Wesley Benedict Speight moved to Jamaica, New York in 1899 from Texas after his parents moved to Oklahoma. He became a boarder in the home of future in-laws John (1832-1906) and Mary (Horan) McCumiskey (1832-1925).
In 1906, after the death of her husband, Mary McCumiskey "arranged" for her daughter Marguerite Veronica McCumiskey (1885-1966) to marry Wesley Speight. Wesley worked many jobs including blacksmith, Gas Defense Plant worker, Brooklyn Shipyard worker and machinist aboard merchant and cruise ships. During World War I he was hired by the Navy Department to work as a ship's mechanic on oil tankers and made 21 transports to South America during the war and survived a torpedo attack off the coast of Venezuela. After the war he became a manager at the American Motor Company.
In 1926 Wesley Speight became a machinist aboard cruise ships of the American Merchant Lines. He made more than 120 trips from New York to London and back aboard the passenger liners SS AMERICAN BANKER and SS AMERICAN TRADER. When in London he would hang out and drink with the local journalists. During the 1930's he was invited to meet Prime Minister Winston Churchill to discuss how New York City handled automatic traffic lights before London started using them. Churchill mentioned his name on BBC radio while he was sailing home from London. He was also invited to attend the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937. When cruise ships stopped sailing due to the threat of German U-boats Wesley became a porter at the Bayard Hotel in the Bowery in Manhattan from 1938 to 1941.
During World War II, at the age of 65, he was once again called upon by the Navy Department to serve on board Navy-controlled oil tankers TYDOL GAS and F.Q. BARSTOW, making several trips to the Caribbean through enemy waters. Wesley Speight made his last trip as a merchant sailor in 1948 at the age of 71. In 1953 Wesley decided to leave his wife and move into Sailors' Snug Harbor to live his final years. He died at the age of 89 in 1966.
Children: Wesley (1906-1989), Thelma (Raab) (1911-2007), Sylvia Margaret (Heim) (1915-2001) & Donald John (1918-2000)
In 1906, after the death of her husband, Mary McCumiskey "arranged" for her daughter Marguerite Veronica McCumiskey (1885-1966) to marry Wesley Speight. Wesley worked many jobs including blacksmith, Gas Defense Plant worker, Brooklyn Shipyard worker and machinist aboard merchant and cruise ships. During World War I he was hired by the Navy Department to work as a ship's mechanic on oil tankers and made 21 transports to South America during the war and survived a torpedo attack off the coast of Venezuela. After the war he became a manager at the American Motor Company.
In 1926 Wesley Speight became a machinist aboard cruise ships of the American Merchant Lines. He made more than 120 trips from New York to London and back aboard the passenger liners SS AMERICAN BANKER and SS AMERICAN TRADER. When in London he would hang out and drink with the local journalists. During the 1930's he was invited to meet Prime Minister Winston Churchill to discuss how New York City handled automatic traffic lights before London started using them. Churchill mentioned his name on BBC radio while he was sailing home from London. He was also invited to attend the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937. When cruise ships stopped sailing due to the threat of German U-boats Wesley became a porter at the Bayard Hotel in the Bowery in Manhattan from 1938 to 1941.
During World War II, at the age of 65, he was once again called upon by the Navy Department to serve on board Navy-controlled oil tankers TYDOL GAS and F.Q. BARSTOW, making several trips to the Caribbean through enemy waters. Wesley Speight made his last trip as a merchant sailor in 1948 at the age of 71. In 1953 Wesley decided to leave his wife and move into Sailors' Snug Harbor to live his final years. He died at the age of 89 in 1966.
Children: Wesley (1906-1989), Thelma (Raab) (1911-2007), Sylvia Margaret (Heim) (1915-2001) & Donald John (1918-2000)
Wesley Benedict Speight moved to Jamaica, New York in 1899 from Texas after his parents moved to Oklahoma. He became a boarder in the home of future in-laws John (1832-1906) and Mary (Horan) McCumiskey (1832-1925).
In 1906, after the death of her husband, Mary McCumiskey "arranged" for her daughter Marguerite Veronica McCumiskey (1885-1966) to marry Wesley Speight. Wesley worked many jobs including blacksmith, Gas Defense Plant worker, Brooklyn Shipyard worker and machinist aboard merchant and cruise ships. During World War I he was hired by the Navy Department to work as a ship's mechanic on oil tankers and made 21 transports to South America during the war and survived a torpedo attack off the coast of Venezuela. After the war he became a manager at the American Motor Company.
In 1926 Wesley Speight became a machinist aboard cruise ships of the American Merchant Lines. He made more than 120 trips from New York to London and back aboard the passenger liners SS AMERICAN BANKER and SS AMERICAN TRADER. When in London he would hang out and drink with the local journalists. During the 1930's he was invited to meet Prime Minister Winston Churchill to discuss how New York City handled automatic traffic lights before London started using them. Churchill mentioned his name on BBC radio while he was sailing home from London. He was also invited to attend the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937. When cruise ships stopped sailing due to the threat of German U-boats Wesley became a porter at the Bayard Hotel in the Bowery in Manhattan from 1938 to 1941.
During World War II, at the age of 65, he was once again called upon by the Navy Department to serve on board Navy-controlled oil tankers TYDOL GAS and F.Q. BARSTOW, making several trips to the Caribbean through enemy waters. Wesley Speight made his last trip as a merchant sailor in 1948 at the age of 71. In 1953 Wesley decided to leave his wife and move into Sailors' Snug Harbor to live his final years. He died at the age of 89 in 1966.
Children: Wesley (1906-1989), Thelma (Raab) (1911-2007), Sylvia Margaret (Heim) (1915-2001) & Donald John (1918-2000)
In 1906, after the death of her husband, Mary McCumiskey "arranged" for her daughter Marguerite Veronica McCumiskey (1885-1966) to marry Wesley Speight. Wesley worked many jobs including blacksmith, Gas Defense Plant worker, Brooklyn Shipyard worker and machinist aboard merchant and cruise ships. During World War I he was hired by the Navy Department to work as a ship's mechanic on oil tankers and made 21 transports to South America during the war and survived a torpedo attack off the coast of Venezuela. After the war he became a manager at the American Motor Company.
In 1926 Wesley Speight became a machinist aboard cruise ships of the American Merchant Lines. He made more than 120 trips from New York to London and back aboard the passenger liners SS AMERICAN BANKER and SS AMERICAN TRADER. When in London he would hang out and drink with the local journalists. During the 1930's he was invited to meet Prime Minister Winston Churchill to discuss how New York City handled automatic traffic lights before London started using them. Churchill mentioned his name on BBC radio while he was sailing home from London. He was also invited to attend the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937. When cruise ships stopped sailing due to the threat of German U-boats Wesley became a porter at the Bayard Hotel in the Bowery in Manhattan from 1938 to 1941.
During World War II, at the age of 65, he was once again called upon by the Navy Department to serve on board Navy-controlled oil tankers TYDOL GAS and F.Q. BARSTOW, making several trips to the Caribbean through enemy waters. Wesley Speight made his last trip as a merchant sailor in 1948 at the age of 71. In 1953 Wesley decided to leave his wife and move into Sailors' Snug Harbor to live his final years. He died at the age of 89 in 1966.
Children: Wesley (1906-1989), Thelma (Raab) (1911-2007), Sylvia Margaret (Heim) (1915-2001) & Donald John (1918-2000)
Family Members
Siblings
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
