married to Fred Barr for 11 years.

Carrie took over the mortgage payments held by Eli T. Wight. According to the indenture Great Grandfather was guaranteed a home for life living in the two north rooms in a house on the property where he already dwelled. Every January he would get $40.00. A horse and firewood were also included in the deal.

Excerpt Deed Book 181, page 599

A transcription of the deed follows:

Chenango County, New York Deed Book 181, pages 598-599

   This Indenture made this 17^th day of November in the year of our Lord one Thousand eight hundred and ninety. Between Richard Wight of the town of Smithville Chenango Co. N. Y. party of the first part and Carrie P. Barr of the said town of Smithville N. Y. party of the second part.

Witnesseth that the said party of the first part in consideration of the sum of Forty Dollars to be paid yearly as hereinafter stated and also the convenants hereinafter stated, was sold and by these presents does grant and convey to the said party of the second part her heirs and assigns.

   All that tract or parcel of land situate in the town of Smithville Chenango County N. Y. and being in lot No. 16 in the second township of the Chenango Triangle and bounded and described as follows.

   Being the same premises deeded by Eli T. Wight, Hattie Wight et al. to the said Richard Wight by a deed dated the 23^rd day of November 1889 and recorded in the Chenango County Clerks office on the 14^th day of February 1890 at 11 o’clock a.m. in Book No. 181 of Deeds at page 254 and the particular boundaries and description in the said deed contained are hereby adopted as forming a part of this conveyance the same as if herein fully stated and the said premises hereby conveyed are the same premises deeded by Orlando F. Cowles to Jonas Wight by a deed dated the 1^st day of Jany 1866 and recorded in the Chenango County Clerks office on the 15^th day of Jany 1866 in Liber No. 24 of Deeds at page 237.

   This conveyance is made and accepted subject to a mortgage on the said premises of the amount of $3200 which mortgage is held by Eli T. Wight and the said party of the second part does hereby assume the payment of the said mortgage.

   The consideration of this conveyance is that the said party of the second part shall pay to the said party of the first part yearly and every year the sum of $40.00 to be paid on the first day of Jany of each and every year during the natural life of the said party of the first part, and also that the said party of the second part shall and will support the said party of the first part during the term of his natural life, and to thus support him in a good and suitable manner, and to well and properly care and provide for him.

   The party of the second part shall and will also keep for the use of said party of the first part one horse.

  The said party of the first part reserves from this grant during his natural life the two north rooms in the house on the above described premises now occupied by him and the free and uninterrupted use and enjoyment thereof.

   The party of the first part to have his fire wood from the above premises so long as he lives.

    With the appurtenances and all the estate title and interest therein of the said party of the first part and the said Richard Wight does hereby covenant and agree to and with the said party of the second part her heirs and assigns that the premises thus conveyed in the quiet and peaceable possession of the party of the second part her heirs and assigns he will forever warrant and defend against any person whomsoever lawfully claiming the same or any part thereof.

   In witness whereof the parties herein have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year first written above.

                                                                      Richard Wight

                                                                      Carrie P. Barr

State of New York

County of Chenango

          On this 18^th day of November in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety before me the subscriber personally came Richard Wight and Carrie P. Barr to me known to be the persons described in and who executed the written instrument and they severally acknowledged that they executed the same.

Recorded December 9, 1890

At 3:50 p.m.                                                   Charles Clinton

                                                                      Notary Public

Norman Carr

Clerk

 

This arrangement lasted until Oct. 4,1899 when Carrie P. Barr and Richard Wight sold the property back to Eli T. Wight. By June of 1900, Great Grandfather (then 65 years old) and the Barr family relocated to Greene Village, Chenango County, NY.  

Beloved Caroline AKA Mrs. Wight

Jonas S. Wight stated in his will “I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Caroline all the use improvements and income of Dwelling House, Lands, and the appurtenances thereto, and all my real and Personal property in Smithville, to have and to hold the same to her for and during her natural life.”

