John Speight

John Speight

• Father: (?) Speight
• Mother: Unknown (?)

• John Speight was born circa 1790 probably in Georgia or North Carolina.
• "At the first session [in 1809] of the Superior Court of Laurens [created from Wilkinson County in 1807], held at the house of Peter Thomas, near the present town of Dublin, the following Grand Jurors were empanelled: John Speight. . . Charles Stringer. . John Stringer. . ." [Georgia's Landmarks, Memorials, and Legends, 1913]
• In 1811, the Georgia legislature named John Proctor, Robert Barnett, John Speight, John Ball, and Daniel Hicks as commissioners to construct a courthouse and jail in Wilkinson County.
• He married Matilda M. Wood, daughter of Ashley Wood and Elizabeth McCullers, circa 1819, likely in Georgia.
• The following appeared on 15 October 1819 in the Alabama Courier, among a list of letters remaining at the Post Office in Claiborne [Monroe County] on 1 October 1819, one addressed to John Speight.
• John Speight appeared in the US federal census of 7 August 1820 in Wilcox County, Alabama, apparently living two households away from Ashley Wood.
• His wife Matilda M. Wood became a widow at his death.
• John Speight died in October 1825 in Wilcox County, Alabama.
• According to Wilcox County, Alabama, Probate Court minutes, John Speight died in October 1825. In December 1825, his widow Matilda Speight and Henry Atwood, the largest creditor, were appointed administrators of the estate, with Ashley Wood as one of the securities. Among those appointed to appraise the estate was James George. Moses K. Speight [apparently a child of an earlier marriage/] chose his guardian, indicating that he was over 14 years of age. In October 1831, Henry Atwood and James George (in right of his wife, the widow of John Speight, their having married in the interim) made a return of the inventory, appraisement and account of sales of the estate, and also their account for a final settlement. Since the estate was in arrears with Henry Atwood and James George and other creditors, and there was no personal estate except Negroes whereby said claims could be paid, it was order by the court that the administrators sell two Negroes, Mariah and Lucinda. In February 1832 James and Matilda George contested the returns of Henry Atwood, and a jury was empanelled to try the issue. In May 1832 the issue was decided in favor of James and Matilda George. Document named other heirs Ashley W., Elizabeth M. and Georgia Ann Speight, and stated that John Speight and Henry Atwood had been members of the Dale Company. In August 1834 James and Matilda George and Ashley Wood sold property in Dale Town, acknowledging their signatures in Dallas County.

• Last Edited: 8 May 2013

• Charts: Descendants of WOOD William & Lydia Ballentine