John Wightman was born between 1520 and 1534 in England, and died before 1580 in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. He married Modwen Caldwell Nov. 6, 1553 in Burton-on-Trent, England, daughter of William Caldwell. She was born ca. 1536, in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, and died after 1580.

    It should be noted that two often-recited genealogical assertions about the parentage of Edward Wightman are incorrect.
First, Edward's parents were not John Wightman and Ann Moreton. These two members of the Wightman Burbage clan did indeed have a child named Edward, but the recorded facts about this Edward clearly show that Edward, son of Ann Moreton, cannot be Edward of Burton-on-Trent. This was established by the careful work of Mary Ross Whitman in the mid-20th century, but this has not stopped many genealogists from replicating the probable 19th century error.
Second, his parents were not John Wightman and Modwen Haytor. This conjecture apparently stems from the record of Modwen Wightman serving as a witness for the baptism of a Haytor child, which was recounted by Mary Ross Whitman. However, nothing in Whitman's report of the record suggests that Modwen Wightman was related in any way to the child who was being baptized. Moreover, other documentary evidence, uncovered by English historians, has ratherly solidly established Edward's parentage as John Wightman and Modwen Caldwell. The genealogical world has not caught up yet.

    It is tempting to speculate that John was born in Burbage, Leicestershire, since all of his children were born there, but nothing in the documentary record supports this conclusion. The "Early History of the Wightman Family in England" describes the reasonable scenario that John was the son of William Wightman of Wyken (Hinckley, near Burbage). Combining this speculation with Mary Ross Whitman's work on the Burbage lineage leads to the possibility that John's grandfather was Richard Wightman of Burbage, who married Scisseley Wodam (heir to the arms of Trussel), and lived at a large manor called "Old Grange". If true, his great-grandfather would have been Thomas Wightman of Burbage (ca 1440 - ca 1500).

    During the 1550's, John was apparently the headmaster of the grammar school at Burton-on-Trent. After 1557, he was headmaster at the grammer school at Repton, Derbyshire, a few miles from Burton. He may have moved to Burbage around 1560, or perhaps he remained at Repton while Modwen lived at Burbage. In any case, throughout the 1560's and 1570's, Modwen would bear children at Burbage. In the 1580's, it appears that the family may have relocated back to Burton-on-Trent, where Modwen's cloth business was centered.

    According to IGI records, the children of John Wightman and Modwen Caldwall are:

Elizabeth Wightman, born ca Nov. 26, 1562 in Burbage, Leicestershire, England; died before 1572 in Burbage, Leicestershire, England.
Valentine Wightman, born ca Oct. 1564 in Burbage, Leicestershire, England.
Edward Wightman, , born ca Dec. 20, 1566 in Burbage, Leicestershire, England; died April 11, 1612 in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England.
Elizabeth Wightman, born ca Nov. 1572 in Burbage, Leicestershire, England.
Richard Wightman, born ca Jan. 1572/73 in Burbage, Leicestershire, England.
William Wightman, born ca Nov. 1576 in Burbage, Leicestershire, England.

    There were probably more children, since children in those days were born about every two years on average. We would expect more children in John and Modwen's family, born about 1558, 1560, 1568, and 1570. This would make a total of 12 children in the family, including Edward "the Martyr" Wightman. All parishes should be checked in and around Burton-on-Trent (Staffordshire), Repton (Derbyshire), and Burbage and Hinckley (Leicestershire), to find these missing children.