Jonah’s beloved wife was Caroline Ackley, daughter of Henry Ackley and Ruth Purple born March 15, 1809 at East Hampton, Middlesex County, Connecticut. Carolyn’s father died 1814 in Connecticut when she was about four years old. Sometime between 1820 and 1830, Caroline’s mother brought the family to Chenango County, New York where other Purple family members migrated from Connecticut.

Caroline married Jonas Sweetland Wight Dec. 19, 1830 most likely near McDonough, Chenango County. Six sons were born to them. Orange Henry Wight born in 1833 died a few months after birth. Richard (my 2^nd Great Grandfather) was born 1834 followed by Hiram in 1837. (Hiram died a young man in 1859.) George Tarbell Wight arrived in 1839, Morris B. in 1846 with Eli T. Wight the youngest born in 1848.

Jonas farmed land in McDonough. He and Caroline bought and sold several 100-acre tracts along with a few smaller lots during their years in McDonough. In 1865 they sold some properties and by Jan. 1, 1866, Jonas and Caroline purchased 120 acres in the Town of Smithfield, Chenango County.

The 1875 New York State census enumerated Jonas and Caroline at home in the 2^nd Election District of Smithville. Their son, Morris, wife Miranda, and daughter Lena shared their home. Caroline’s youngest son Eli lived in the Wight house too.

Jonas Wight died May 8, 1878. Great Grandfather left everything he owned to his ‘beloved wife Caroline’ for as long as she lived. He planned for her well-being; eighteen months after Great Grandmother Caroline died, the sons would get the following monies: Richard $2,000, Eli T. $5,000, Morris B., $4,000 and George T. $2,000. Any remaining real and personal property was to be divided in equal shares among them.

The 1880 federal census enumerator found Caroline living with her son and wife, Morris B. and Miranda Wight in Smithville. 

On November 23, 1889, the Wight’s sold 237 acres of Jonas Wight’s land. Eli T. Wight and wife Hattie L., Caroline Wight, all of Smithville; George T. Wight and wife Julia residents of Waterloo, Iowa; and Morris B. Wight of Niles Valley, Pennsylvania sold their interests to son and brother Richard Wight of Pharsalia, Chenango Co., NY.

A few months later, Richard, received his $2,000 legacy (prior to his mother’s death) Feb. 3, 1890.

Caroline Wight passed March 21, 1894 at her son Eli’s home in Coventry, Chenango County.

Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, Wednesday, March 28, 1894

McDONOUGH

  

   The body of Mrs. Wight, widow of the late Jonas Wight, an old resident of this place, was brought to this village for burial, on Friday last, from Coventry, where she lived with her son, Eli Wight.

Post: Jonas Sweetland Wight, Chenango County, NY Farmer, 52 Ancestors 52 Weeks

EMILY WIGHT’S 1st MARRIAGE, 52 Ancestors 52 Weeks

Great Grandmother Emily Wight married her 1^st husband Ellsworth Taylor Sept. 24, 1887 in Goshen, Orange Co., New York. They were married by the Pastor Thomas LaMonte of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Certificate of Marriage

Ellsworth Taylor & Emily Wight

Sept. 24, 1887

State of New York

Return of a Marriage

Emily and Ellsworth were both Slate Hill, New York residents (Slate Hill is in the Town of Wawayanda) and were married in the parsonage of the Goshen Methodist Episcopal Church. Emily was the daughter of Richard Wight and Emily Brundage and lived with her Brundage grandparents after her mother died in 1873. As a matter of fact, her grandmother Phebe Maria (Kimber) Brundage had died 5 months before her marriage. You can see from the ‘Return of a Marriage’ above, Emily was just 17 years old when she married. Ellsworth was 28 years old, a farmer and the son of David Taylor and Mary E. Turner.

Wilmot E. Taylor, Ellsworth’s brother, and Eleanor Wight, Emily’s sister, served as witnesses to the marriage. Pastor LaMonte was busy that evening as Wilmot E. Taylor and Eleanor Wight were also married in the parsonage with Ellsworth and Emily witnessing their marriage.