First Generation

1. William LEONARD was born between 1680 and 1690. He died after 1750 at the age of 70 in Bridgewater, Plymouth Co., MA. The birthdate and place of William Leonard are unknown in the records relating to his marriage. Manning Leonard, who was doing the genealogy of the Solomon Leonard line, put a query in the NEHGS Register asking for information about William. He did not find a connection to the Solomon Leonard line. ECL/GML postulate that he was of the Solomon Leonard line because he lived in Bridgewater. He lived in Bridgewater after he was married; it's unclear where he lived before his marriage to Sarah Bolton. Nahum Mitchell, p. 236, mentions "#13. Wm. Leonard m. Sarah D. of John Bolton: had Wm 1710, John 1711, Sarah, 1714, James 1716, Samuel 1718, Silas, 1721, Mercy, 1723, Jonathan, 1726. James m. Jemima Heiford, perhaps 1737." There is no mention of a Seth.

Harriott Leonard Standish in the Leonard Dictionary postulates that he is "prob. son of Uriah, b. abt. 1687-90; d. Kingston, RI; m. Sarah Bolton February 10, 1708-09 by J.P. Thos. Mumford. She m. 2nd Samuel Perry, Bridgewater (or was there another Sarah Leonard who m. Samuel Perry in January 1710?). She was the dau. of John Bolton and b. 1690 (Cheseborough Gen.) Ch.:

- William, b. 1709-10, Jan. 26. m. ? Ruth Hoar ?
- John, b. 11-28-1711
- Sarah, b. 2-23-1713-14; m. Isaac Pool (Mitchell of Bridgewater says not this Sarah)
- James, b. 10-8-1716; m. Jemima Herford (Heiford); he d. 1787.
- Samuel C., b. 1717-18; (January 14)
- Silas, b. 1720-21 (Mar. 14)
- Mercy, b. 1723 (Oct. 14)
- Jonathan, b. 1726 (Apr. 10)

Was there also a child, Seth, b. in 1729, who married Ruth Hoar, as Cheseborough genealogy suggests?

Note: Taunton Rec. says Wm. son of Joseph, b. March 26, 1690. Another record calls Wm. son of Thomas2, Henry1.
Note: Wm. Learned of Woburn, 1646, spelled his name same as above. They spelled Leonard, Lennard, and Learned.
Note: The Boltons were from Stonington, Conn. (Ref. Kingston, RI Rec.; Bridgewater Vit. Rec.; Mitchell's History of Bridgewater, p. 236, Fields Genealogy, p. 235)"

North Kingston Marriages lists "Learnard, William, and Sarah Bottom; m. by Thomas Mumford, Justice, Feb. (10)1708-9." The diaries of Thomas Minor mentions marrying John bolten, Rezident in stoneington and sarah Cheesbrough of the same Town Thursday the .8. day day at the mill...'

Hypothesis: This William Leonard was neither of the James or Solomon line, but was a later immigrant of a different line.

In the Bridgewater VR's, all children except Seth are listed with full birth dates as children of William and Sarah, with Leonard spelled Lennard (for whatever significance that may be). Seth is not listed at all. Also, in Mitchell's History of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, Seth is not listed among the children of William and Sarah, although all the other children are listed. A search finds no Seth Leonard in the book. Circumstantial evidence would lead one to believe that the Seth listed here was the son of either William Leonard (Uriah2, James1) and or was the firstborn son of Seth3 (Uriah2, James1) and Deborah Hall. Joseph's son William was born on the date set by Harriott, but married Abigail Wetherell. Children overlap, so not second wife. Uriah's son William married Anna Barney, and again the children overlap.

Leonard Dictionary also has William dying in Kingston, RI.

Leonard Dictionary mentions "William, son of Joseph, b. March 26, 1690. Another Record calls William son of Thomas2, Henry1." Offers as references Kingston, RI records, Bridgewater VR; Mitchell's History of Bridgewater, p. 236, Field Genealogy, p. 235.

