First Generation

1. Elijah LEONARD was born about 1753 in Taunton, Bristol Co., MA. He died on 21 August 1822 at the age of 69 in Lee, Berkshire Co., MA. The origins of this Elijah are a mystery. Logically, he would be a son of Rev. Elijah b. 1719 and Hannah Leonard, but they had a son Elijah b. 1760 who also became a minister like his father and is well documented. Hannah Leonard, Elijah's wife, b. 1731 would have been old enough to have a child in 1753, when this Elijah was born. This Elijah may have had a brother, George, who m. Rebecca Pond and lived in western MA and VT. George also served in the Rev. War.

Elijah was a Revolutionary War soldier. He enlisted 15 Feb 1777 at Taunton and was discharged 15 Feb 1780 at West Point, NY. He served under Capt. James Cooper in Col. Gamaliel Bradford's regiment. He fought in the battle of Saratoga and was present at the surrender of Gen. Burgoyne. He was promoted to corporal 1 Oct 1778. He also later fought at Monmouth in NJ. After the Rev. War, he lived in Lee, Berkshire Co., MA, until his death in 1822.

A document from his wife, Hannah, mentions his children as of 1822 as "Samuel and Nancy the wife of Silvanus Bowen residing in Lenox in said County, Susannah the wife of Lyman Northrup residing in Cheshire in said County, and Cyrus residing in said Lee his only children."

He married Hannah Peirce at her father's house in Dighton, Rev. John Smith officiating.

We know from the marriage records and identity of their parents that Hannah Peirce and Hannah Pitts are not one and the same, although both Hannahs were from Dighton and both married Elijah Leonards.

He applied for a pension 6 May 1818. According to the papers, he was 67 in June 1820 and his wife was 57. At that time he was a laborer, but infirm and unable to work. He owned neither house nor land. His agent was a Mr. Robbins. His wife applied 30 January 1739. She was 75 at the time and living with their son, Cyrus, in Palmyra, Wayne Co., NY. His son, Cyrus, of Palmyra, NY, signed an affidavit in support of Hannah's pension application in January 1839. Hannah's half sister, Susannah Hayward, living in Readfield, Kennebec Co., ME, also signed an affidavit to the effect that she and Hannah lived in their father's house during the Revolutionary War and that Hannah married Elijah in their house in 1781 when Susannah was 14 or 15. His parents are unknown, as are Hannah's. Hannah's agent in Palmyra, NY, was a Mr. Frederick Smith.

In Elijah's pension file, there's a query from C. E. Peirce of American Screw Company, but there is no response.

Did he have a son Abria, b. 1811, who lived in Columbia Co., GA, in 1850? Or was his name Uriah, a grandson?

There was also an Elijah Leonard in Charlton, MA, married to a Rachel, with sons Edward, Jonathan, and David, who is not elsewhere in my data base. He may have been a Learned.

Elijah LEONARD and Hannah PEIRCE were married on 21 November 1781 in Dighton, Bristol Co., MA. Hannah PEIRCE was born about 1763 in Dighton, Bristol Co., MA. She died on 13 May 1846 at the age of 83 in Monroe Co., NY. She was buried in Fairport Village Cemetery, Perinton, Monroe Co., NY. Or did she die in Palmyra, Wayne Co., NY?

Elijah LEONARD and Hannah PEIRCE had the following children: