Person:Oliver Wait (1)
Oliver Wait
b.15 Jun 1741 Exeter, Washington, Rhode Island, United States
d.14 Mar 1817 Saratoga, New York, United States
Parents and Siblings
(edit)
m. 8 Nov 17
  1. Martha Waite1738 -
  2. Reuben Waite1740 -
  3. Oliver Wait1741 - 1817
  4. Velverton Weight1742 - 1742
  5. Yelverton Wait1743 - 1816
Spouse and Children
(edit)
m. 11 Sep 1763
  1. Henry Wait1764 - 1858
  2. Elizabeth Wait1766 - 1848
  3. Sible Wait1767 - 1813
  4. Daniel Wait1769 - 1772
  5. Solomon Wait1770 - 1824
  6. Martha Wait1772 -
  7. Margaret Wait1773 - 1849
  8. Mary 'Polly' Wait1776 - 1825
  9. Joseph Wait1777 - 1845
  10. Anna Wait1779 - 1834
  11. Oliver T. Wait1781 -
  12. Amy T. Wait1783 - 1811
Add another spouse & children
Facts and Events
Name[6][7] Oliver Wait
Gender Male
Birth[1][2][8] 15 Jun 1741 Exeter, Washington, Rhode Island, United States
Marriage 11 Sep 1763 Halfmoon, Saratoga, New York, United Statesto Sybil Sackrider
Death[1] 14 Mar 1817 Saratoga, New York, United States
Burial? Jonesville Cemetery, Clifton Park, Saratoga, New York


Contents

[edit]

Biography

Oliver Wait[9] was born on 15 June 1741[2][10] at what later became Exeter, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, but at that time was known simply as North Kingstown, Kings County, Rhode Island[11]], the son of Joseph Wait (1718-bef.1744) and Elizabeth (Gifford) Wait (1719-1810).

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Military Service

His service in the Revolutionary War is recorded in 1775 when he was age 34. So was he involved in the military much earlier? His location near the peace loving Dutch who chose to remain in North America might indicate his reluctance to serve at an earlier time. Or it could indicate his stationing in the Albany area at a time when the French Canadians were likely to sweep into New York. His ascention to Ensign can't all be credited to his younger brother Maj. Yelverton Wait. My bet is that a search of records of the "French and Indian War" which coincidentally ended in 1763 (his year of marriage, see below), will show him with a unit of British forces defending Albany.

A Revolutionary War Soldier Enlisted as a Private in the Albany Co Militia 12th Regiment[12].

Also served as follows
New York Militia - 12th Regiment
Half-Moon and Ballston Districts
12th Reg. commissioned October 20, 1775
Under Col. Jacobus Van Schoonhoven
4th company under Capt. Joshua Losee
First LT Thomas Hicks
2nd LT Cornelius Villing
Ensign Oliver Wait[5].
[edit]

Marriage

Oliver was married in September 1763[13][12] to, presumably the woman he is buried next to (“Sebil” Sackrider). We don't know where Oliver and Sebil (or Sybil) were married, but given that Sibyl was of Dutch-German ancestry, we can assume that it was within the dutch community in the area of "the Halfmoon" in Saratoga County[3][4]. An unsubstantiated date of their marriage is 11 September 1763, but this writer has not found a source to support this.

[edit]

Children

Son Henry Wait (1764-1858), born 6 May 1764[13][12], is reported to be the first child of his union with Sybil. Their union was quite fruitful, however the exact number of the children and who they were is in question. All told, we have 13 names. Family papers[13][12] list the following names in common (and those family papers may be from the same source): Henry, Elizabeth, Sibel, Daniel, Mathew, Margaret, Mary, Joseph, Anna. Only the "Grand-Father Wait's" Family Papers[13] show the addition of youngest children Oliver T. and Amy. BOTH of these papers do not show a Martha Wait, but Martha is credited as being born on the date shown for Mathew ("May 21st 1772"). Could this be an error where the name Mathew was mistakenly substituted for Martha on both 'family papers' ? Or is Martha NOT a child of Oliver and Sibel Wait? The lack of a record for Mathew, and the existence of a very detailed record for Martha seems to indicate that no Mathew ever existed. However, if Martha is descended from these parents, still is in question.

[edit]

Death

It appears that many of his children remained close to where Oliver lived until after his death on 14 March 1817 at Jonesville, Saratoga County, NY[1]Wife Sybil died a little over a year later on 19 October 1818.

[edit]

Lineage

For many years, Oliver's lineage was confused by the family tree sketched out on the back of the letter to Mr Cafferty[12]. This tree speculates on the "siblings" of Oliver Wait listing a Samuel who died 25 July 1816 and a Harriot who died 1 July 1818. More contemporary research shows that both Samuel and Harriot were children of Oliver's son Henry Wait. Harriot died at age 24, supposedly the wife of a unknown man with the surname of Crater[14]. Samuel died short of his seventh birthday on 25 July 1816. This is before Henry moved his family to what is now known as the Waits Neighborhood of South Owego, Tioga County, New York, so Samuel is likely interred near his grandparents at Jonesville.

[edit]

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gravemarker for Oliver Wait at Jonesville Cemetery.

    ReSOURCE -Findagrave
    :Find a Grave, database and images, memorial page forOliver Wait (15 Jun 1741–14 Mar 1817), Find a Grave Memorial ID 21339931, citing Jonesville Cemetery, Jonesville, Saratoga County, New York, USA; Maintained by Richard Warren Welch (contributor 46579378).
    NOTE
    The marker itself says, "In Memory of Oliver Wait. Who died March 14, 1817 in the 75th year of his age"

  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Exeter Births and Deaths, in Arnold, James N. Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636–1850: First series, births, marriages and deaths. A family register for the people. (Narragansett Hist. Publ. Co., 1891)
    Vol 5/ "page 62" - Hathitrust Plate image 292 out of 920.

