Third Generation

31. Ensign Seth LEONARD⁹² was born on 3 April 1685 in Taunton, Bristol Co., MA.¹⁵ He died on 8 June 1762 at the age of 77 in Raynham, Bristol Co., MA.⁹³ Ensign Seth Leonard appears not to have worked for the forge, but probably worked in the saw mill that his father and Judge Thomas Leonard owned some miles above the forge on Fowling Pond. He was given half of the saw mill by his father and purchased the other half from Samuel Leonard in 1714. His father gave him 30 acres adjoining the northern part of William Britton's land where he then lived. He later sold to Israel Washburn a privilege of building an iron works on the Two Mile River about half a mile above the old forge (See 43:33 1757, covenant to erect and build a furnace or iron mill for ye crafting hollow ironware, signed by 15 men including Israel Washburn). In 1758, he conveyed to Edmond Leonard of Raynham, blacksmith, a parcel of land 25 acres in Taunton about Mill Brook (43:32). In February 1761 (or 10 September 1761, per White Family Generalogy), he sold out to his son Edmund his homestead, grist mill, and 1/6th share in the ironworks.

His widow supposedly died February 18, 1815. (ECL gives source as Thayer record.) A second wife? This appears to be Ruth Hoar, wife of Seth Leonard b. 1729 -- that's the date she died.

They had supposedly a daughter Lydia, b. 1722, Taunton, died Jan. 26, 1764, Raynham. Daughter of someone else?

Diary of Rev. Jonathan Pierpont (NEHGS 1859 p. 255) records marriage as December 17, 1712. Marriages, Births, and Deaths at Taunton, MA (NEHGS 1862 p. 325) records his birth as April 3, 1686, not 1685.

The facts about this Seth should be checked rather carefully. White Family Genealogy says he died in 1770 in Providence, RI. If he was "non compos" and under the care of Ebenezer Britton (aka Brettun), it's hard to explain why he would have died in Providence in 1770, as some would have it (answer may be that he died in Taunton). There were a number of Seth's in this part of Massachusetts, and it appears the information about them has been thorough mixed up over the years. ECL: Thomas White says he was dead in 1767, but Lothrop gives his death as written above in Providence. The expense sheet related to his being declared non compos includes items for a trip to Smithfield in Providence County. An earlier researcher in 1913 quoted "January ye 1 dyed Seth Leonard 1771" Ebenezer Leonard was appointed guardian to Seth Leonard late of Raynham in the County of Bristol a person reported non compos mentis or distracted but since deceased in the County of Providence (14 Sep 1771).

Note that his son Nicholas moved to Preston, CT, and had a son, Ebenezer. Also living in Norwich was Capt. Samuel Leonard and his wife Lydia (Stanton). Samuel had sons Samuel, Ebenezer, John, Daniel, and Rufus and daughters Lydia (m. Rufus Herrick), Mary, Mehitable, and Olive. Capt. Samuel died about 1761 (per will). Ebenezer was born July 1, 1741, and d. August 19, 1815. Ebenezer married Abigail Avery of Preston September 25, 1765. Question: relationship among Seth, Nicholas, and Samuel? List of children incomplete, missing Seth b. 1729 and Samuel, b. 1727 or thereabouts?

To add to the confusion, Samuel Leonard (Samuel2, Solomon1) is listed in the Manning Leonard book on the descendants of Solomon Leonard with a wife Lydia living in Preston, CT. He had a son, Ebenezer, born in Preston March 17, 1709/10, marrying there May 6, 1730, Esther Amos of Preston. Ebenezer had a son Ebenezer, bap. Mar. 23, 1740, no further info in Manning Leonard book. He had another son, Samuel, born May 18, 1712, married August 9, 1733, Lydia Stanton. Samuel also had a son named Ebenezer, born July 1, 1741, died August 19, 1815, married Abigail Avery September 25, 1765, as well as the other sons mentioned above.

There is a handwritten note in the Solomon Leonard book that Hannah, daughter of Ebenezer, married John Partridge and should not be confused with Hannah, daughter of Nicholas Leonard, also born in Preston at a later date (June 17, 1756).

There seems to be some confusion between the Elisha Clark Leonard genealogy of the descendants of James Leonard and Manning Leonard's book on the descendants of Solomon Leonard. Also, Koster's book gives additional children for Seth that appear to be the children of Edmund.

In October 3, 1761, he was declared "non compos mentis" and put under the guardianship of Ebenezer Britton, who probably was his nephew. (Prob. Rec. Book 17, p. 521.) The petition to declare Seth "non compos mentis" signed by 17 "children and near relations:" These include: Zephaniah Leonard, James Leonard 2nd, James Leonard 4th, Nehemiah Dean, John Hall, William Knap, Jonathan Leonard, Abiathar Leonard, Joshua Leonard, Elijah Leonard, Ebenezer Brettun, Seth Hall, Mrs. xxx Wilbur, Joseph Hayward, Amariah Hall, Henry Hall, John White, and Elijah Wilbor.

What's confusing is that the petition to declare Seth Leonard "non compos mentis" does not include his children who were known to be alive in 1761 and includes a number of people whom I can't find to be related to the Leonards. The petition says the subscribers are "children and near relations of Seth Leonard." Also, the petition was signed only by males. Other legal documents I've seen from that period are usually signed by both husband and wife, particularly when it was through the wife's line that the legal matter, say an inheritance, pertained.

