Fourth Generation

124. Capt. Joseph LEONARD²⁴⁰ was born on 9 April 1705 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA.²⁴¹ He died on 27 June 1776 at the age of 71 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA. The 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th generations from Elkanah Leonard are directly from the ECL-GML manuscript, as corrected. Checked and rechecked several times, since there is confusion about which Joseph was which, death dates, and the children of each marriage.

Benjamin Hodges was appointed guardian of Joseph, Simeon, and Abiah when Elkanah, their father, died. 5:63 dtd. April 20, 1724/5. ECL lists 3 more children, but indicated no further information about them. They do not appear in the guardianship records.

Joseph Leonard was a common name in Middleborough in the 1700's. There were at least 7 of them living in Middleborough. Mayflower Society genealogist complained about the difficulty of keeping them straight. See discussion under Joseph Leonard, Jr. b. 29 July 1732.

There is confusion about Joseph and Fear's children. ECL notes about Fear, Simeon, and Nathaniel: "Last 3 names given me by Mrs. Haskins but she could tell me little about them." They are not listed in Middleborough VR's as children of Joseph and Fear, so I have not included them here although they are included in the ECL-GML manuscript as nos. 241, 242, and 243.

In the Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families, under Benjamin Southworth, the following: "Nathaniel, son of first Constant, m. 1672, Desire, d. of Edward Gray, and had Constant, 1674, Mary, 1676, m. Joseph Rider; Ichabod, 1678; Elizabeth, m. James Sproat; Nathaniel, 1684, m. Jael Howland; Edward, 1688, m. Bridget Bosworth. Nathaniel, Middleboro', son of above, had Fear, 1709, married a Leonard; Gideon, Nathaniel, Samuel, and Hannah, m. a Sproat." Fear Southworth married Joseph Leonard, the father of Joseph Leonard, Jr. Joseph Leonard, Sr. did not have a son Samuel, but did have a Gideon, Nathaniel, and Hannah (who married Robert Sproat) among his children." This is an incomplete list of Joseph's children with some errors (e.g., the Hannah who married Robert Sproat was Joseph's son's daughter Hannah). Also, this may be the origin of information that Jael Bennet was a Howland (she was a Bennet).

Per John Howland of the Mayflower, Fourth Generation, p. 221. Children listed are Joseph, Timothy, Hannah, Abiah, Gideon, Fear, Simeon, and Nathaniel. Last three have no birthdates and are not listed in Middleborough VR's. Book has Joseph marrying possibly Ruth White. (Another Joseph, not this Joseph. Also, Joseph sold to his son Joseph 16 acres on 18 May 1781. But that Joseph also would have been another Joseph, since this Joseph died in 1776).

Was there another child, Rebecca, who married ? Ellis? Per Mayflower VR, CD #167. She is not included, since no further evidence could be found to support inclusion.

Joseph Leonard deeded 28 Jun 1733, recorded 22 Oct 1734, to his brother, Elkanah of Middleborough, Attorney at Law, a lot of 64 acres in the Sixteen Shilling Purchase, originally in the right of David Thomas. The deed of sale was witnessed by Josiah Richmond and Mary Southworth.

It would appear that when Joseph died, his son Ensign Joseph Leonard was his only heir. No marriage records occur for any of the children, except possibly Hannah (and that's really another Hannah), nor are there further records of their activities. Timothy is said to have had a son, "Black" Samuel Leonard, according to the Elijah Leonard biography/genealogy in the Ontario archives, but there appears to be no supporting record in Massachusetts. Abiah/Abigail was published to Ephraim Hackett on 1 February 1761, with the marriage recorded on 18 June 1761. A Hackett typescript written by Lewis Wendell Hackett (1998) says that Abiah/Abigail died 19 March 1762. Middleboro VR's (p. 245) record that an unnamed wife of Ephraim Hackett died on that date. Later records concerning a Gideon and a TImothy Leonard refer to the children of Joseph's son, Joseph.

There is confusion about the date of death of Joseph. Family History of Central NY, tracing the descent from James, Thomas, Elkanah, and Joseph, says he died in 1775. (CD157, p. 1075). Middleborough VR's say a Capt. Joseph Leonard died 27 June 1776. WW listed his death as 27 Jun 1770 in the 1920 Boston Transcript, probably a typo of "0" for "6.) He was Captain of the Third Company (Weston, p. 200), but the dates of his captaincy are given in Ebenezer Weaver Peirce in "Historic Sketches (1873) as 1762-1773.

Middleborough VR's give the date of death of a Lt. Joseph Leonard as 1 November 1783. This is the date Joseph's son Joseph is thought to have died.

On 15 April 1777, the inventory of the estate of Joseph Leonard, late of Middleborough, Gentleman, was taken. This Joseph?
He died insolvent, couldn't pay all just debts. Plymouth Co. PR #12633, 29:174-6, 253-4, 30:542-3 (Joseph Leonard). Plymouth Co. LR 61:1, 136 (Joseph Leonard).

Capt. Joseph LEONARD and Hannah PRATT were married on 9 April 1729 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA.⁷¹ Hannah PRATT was born on 17 May 1708 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA.²⁴² She died before November 1731 at the age of 23 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA. No death date in Middleborough VR's.

Capt. Joseph LEONARD and Fear SOUTHWORTH were married on 18 November 1731 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA.²⁴³ Fear SOUTHWORTH²⁴⁴, daughter of Nathaniel SOUTHWORTH and Jael HOWLAND, was born on 3 February 1710 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA.²⁴⁵ She died on 23 April 1784 at the age of 74 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA. In case the issue ever comes up, descendancy from the Mayflower families for this line of Leonards can be documented through Fear but with a twist. Nathaniel Southworth's will, quoted in Mayflower Families through Five Generations, Vol. 15, James Chilton, p. 108, mentions Fear Leonard.

ECL gives Fear as daughter of Nathaniel and Gail (Howland) Southworth. This is correct, although not without controversy.

The "Catalogue of Members of the First Church of Middleborough," 1854, lists Jael Bennet as the wife of Nathaniel Southworth and mother of Fear. However, Jael is listed in Isaac Howland's will as his daughter. Fear is also a Mayflower descendant through her father, Nathaniel Southworth whose mother, Desire Gray, is the daughter of Mary Winslow, daughter of Mary Chilton (p. 108, Chilton Silver Book).

There are several versions of her death date: 25 December 1755 or 23 April 1784. ECL gives date as 23 June 1784. Her death is not recorded in Middleboro VR's.

Capt. Joseph LEONARD and Fear SOUTHWORTH had the following children: