SPEIGHT FAMILY OF PERQUIMANS COUNTY, NC

We now have the lineage of Noah Speight back to the Immigrant, Francis Speight Sr. born c. 1617 in England, died Nansemond County, Virginia!!!!  Due to another researcher’s invaluable help, we have learned that Noah Speight was a JR. and that his father, Noah Sr., was a son of Joseph Speight and his second wife, Ann King! This has enabled us to carry our lineage back to Francis Speight, the immigrant.

 

FIRST GENERATION

 

FRANCIS SPEIGHT, SR. – He was born about 1614 in England, and was the first Speight to arrive in Virginia. He died in April 1684.

 

SECOND GENERATION

 

CAPT. WILLIAM SPEIGHT – He was born about 1635. His wife was a Ms. O’Rourke, whom he married about 1654. William died about 1719 in Nansemond County, Virginia (now Gates County, NC). His children included:

1. Moses Speight  - born about 1655. He married Felicia Powell. Their children were: 

  i.  JEREMIAH SPEIGHT, b. 1750; d. 1818.

      ii.   WILLIAM SPEIGHT, b. 1751; d. Aft. 1801.

     iii.   JOHN SPEIGHT, b. 1754; d. 1899.

     iv.   FULLINGTON SPEIGHT, b. 1755; d. 1812.

      v.   ANN SPEIGHT, b. 1756; d. 1825.

     vi.   AARON SPEIGHT, b. 1763; d. 1816.

    vii.   JAMES SPEIGHT, b. 1790; d. 1830.

    viii.   JACOB SPEIGHT, b. 1791; d. 1830.

     ix.   THOMAS SPEIGHT, b. 1792; d. 1830.

      x.   HENRY SPEIGHT, b. 1793; d. 1830.

 

 

2. FRANCIS SPEIGHT – see below
3. Mary Speight
4. John Speight

 

THIRD GENERATION

 

FRANCIS SPEIGHT – married Judith Hare. He died 1749 in Chowan County, North Carolina. Their children included:

1.      JOSEPH SPEIGHT – see below

 

 

FOURTH GENERATION

 

JOSEPH SPEIGHT – Joseph Speight was born 1710. He married first, Ann Gatling. He married 2^nd, in Chowan County, North Carolina, Ann King, in 1752.  Joseph Speight’s children by Ann Gatling were:

 

1.      Henry Speight – born about 1737

2.      Catherine Speight – born about 1739

3.      Susannah Speight – born about 1743.

4.      Francis Speight – born about 1745. He married Penelope.

 

Joseph Speight’s second wife was Ann King. They were married in Chowan County, North Carolina in 1752. Their children were:

 

5.      William Speight – William married Ann Phelps about 1773. He died 1781 in Chowan County, North Carolina.

6.      Josiah Speight – born 1753. Josiah married Eleanor Bond in Chowan County. He died 1783.

7.      Seth Speight – born 1754. His family lived in Greene County, North Carolina.

8.      Elizabeth Speight

9.      Samuel Speight

10.  Celia Speight

11.  Jeremiah Speight – born about 1770. His will was probated May 1840 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. Jeremiah married Lydia Moore, daughter of Charles Moore, about 1790.

12.  Nancy Speight –

13.  John Speight – Died 1840 in Perquimans County, NC.

14.  NOAH SPEIGHT, SR.. –  born 1773. See below.

15.  Ruth Speight – She married Willis Elliott

 

 

FIFTH GENERATION

IV.              NOAH SPEIGHT, SR.  – Noah Speight Sr. was born about 1773 in Gates County, North Carolina. He died 1822 in Gates County, and his will was probated there in 1823. His wife is unknown. They were married about 1794. She died in 1810, and his children were apprenticed to various neighborhood farmers and business people in their neighborhood. His known children were:

 

1.      Noah Speight, Jr. born about 1795 – see below.

2.      Ruth Speight – born about 1796.  She married Willis Elliott

3.      Ann Speight – born about 1799

4.      Mary Ann Elizabeth Speight – born about 1800

 

 

SIXTH GENERATION

Noah Speight, Jr. was born about 1795, probably in Gates or Perquimans County, NC. He married in 1815 to Jemima Elliott, daughter of Mordecai Elliott and Leah Smith. An apparent sister, Ruthy Speight, married Willis Elliott in Perquimans County in 1821. Noah was listed in Perquimans County on the 1820 census. In 1830, he was in Gates County. No mention of his has been found after 1830, but it is obvious that his family remained in Perquimans County.His known children include William Henry Speight, Grizzell Speight, and Mary Ann Elizabeth Speight.

SEVENTH GENERATION

II. WILLIAM HENRY SPEIGHT

William Henry Speight was born in December 1821. He married Margaret Wallace, daughter of Shadrich Wallace and Rebeckah Barber, in Perquimans County in 1840. William may have died prior to 1870, as Margaret is listed as head of household on the 1870 Perquimans County census. I have no further information on Margaret. Their son was Wilson Edward Speight.

EIGHTH GENERATION

WILSON EDWARD SPEIGHT – Born 1844 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. He died 1880 – 1900 in Hertford, Perquimans County, and may have been buried near Windfall.

Wilson Edward Speight was also listed in Bible records as "William" Edward Speight, but in census records consistently as "Wilson" Edward Speight. He married Katherine "Katie" Haskett, daughter of Thomas Haskett. Wilson E. Speight and Katie (Haskett) Speight  had two sons: Wilson Edward Speight Jr. and William Henry Speight.

 

WILSON EDWARD SPEIGHT Jr.

WILLIAM HENRY SPEIGHT – See below

NINTH GENERATION

WILLIAM HENRY SPEIGHT was born 1869 in Perquimans County. In 1900, he married Martha Priscilla Boyce, daughter of Baker Perry Boyce Jr. Their children were:

1. .Clinton Speight

2. Catherine Speight

3. Leroy Speight – died young.

4. William Winford Speight – see below

WILLIAM WINFORD SPEIGHT – born 1911 Perquimans County, NC. Died March 22, 1995 in Fort Lauderdale Florida.

TENTH GENERATION

 

William Winford Speight was born in 1911 in Perquimans County, NC. He married about 1938 to Bessie Merrill Copeland, daughter of Hugh Copeland and Lucille Ethel Evans of Hertford, NC. Bessie was born in 1915 and was killed in Miami, Florida August 4, 1980. She was returned to Hertford for burial at Cedarwood Cemetery. William Winford Speight died March 22, 1995 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and buried there. Their children were:

·  1. Richard Speight - born about 1939. Resides in Maryland, and is an architect.

·  2. Arthur Duke Speight - born about 1940. He resides in Greenville, Tennessee.

·  3. Rachelle Ann Speight - born July 22, 1943. Resides Tullahoma, TN. She married September 22, 1962 to Armando Torano Jr. of Miami, Florida. They eloped. Armando was the son of Armando Torano-Ortiz and Aida Salgado of Miami. He died June 14, 1994 in Manchester, Tennessee. Their children:

·  a. Brenda Torano

·  b. Valarie Torano. Married Willie D. Smith

·  c. Armando Torano III.

·  4. Harriett Priscilla Speight - born 1946 in Miami, Florida. She married Harold Johnson, and they reside in Manchester, TN. Their children:

·  a. Harold Wade Johnson

·  b. Connie Johnson

I am always searching for information pertaining to the Copeland, Elliott, Evans, Haskett, Jordan, Speight, and Wallace families of Perquimans County. If you are researching these names, feel free to E-mail me!