    Exeter - Births and Deaths, page 62 from 1-174 (plate 292 of 920 at Hathitrust),
    WAITE - Martha, of Joseph and Elizabeth, March 10, 1738
    WAITE - Reuben, of Joseph and Elizabeth, July 24, 1740
    WAITE - Oliver, of Joseph and Elizabeth, June 15, 1741
    WAITE - Elverton, of Joseph and Elizabeth, Sept 14, 1743

  3. ↑ 1790 US Census for Oliver Wait.

    SOURCE - Census
    1790 US Census at
    Halfmoon, Albany, NY
    Oliver Wait showing
    2-2-5 indicating
    - 2 males over 16 (one would have to be Oliver, the other may be Solomon)
    - 2 males under 16 (Joseph, Oliver)
    - 5 females (Margaret, Mary, Anna, Amy and their mother Sybil)
    --NOTES
    --- Daughters Sybil and Elizabeth were married by this time, as was daughter Martha (now Mrs Ezekiel Cleveland, living next door in this Census). Believe that Henry is off serving in the Military at this point, but he returns to Halfmoon by 1800 and is married by then.

  4. ↑ 1810 US Census for Oliver Wait.

    SOURCE – Census
    1810 US Census at
    Halfmoon, Saratoga Co, NY
    Oliver Wait (transcribed as Ob Wait) showing
    01011 12101 indicating
    Males
    - 1 age 10 to under 16
    - 1 age 26 to under 45
    - 1 45+
    Females
    - 1 under age 10
    - 2 10 to under 16
    - 1 age 16 to 26
    - 1 age 45+

  5. ↑ HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
    page 90.

    by NATHANIEL BARTLETT SYLVESTER
    1878

    Chapter 20, Military Rolls

    I. - REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD.
    NEW YORK MILITIA - 12TH REGIMENT.
    HALF-MOON AND BALLSTON DISTRICTS.
    Commissions issued Oct. 20,1775.

    FIELD AND STAFF.
    - Jacobus Van Schoonhoven, colonel.
    - James Gordon, lieutenant-colonel.
    - Ezekiel Taylor. 1st major.
    - Andrew Mitchell. 2d major.
    - David Rumsey, adjutant.
    - Simeon Fort, quartermaster.

    4th Company.
    - Joshua Losee, capt.
    - Thomas Hicks, 1st lieut.
    - Cornelius Villing, 2d lieut.
    - Oliver Wait, ensign.

  6. ↑ MILITARY SERVICE:
    Revolutionary War Soldier
    Private
    Albany Co Militia 12th Regiment
  7. ↑ SURNAME SPELLING:
    The correct spelling for this family is "Wait" as witnessed by the gravestone for Oliver Wait at Jonesville. By old family lore, the addition or absence of the E in the surname at the time of the Revolution (and leading up to it), held significance. However, in the years following the turn of the century, the re-appearance of that E became a part of personal preference, and may or may not denote a political, philosophical or religious preference.
  8. ↑ OLIVER's DOB:
    Oliver is often cited as being born on January 15, 1741. If his brother Reuben was born on July 24, 1740, then this is probably not true. Oliver's grave stone shows that he died March 14, 1817 "in the 75th year of his age". Simple subtraction of 75 years from March 1817 yields March 1742. If Oliver were born in January, he would be 76 years old in March of 1817. Of course, if he were born in June, he would be a few months shy of his 76th birthday.

    If we assume that someone misread JUN for JAN, it may help explain this discrepancy.
  9. ↑ His surname spelling here recorded as shown on his grave stone is “Wait”, but certain families have adopted the name “Waite”. The Albany County Historical Society (circa 1928) recorded this family as “Weight”. Most of the lines descended from him also adopted the “Wait” spelling.
  10. ↑ SOURCE - Familysearch
    "Rhode Island, Town Births and Baptisms Index, 1639-1932", at FamilySearch, Entry for Oliver Weight son of Joseph and Elizabeth Weight, 15 Jun 1741.

  11. ↑ see Newberry Library’s, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, map of Rhode Island
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 SOURCE - Family Papers from "Cafferty"
    Handwritten copy of a family tree written on back of a typed letter to Mr. Charles C. Cafferty dated 15 November 1926. Handwritten text stating "This is the family tree that Cafferty gave to me, I am sending it to you." "He says he took this from the Albany Historical Society at Albany." Includes various notations made by Almira ‘Mina’ Finch. Shows "Great-Great Grandfather (Wait); ‘Oliver Weight’ d. Nov. 16, 1814; m. Sept 1763; Town of Halfmoon, Saratoga Co, NY; Rev. Sol. Private Albany Co. Militia 12th Reg." Note that the original letter sent to Mr. Cafferty was a solicitation to purchase stock. As such, it has no value in this discussion, as it was simply a handy piece of scrap paper.

  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 SOURCE - "Grand-Father Wait's" Family Papers
    Handwritten copy of "Family Record" "found in a box containing some of grand-father Wait's papers". Shows "Oliver Weight married Sept 1763".

  14. ↑ This too may be misinformation, as a cousin named Harriet Russell did marry a Samuel Crater
ReSource
Familysearch, genealogical database and research, profile page for Oliver Wait, individual ID 271R-7YM
Retrieved from "https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Oliver_Wait_%281%29"