There is a record in the Norwich, CT, library (Otis Library) of a Thomas Minor who performed the marriage of one of the couples in the William Leonard - Sarah Bolton line, married at Minors Mill, according to Ward Leonard. "Thursday the 8th day I was at the mill and maried John bolten Rezident in stoneington and sarah Cheesbrough of the same Towne..."

The y-dna of one descendant of William and Sarah tests in haplogroup R1b, while Solomon's descendants are in haplogroup I2b and James' are in haplogroup J2. The y-dna of two descendants of Seth test in haplogroup J2. This would seem to indicate Seth was not a child of William and Sarah.

A Bridgewater land conveyance, LR 37:460, gives or leases land from William and Sarah Leonard to his son James Leonard 4th, cordwainer. William is listed as a cordwainer. Wife signed as Sarah S. Leonard. Deed was signed 3 Dec 1750, witnessed by Edward Hayward and Abiel Williams, and registered 4 Dec 1750 by James Williams, Reg.. Land was on the easterly side of the Mill River, south of Winnecunnet Pond, Norton, and apparently near where the James Leonard family had a forge.

William LEONARD and Sarah BOLTON were married on 20 February 1709 in Kingston, RI (or MA?). Sarah BOLTON, daughter of John BOLTON and Sarah CHESEBROUGH, was born on 26 December 1683 in Dorchester, MA.¹ There's a question as to whether there were two Sarahs, one born in 1683 who died before 1690 and a second one born in 1690. The first was christened in the First Church of Dorchester 23 June 1685. A Sarah Bolton d. 30 March 1694 in Newbury.

There were a John and Sarah Bolton living in Bridgewater in 1710.

Did Sarah marry (2) Samuel Perry, Bridgewater (Leonard Dictionary)? If so, when?

William LEONARD and Sarah BOLTON had the following children:

+2	i.	William LEONARD.
+3	ii.	John LEONARD.
4	iii.	Sarah LEONARD² was born on 23 February 1714 in Bridgewater, Plymouth Co., MA.³ Sarah has been mistaken for the Sarah Leonard, b. 15 Oct 1723, who m. Isaac Pool. This Sarah was the daughter of Joseph Leonard and Mary Packard of the Solomon Leonard line. See Manning Leonard's book on the Solomon Leonard genealogy, p. 82. All of the entries on ancestry.com for this Sarah Leonard are wrong. A Sarah Leonard b. 1699 in Bridgewater m. William Orcutt -- also the wrong Sarah. Also a Solomon Leonard descendant.
+5	iv.	James LEONARD.
6	v.	Samuel LEONARD was born on 14 January 1718 in Bridgewater, Plymouth Co., MA.³ No further record of this Samuel can be found in Bridgewater VR's -- no births, no marriages, no deaths. A Samuel Leonard married a Lydia Bessee of Wareham July 7, 1748, in Wareham, but there's no evidence it's this Samuel, although the marriage is listed in Bridgewater VR's. The Samuel who married Lydia Bessee is the son of Josiah Leonard (abt. 1690-abt. 1745), descendant of Solomon Leonard through his son John, according to Manning Leonard's book on the descendants of Solomon Leonard. No matches can be found on ancestry.com either.
7	vi.	Silas LEONARD was born on 4 March 1721 in Bridgewater, Plymouth Co., MA.⁴ He died on 15 May 1792 at the age of 71 in Raynham, Bristol Co., MA. There appears to be no further mention of Silas in Bridgewater VR's. A Silas Leonard did marry Nabby Smith December 15, 1785, in Bridgewater, but that seems to be unlikely to be this Silas. There's no descendancy or further info on ancestry.com. The Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts 1749-1750: "Ordered, tht there be allowed out of the publick Treasury to Samuel White, Esq., for the use of William Leonard, the full of the Wages that was due to his Son Silas Leonard, who is since deceased, as born on Capt. Cargyll's Muster-Roll in the Year 1746. Sent up for Concurrence." Was this Silas this William's son?
8	vii.	Mercy LEONARD was born on 14 October 1723 in Bridgewater, Plymouth Co., MA.⁵ No further record of Mercy in Bridgewater VR's. No further info except birth and parents on ancestry.com.
+9	viii.	Jonathan LEONARD.