The children I have for Seth and Dorcas are Rebecca 1714-1738, Nicholas 1715-1796, Tabitha 1717-1749, Edmund 1722-1803, Lydia 1722-1763, and Ebenezer 1724-1725. Rebecca and Ebenezer died before 1761 and therefore would be out of the picture at the time of the petition. Ebenezer died too young to have been married. Rebecca may have married, but I have no spouse listed. She's buried in the Shaw Cemetery, leading to the conjecture that she might have married a Shaw. (An aside: Rebecca was probably named after James' third wife, Rebecca Macy, by whom James had one child, Ebenezer, about whom nothing more is known.) Nicholas married and moved to Preston, CT, so could have remained uninvolved for that reason. Edmund married and stayed there in Raynham, so it's strange that he doesn't appear on the petition. Nor do any of Edmund's children nor their spouses appear among the petitioners, although they also appear to have lived in Raynham. Lydia and Tabitha are represented through their spouses (Jonathan Hall and Ebenezer Brettun/Britton) and/or children (Seth Hall and possibly Ebenezer Brettun/Britton, Jr.).

The other Leonards were to varying degrees related. Zephaniah 1704-1766 was the son of the brother, Stephen, of Seth's father, James 1677-1764, making him a cousin, but the more likely Zephaniah is his son, Zephaniah 1737-1814, who was town clerk of Raynham from 1761-1777 before becoming High Sheriff of Bristol County. Zephaniah 1704-1766 stayed with his grandfather James 1642-1726 when his father moved to NJ in the 1720's. He was very successful as an iron monger and was involved in some long-running contentious law suits with other Leonards. He became Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Bristol County in 1761. James 2nd may have been James 1677-1764, the two previous James in that line having died by 1761. James 4th could have been either James 1699-1771 or his son James 1723-1793. It's a bit confusing because the Leonards tended to repeat the same names in the different branches, so you have a number of James Leonards or Joseph Leonards in the same town. Further, the number sequence -- James, James 2nd, James 3rd... -- seemed to be given out in order of birth, not in relationship to one another. So the oldest James was James 1st, next oldest James 2nd, and so forth. In any case, the common ancestor was James 1642-1726, who was the father of both Seth and James 1677-1764. So the James' were cousins to some degree.

Jonathan, Abiathar, Joshua, and Elijah Leonard were more distant relatives. Since there were multiples with those given names, it's a bit tricky to pinpoint exactly which signed the petition. Elijah 1719-1808 is probably the easiest; he was a deacon in the local church in Raynham and an ensign in the militia. But you have to go back to James 1620-1691 to find the common ancestor of Seth and Elijah.

The likely Abiathar 1730-1810 of Taunton would have been a grandson of James 1677-1764, Seth's father. What's that, a cousin once removed?

The likely Joshua 1725-1816 of Raynham was a son of Zephaniah, mentioned above. Another cousin, once removed? Or second cousin? (I get these relationships confused, despite much effort to understand them.)

There are at least two possible Jonathans, one 1738-1807 of Norton and one 1727-1790 of Taunton. The first requires going all the way back to James 1620-1691 to find the common ancestor. The second was a son of James 1677-1764 and a half brother of Seth (James 1677-1764 married four times). So the second seems more likely.

Among other signers, I can find relationships for Henry Andrews. He was the husband of Hannah Leonard, daughter of Deacon Elijah Leonard. There were at least two Meshach Wilbors. One was the husband of Elizabeth Leonard, daughter of John, granddaughter of James 1620-91. A second was the husband of Keziah Leonard, daughter of Gamaliel Leonard 1733-1809 of Raynham, and again one has to go back to James 1620-91 to find the common ancestor. I think the first is more likely.

I can't find any relationship to the Leonards for John White, Elijah Wilbor, John Hall, William Knap, Joseph Hayward, or Amariah Hall.

George Leonard, Judge of Probate, was a great grandson of James 1620-91 through James' son Thomas.

So where does this leave the story? Confused! Am I missing some children of Seth and Dorcas? Daughters or granddaughters who would have married John White, Elijah Wilbor, John Hall (which John Hall?), William Knap, Joseph Hayward, or Amariah Hall? Or am I missing marriages of other Leonard daughters? Was there a division of opinion amongst the Leonards as to whether Seth was "non compos" or not, with son Edmund and others thinking he was fine? What all did Seth own that his possible heirs were concerned about his ability to make sound decisions? Did Seth go off to Smithfield, RI, to avoid being under the jurisdiction of the Bristol County court? Were there some shenanigans involved in having Seth declared "non compos?" Are the records of this Seth mixed up with those of another Seth? Who are the other Leonards mentioned as being in Smithfield at the time e.g., Gulliver Leonard, son of James)?

An old record, date and source unknown, mentions more children for Seth Leonard and Dorcas White: Simeon Solomon, Sarah who m. Prince Sears, Bethia who m. Stanley Carter, Hannah who m. Gabriel Fecto.

Ensign Seth LEONARD and Dorcas WHITE were married on 12 December 1712 in Taunton, Bristol Co., MA.⁹⁴ Dorcas WHITE, daughter of Nicholas WHITE and Ursula MACOMBER, was born on 24 December 1680 in Taunton, Bristol Co., MA.⁹⁵ She died on 1 March 1758 at the age of 77 in Raynham, Bristol Co., MA.⁹⁶

Ensign Seth LEONARD and Dorcas WHITE had the following children: