Joshua Haight Sr. (1704 - 1797)

Born 10 Jun 1704 in East Chester, Orange, New York

Ancestors

Husband of Charity (Unknown) Haight — married about 1730 in Westchester, New York

Descendants

Died 11 Mar 1797 at age 92 in Nine Partners, Dutchess, New York, United States

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Biography

Joshua was a Friend (Quaker)

There is much documentation of Joshua, and I'm sure that his 13 children helped with that, and yet the maiden name of his wife still alludes me. He appeared to be an affluent, prominent citizen of his community and a prominent member of his Quaker religion. He was mentioned in numerous deeds and wills within the families of his brothers, who like him moved from East Chester to Nine Partners (Crum. Elbow) in 1735/40, perhaps after the death of their mother. One source put this date at 1739, but the birth of his son Joshua the 8th day of 1st mo. (Mar.) 1737/38 was recorded at Nine Partners so it would seem their coming was sooner. These five brothers are believed to be responsible for the change of the name from Hoyt to Haight and various other spellings of it.

He is listed in the 1761Quaker Census, with his wife and 13 children. Eleven of these children were mentioned in his will. I have no knowledge of his occupation, but farmer would seem likely. He was mentioned to be one of the highest taxed in the town, and with all those children, I hope so. I have not found any mention of certificates for clearance for him or his wife, so it would appear that he was one of the more stationary members of the family, which was unusual.

Joshua was predeceased by his wife, and if he did live to within a short time of the probate of his will, he lived a good long life.

Will

The record of his will, probably from Dutchess County Wills p. 529:^[1][2][3][4]

130. Haight, Joshua of Charlotte Precinct, Dutchess County, New York. 141786 2 DC B: 85.

Mentions: Joshua, John, William, and Gilbert, Mary Mosher, Phebe Green, Deborah. Valentine, Dorothy Hoag, Sarah Mosher, Hannah Mosher, Charity; son-in-law Solomon Barton.

Refers to: deed to Mary Rickman.

Executors: son-in-law Tripp Mosher, Zophar Green.

Witnesses: Soloman Haight, Matther Boune, Elizabeth Haight

Dated: January 4, 1786

Probated: Sept. 13, 1797.

Children

Children of Joshua and Charity Haight:

• John Haight. b. 5 of 7m, 1732.^[5]
• William Haight. b. 8 of 10m, 1734.^[5]
• Joshua Haight Jr. b. 8 of 1m, 1737.^[5]
• Deborah Haight. b. 10 of 1m, 1739.^[5]
• Gilbert Haight. b. 15 of 1m, 1741.^[5]
• Phebe Haight. b. 2 of 2m, 1743; d. 14 of 6m, 1746.^[5]
• Mary Haight. b. 22 of 1m, 1745.^[5]
• Phebe Haight. b. 18 of 7m, 1747.^[5]
• Sarah Haight. b. 10 of 1m, 1750.^[5]
• Hannah Haight. b. 6 of 3m, 1752.^[5]
• Charity Haight. b. 19 of 4m, 1754.^[5]
• Robert Haight. b. 7 of 8m, 1757.^[5]
• Dorothy Haight. b. 20 of 2m, 1760.^[5]

Testimony

The following testimony is from Memorials Concerning Several Ministers, And Others, Deceased, published by the New York Yearly Meeting.^[6]

A Memorial of the Monthly Meeting of Nine Partners, concerning Joshua Haight.

In remembrance of the valuable labours and services of this our beloved Friend and elder, it is with us to give the following testimony concerning him.

He was born according to accounts at East Chester, the 10th of the 4th Month, 1704, his father dying when he was young, and his mother being a Presbyterian, he had his education in that society. Some time after he arrived to the state of a man, he was convinced of the principles of Truth, as held by Friends, and through attending to the operation of the divine principle of light and grace, which he at times had felt to move on his mind when young in years, he came to experience an increase of that love which is the badge of true discipleship'; and was thereby drawn to attend the meetings of Friends; he some time after removed and settled at Shappaqua, where a meeting was held at his house for a time; it being a new-settled place, and but few Friends, the weight and care of the meeting lay much upon him. After residing some time there, he again removed with his family, and settled at the Nine Partners, then pretty much a wilderness; and though there were but few that made profession with Friends, yet he soon found an engagement with other Friends to request the Monthly Meeting's approbation for them to meet together for divine worship, which being approved of, a meeting was held in this place in the year 1742, of which he was a diligent attender, wherein his deportment was exemplary, being solid and weighty; and thus, by a faithful adherence to the divine Teacher in his own mind, he experienced a growth in that gift which alone qualifies for service in the church, for the support of the discipline whereof he had to go through many close trials and deep baptisms; being zealously concerned that right order might be maintained, and that the judgment of truth might be placed upon transgressors that proved unclaimable; not sparing even his own offspring.

He was a diligent attender of Quarterly and Yearly Meetings to an advanced age, and was not deterred therefrom, even when imminent dangers were apparent in time of war; having to pass through the contending parties in going to and from them, for which he suffered confinement on board of prison ships after his return from the Yearly Meeting in 1777, where he remained upwards of three months, which he bore with great fortitude and composure of mind; saying after his release, his prison had been to him as a palace. He was much engaged for the arisings of the testimony of Truth in its various branches, particularly with respect to war and bloodshed, (for which he suffered the spoiling of his goods,) and also for the emancipation of the enslaved Africans; being desirous that he might not do any thing whereby the right of slavery would be acknowledged. And truly we may say, that he appeared to be a faithful labourer in the vineyard, according to his station; being endued with sound judgment, and was zealously concerned against a lifeless, forward ministry, but a tender, nursing father to the honest, exercised labourers.

A few years since, he had a fit, which appeared to be of the apoplectic kind, after which his understanding and memory gradually decayed, and he became as a little child, not knowing his own children; yet abounded in innocency, often saying, “let us do all the good we can, and be sure that we do no hurt, then it will be well with us.” Thus he closed his days, and no doubt has received a reward for all his faithful labours. He departed this life, the 11th day of the 3d Month, 1796, aged ninety-one years.

Notes

• Quaker Calendar - There has been much confusion over the dates in Quaker records. Friends used numbered months and days rather than what they considered pagan names for them (i.e. "Thursday" coming from "Thor's Day"). Thus, when the secular calendar was changed in 1752, making January the first month instead of March, Friends began calling January "First Month".

Sources

1. ↑ Quaker Records of the Oblong and Little 9 Partners. Haviland Record Room, NYC. Will of Joshua Haight.
2. ↑ Fowler Genealogy. Genealogical History of the Hoyt, Haight, etc. Families,. David W. Hoyt. Will of Moses Hoyt, Eastchester.
3. ↑ "New York Probate Records, 1629-1971," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-28664-39924-88?cc=1920234 : accessed 12 November 2015), Dutchess > Wills 1796-1806 vol B > image 78 of 418; county courthouses, New York.
4. ↑ "New York Probate Records, 1629-1971," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L99R-N8G7?cc=1920234&wc=Q75G-DPX%3A213305701%2C225060001 : 28 May 2014), Dutchess > image 50 of 465; county courthouses, New York.
5. ↑ ^{5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12} [Quaker Births From Oblong Monthly Meeting], Dutchess County, New York, LDS Film # 873511, Records of Josephine Frost, Transcribed by Debbie Axtman, Pages 13 -16
6. ↑ New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Meeting for Sufferings. Memorials Concerning Several Ministers, And Others, Deceased: of the Religious Society of Friends, With In the Limits of the Yearly Meeting of New-York, With Some of Their Last Expressions. New-York: Printed and sold by Mahlon Day, 1825. p. 9.