Person:John Waite (25)

From Willis' History of Portland:

"His son John was a sea-captain, and was engaged before the revolution in coastwise and foreign voyages; in 1759 he commanded one of the transports in the expedition under General Wolfe to Quebec, and sailed from Louisburg, June 4, in company with eight sail of the line, several frigates, and about one hundred transports for the St Lawrence. He remained near Quebec until the city fell, and returned to Falmouth in November of the same year. After this he continued his sea voyages, mingling when at home, and taking a prominent part, in the affairs of the town. In the ante-revolutionary troubles, he actively engaged in the measures of resistance to the encroachments of government; was one of a committee of which Enoch Freeman was chairman, to prepare instructions to William Tyng, in 1772, as a representative to the General Court. In 1774 he was chosen a member of a convention "to consider what measures it will be expedient to adopt for the general interest of thecountry." The convention met and took a general super vision of affairs and the opinions of the people. A committee of inspection was also chosen, of which he was one, and Theophilus Parsons, the late chief justice, was a member and clerk. In 1776 he was a member of the Provincial Congress, and was chosen town treasurer, to which office he was annually elected to 1785; the same year, 1770, he was appointed sheriff of the county, and colonel of the first regiment. In 1777 he was appointed by Congress, agent for the estates of absentees for the county. He was active through the revolutionary struggle in all the affairs of the town and county, and engaged earnestly in supporting the people in the great controversy with the mother country. And at its close continuing to hold the office of sheriff, which he faithfully discharged for near thirty-four years, he employed himself in works of public improvement, and the management of his large private affairs. He resigned the sheriff's office in July, 1809, at the age of 77.

In January, 1759, he married Hannah , the second daughter of Phineas Jones, by whom he had thirteen children born as follows, viz., Mary, born September 22, 1760, died, November, 1760; Henry, born February, 1762, died 1784; William, October, 1763, died unmarried; Francis, born April, 1765, married Sarah Thurlo in 1794, and died at sea, without issue; Thomas, born July 31, 1767; Ann, May, 1769, died June, 1770; Ann, April, 1771, died unmarried September 16, 1790 ; George, born February, 1773, married Eleanor Wildrage, February 17, 1802, and died June 5, 1805, leaving one daughter, Nancy, married to N. F. Deering, September 15, 1824 , and with her husband and children, is living in Portland ; John Fox, born September 23, 1775; Charles and Robert, twins, July, 1777; Robert died the same year, Charles was drowned in Philadelphia, in command of a ship, unmarried; Robert born August, 1781 ; Lucy, born July 13, 1783, married Capt. Samuel McLellan, son of Capt. Arthur McLellan; he died in 1824, leaving children. His widow is the only survivor of the thirteen children.

Col Waite died in 1820, at the age of eighty-eight. In the early part of his married life, Col. Waite lived in a house on the west side of Exchange street, set off to his wife in the division of her father's estate. It was a gambrel-roofed house and was moved about 1800 to York street, opposite to where Brown's sugar-house stands, and a third story added. It was sold to Mr. Brown, by his heirs, in 1863, and removed by him further up and to the opposite side of York street, where it now stands, somewhat renovated."

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Waite, John, in Willis, William. The history of Portland, from 1632 to 1864: with a notice of previous settlements, colonial grants, and changes of government in Maine. (Portland, Maine: Bailey & Noyes, 1865)
   p. 850-851, 1865.

   See Personal History section

2.   Waite, Col John, in Greater Portland Graves
   Online database, accessed 15-Oct 2013.

   http://www.greaterportlandgraves.com/StoneDetails.asp?StoneID=12877