If You Are a Weeast, What Nationality Are You?

This is the nagging question that got me started on my genealogy quest in 1994. I have had people offer “With the three vowels in your name, you could be Dutch?” How have you answered this question?

My research indicates all of the Weeast today are descendants of someone born 228 years ago in New Jersey. And more surprising, for 160+ years all of the families identified, with one exception, lived within a 20-mile radius of each other centered in Burlington County, New Jersey.

What Nationality Are You?

The most likely answer: we are British, although there is some speculation that we may be from Germany. Only deeper research will answer that question, including DNA analysis. In a future blog, titled “DNA Analysis”, I will reveal the results of my various tests.

And the origin of the name is Weast! If you look at international genealogy databases, the Weast are primarily found in England. And you will not find any Weeast in any international genealogy database.

So how do I know all of this?

In 1994 the internet was in its infancy and did not have a lot of information yet. When taking my nephews to a computer store to buy a game, I came across a box that said something like “1 Million Names, Discover Your Roots.” Wow, maybe I can find out who my ancestors are and where we came from.” As it turns out, I learned very little from the information on the CD; it was from the Social Security Death Index and at that time there were only eight or ten Weeast listed. But other information on the CD gave hints as to where else to look for genealogical information, and I was hooked. I spent the next year ordering microfilm from the LDS Family History Centers and manually searched Federal Census records. The Census is taken every ten years since 1790 (look for a future blog titled “Federal Census Records”). Today, all of this information and more is available from the comforts of your home.

I started looking at Federal Census records for 1920, then 1910, and further back. In 1880 the surname for all the families tracked was “Weeast”, and in 1870 half of the families listed their surname as “Weast”. From 1860 and earlier all the surnames were “Weast”, with the exception of Levi Weeast whose surname changed in 1850. The blessing in this, however, is the uniqueness of this name change, which allows us to know that any Weeast today are related (something very rare for genealogists). Prior to 1850, there were very few “Weast” residing in New Jersey. I will detail out more about this in another future blog titled “The Early Weast.”

So where do you fit in? Well, Thomas (born 1790) and Mercy (born 1796) Weast had four sons and three daughters. Of the four sons, two are definitely identified; Daniel and Henry (twins) from the 1850 Census, 20 years old and living with their parents. The other two sons, Levi and Morgan, are indirectly identified by age and location in relation to Thomas and Mercy. The Weeast who are alive today are descendants of Henry or Morgan Weast. It seems the Levi and Daniel Weast lines have no living relatives remaining.

My hunt started with my grandfather Ford Weeast (born 1895), which led to Morgan H. Weast (born 1869), which led to Morgan Weast (born 1818) and from there most likely to Thomas Weast (born 1790 in New Jersey). I have found other Weast earlier that I cannot tie into our family line, so the research continues.

So are you in the Henry Weast line, or the Morgan Weast line? Download the Weeast Family Group Hierarchy file and trace your family back to Thomas Weast. Or you can reach me through the Contact Us form if you need assistance.

I have identified the census records for each of the families from 1850 – 1940. I captured information from each census in a spreadsheet that traces the “what I call” family groups.  To see this analysis, click here.

It would be wonderful to hear how you answered the question “what nationality are you?”, or what you believed your heritage was. Please leave a comment on this post.