Fifth Generation

453. Abel LEONARD^42,81 was born on 4 March 1781 in Springfield, Hampden Co., MA. He died in 1852 at the age of 71 in Andover or Richmond Center, Ashtabula Co., OH. They moved to Springfield, Bradford Co., Pennsylvania. The Giles Memorial has his birthdate as 1778. Abel and Abi's (Abigail's) marriage was the first one in Springfield, PA (Standish, The Leonard Dictionary).

Letter from Abel in Springfield, Bradford Co., PA, dated Burlington, 7 Mar 1804, to his brother in Springfield, MA:

"Honored Brother:

Sir, I embrace this opportunity with pleasure and respect to inform you that we are all well, and in a degree happy and well pleased with the country and its ihabitants. As to the country, it needs no praise for it is sufficient to praise itself. As to hunting, it exceeds any part of the United States for elk, panter, bear, wolves, deer, beaver, sable, etc., therefore, it is pleasing to me to walk into the wilderness and take a view of nature and to see there the curiosities of the Almight God, without any artificial marks excepting what we have done. We are now making preparations for building a house which we have been almost destitute of for the time we have been here, but by the assistance of God we have almost accomplished a house and the first of the kind in the town where we belong, it being built of boards, mails and glass, which articles are seldom seen in this country, and expect to move in next month.

I have made it my home at Mr. E. Leonard's this winter past, where I have been treated with respect by the whole family and more especially by the girl that you recommended to be about the right length for a chin hold."

The letter continues:

"To my dear and absent Mother whom I respect.

Dear Mother - since it is my fortune to be absent from you and not able to enjoy yur company or advice, I think it may duty to improve the pen for relief which I can do with freedom and pleasure, for the want of a Mother, is what I have never experienced till now, and now I can see what I enjoyed with present with you, that is the greatest trouble that I am afflicted with at present and that I consider the greatest in life; however, I am in hopes to see you again provided we shall both live any lengthof time, but as life is uncertain perhapsthis may be my last. Give my compliments to Deborah and tell her that I want to hear from her more than my pen is able to express, for I consider her in a dangerous situation though I said nothing, but I thought when I parted with her, never to see her again, but I am in hopes to hear something different from what I have written. I am well.

Abel Leonard

Mr. E. Leonard is Ezekiel Leonard. The brother to whom Abel wrote was Theodore Leonard.

Abel LEONARD and Abiah LEONARD were married in 1804 in Springfield, Hampden Co., MA. Abiah LEONARD⁵⁵, daughter of Ezekiel LEONARD and Rhoda Hulda SEXTON, was born on 11 August 1783 in West Springfield, Hampden Co., MA.³¹ She died on 24 January 1864 at the age of 80 in Richmond Center, Ashtabula Co., OH. She was also known as Abiah or Abigail Leonard. Was she Abi, Abiah, or Abigail? All three names are used.

Abel LEONARD and Abiah LEONARD had the following children: