When Gov. Andros took over the King's Province in 1687, he levied taxes on the inhabitants of Kingstown, renamed Rochester. Included in the list were Francis Wast senior, Francis Wast junior, and Richard Wast. Only Francis senior had a rate, that of 2 shillings 1 pence. The children of this family have been difficult to trace. Francis, Susannah, and Martha remained in the Kingstown, R.I., area; William removed to Newport, R.I., probably after the death of his first wife; Clement moved to Charlestown, R.I., and then disappears from R.I. records, perhaps moving to Dutchess County, N.Y.; Richard returned to Plymouth and Bristol County, living in Middleboro and Taunton. We have not found Peter, John nor Thomas.

This family name has a variety of spellings in the public records: WAST, WEST, WASTE, WEAST being common variants. Of the four "West" families in Plymouth Colony only this family has its surname used in forms other than WEST suggesting that the original
name, while phonetically similar, was distinct from West. Some of Susanna's children are identified in the Samuel West Memorandum Book published in the 'Mayflower Descendant'.

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