Contributed by: Willie Smith
The SPEIGHT families of Northeastern North Carolina originate with the Immigrant, Capt. Francis Speight Sr., who arrived in Nansemond County, Virginia (now Chowan County, North Carolina) about 1680, from London, England. 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. ORourke, whom he married about 1654. William died about 1719 in Nansemond County, Virginia (now Gates County, NC ). His children included: 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. FRANCIS SPEIGHT see below Mary Speight 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 2nd, in Chowan County, North Carolina , Ann King, in 1752. Joseph Speights 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 Speights 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 Winfred Speight see below WILLIAM WINFRED SPEIGHT born 1911 Perquimans County, NC. Died March 22, 1995 in Fort Lauderdale Florida. TENTH GENERATION William Winfred Speight was born in 1911 in Perquimans County, NC . He married Bessie Merrill COPELAND, d/o Hugh Copeland and Lucille Ethel EVANS about 1938.William died in Florida in 1995. Bessie was born 1915 and died in Florida in 1982. Children: 1 . Arthur Duke Speight - PRIVATE 2. Richard Speight - PRIVATE 3. Rachelle Ann Speight -PRIVATE 4. Harriett Priscilla Speight - PRIVATE