Joseph (Wiest) Weast (1791 - 1843)

Born 24 Jan 1791 in Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland, USA

Descendants

Died 16 Mar 1843 at age 52 in Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland

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Biography

Joseph Weast, son of Leonard and Elizabeth Wiest, was named as a son in his father's 1828 will.^[1] He was then married, a license having been issued in Washington County, Maryland on 16 November 1814 for himself and Susannah Speelman [Spielman].^[2] Joseph and Susannah made their home in Boonsboro, where they are found in the 1830 and 1840 census.^[3][4] They were the parents of at least eight children ...

Hiram Weast b. 6 November 1815; d. 17 December 1854

Joseph G. Weast b. 25 October 1822; d. 4 January 1845

Margaret Weast b. 5 September 1827; d. 11 June 1887; m. Jacob B. Eavey

George Washington Weast b. ca. 1828; d. bef. 6 February 1879

Elizabeth Weast b. ca. 1829; d. 1850-1852; m. Samuel Burgesser

Catherine "Kate" Weast b. 1831; d. aft. 1900; m. Samuel Burgesser

Sarah Jane "Jenni" Weast b. ca. 1832; d. 1 September 1897; m. Adolphus Devilbiss

Ellenora Weast b. ca. 1836; d. unknown

On 8 December 1834, Joseph was among delegates from Washington County attending a convention in Baltimore in support of completing the C&O Canal. As seen in the following biographical sketch appearing in Scharf's 1882 "History of Western Maryland", he was very active in the affairs of his community ...

Mr. Weast was a member of the first board of [Washington] county commissioners, and a man of considerable local influence and standing. He had served three times in the State Legislature, and was county collector at the time of his death.^[5]

Joseph Weast died on 16 March 1843 and was laid to rest in the Old Salem Church Cemetery in Boonsboro. His Findagrave memorial includes an image of his still legible gravestone.^[6] Susannah survived him by nearly 37 years, died at the age of 87, and was laid to rest beside him.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Washington Co., MD : Last Will and Testament of Leonard Weast
2. ↑ "Maryland County Marriages, 1658-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q297-NBXG : 17 Mar 2018); citing Washington Co., MD Clerk of the Circuit Court; FHL microfilm 14,643
3. ↑ "US Census, 1830", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH53-TZ8 : 22 Aug 2017); citing 98, NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 58; FHL microfilm 13,181
4. ↑ "US Census,1840", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHY6-YXC : 15 Aug 2017); citing p. 218, NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 171; FHL microfilm 13,186
5. ↑ Scharf, J. Thomas, A.M. : "History of Western Maryland. Being a History of Frederick, Mongtomery, Carroll, Washington, Allegany and Garrett Counties", Philadelphia (1882), Vol. II, p. 1057
6. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75767785/joseph-weast : Findagrave Memorial for Joseph Weast
7. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75767974/susannah-weast : Findagrave Memorial for Susannah (Spielman) Weast

Research Notes

The earliest record of Joseph discovered to date is his 1814 marriage, where the spelling Weast was used. However, there are two reasons Wiest should be recorded as his last name at birth ...

(1) Wiest is the original German spelling and was used for his parents and his sister Anna Barbara in her 1793 baptism in the now defunct Jacobs Lutheran Church near Leitersburg, Washington County, MD.

(2) Weast is not found at all in German records prior to 1900, and it then appears only once - in the census record of a single individual.