Fifth Generation

447. Lt. Joseph LEONARD⁵⁸⁰ was born on 29 July 1732 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA.⁵⁸¹ He died on 1 November 1783 at the age of 51 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA.^582,583 ECL: "He was a Lieutenant in the Militia." He had also served in the Revolutionary War. He is various referred to in court documents as a joiner by occupation. He apparently lived in the Muttock area of Middleborough and worked at Peter Oliver's forge and slitting works, later operated by Abiel Washburn. During the time he worked there, Jesse Bryant, who would later become father-in-law of Joseph's son, Nathaniel, was foreman, and about 50 men were employed full-time there. The works were on the Nemasket River, where permission for a dam had been obtained, providing a sluiceway for herring to move through. See pp. 359-367 of Weston's "History of the Town of Middleborough" (1909).

He is referred to as Joseph Leonard 3rd in marriage by Benjamin Ruggles and Joseph 3rd as a private in the militia during the Revolutionary War.

ECL/GML notes refer to Massachusetts Vital Records as source of birth date for Joseph and Joseph and Abigail's marriage date. They note an alternative marriage date of October 11, 1753, per Boston Transcript. Middleboro VR's record the marriage as 7 May 1752.

He sold 3+ acres of land in Middleborough to Samuel Miller in a deed dated 25 Feb 1783, witnessed by Elijah Shaw and Zebedee Sprout. Samuel Miller had bought 8 Apr 1780 neighboring land from Robert Sprout, duly signed by Robert Sprout and his wife, Hannah (Leonard) Sprout and witnessed by Gideon Leonard and Joshua White. Joseph Leonard sold on 25 Nov 1778 5 acres of land from his homestead farm to Robert Sprout, Jr. The deed was signed by Joseph Leonard and his wife, Abigail (latter's mark).

Many of Joseph's relatives, direct and by marriage, were members of the First Church of Middleborough. These would include his grandmother, Charity Leonard, his maternal grandparents Nathaniel Southworth and Jael Bennet, his wife's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather (Barnabus Raymond, John Jr., and John Sr.), his son Nathaniel's wife, Betsy Bryant, her parents, Jesse Bryant and Mercy Shaw, grandparents Jesse Bryant and Susannah Winslow, and great-grandparents Conant. See Membership of The First Church of Middleborough, 1854, which lists its membership through 1854, repeated in an appendix of Thomas Weston's HIstory of Middleborough, 1905.

Many of Joseph's children have the same names as those of Joseph's father, Joseph, but there's little or no information about them. The GML charts list Joseph, Noah, Gideon, Hannah, Timothy, Abiah, Nathaniel, Fear, Abigail, and Remember.

Check for land record dtd 10 Nov 1790 concerning his widow and four daughters.

Lt. Joseph LEONARD and Abigail RAYMOND were married on 7 May 1752 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA.^577,584 He and Abigail were published 4 April 1752. He was Joseph 3rd in publishment. Abigail RAYMOND⁵⁸⁵, daughter of Barnabus RAYMOND and Alice BENT, was born on 3 October 1732 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA.² She died on 15 July 1810 at the age of 77 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co, MA. Received quarter acre of homestead farm of Benjamin Reed, 1790. She was the widow of Ens. Joseph Leonard.

In the 1800 Census she was living alone. Death date of 1810 is uncertain, not listed in Middleboro VR's.

The Raymond Genealogy, p. 127: "Barnabas, 24, prob. son of John 10, m. Alice..., and had at Middleboro, Mass.: Deborah, b. Aug. 1, 1729 (a Deborah m. John Cushman, of Plympton, February 3, 1746), Abigail, b. October 3, 1732 (an Abigail m. Joseph Leonard, 3rd, of Middleboro, May 7, 1752. ...").

Lt. Joseph LEONARD and Abigail RAYMOND had the following children: