Fourth Generation

124. Lieutenant Joseph LEONARD²¹⁴ was born on 9 Apr 1705 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co., MA.²¹⁵ He died in 1775 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co., MA. The 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th generations from Elkanah Leonard are directlyfrom the ECL-GML manuscript. Checked and rechecked several times.

ECL notes about Fear, Simeon, and Nathaniel: "Last 3 names given me byMrs. Haskins but she could tell me little about them." They are notlisted in Middleborough VR's.

Was there another child, Rebecca, who married ? Ellis? Per MayflowerVR, CD #167.

Benjamin Hodges was appointed guardian of Joseph, Simeon, and Abiah whenElkanah died. 5:63 dtd. April 20, 1724/5.

Family History of Central NY, tracing the descent from James, Thomas,Elkanah, and Joseph, says he died in 1775. (CD157, p. 1075). Analternative internet source gave the date as 1 November 1783.

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). On 15 April 1777, the inventory of the estate ofJoseph Leonard, late of Middleborough, Gentleman, was taken. (Note: Thenhe couldn't have died in 1783. Doublecheck.) In an account of 12 August1785 Rufus Richmond was paid for two coffins, probably for Joseph and hiswife.

Per John Howland of the Mayflower, Fourth Generation, p. 221. Childrenlisted are Joseph, Timothy, Hannah, Abiah, Gideon, Fear, Simeon, andNathaniel. Last three have no birthdates and are not listed inMiddleborough VR's. Book has Joseph marrying possibly Ruth White. (Notthis Joseph. Also, Joseph sold to his son Joseph 16 acres on 18 May 1781.

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

The 1790 Census shows 4 Joseph Leonards in Middleborough (by then Joseph1705-83 and his son Joseph 1732-88 had died. Abigail, Joseph 1732-88'swife, is shown in a household of 5 women; in the 1800 Census, she isliving alone. Joseph and Abigail had five daughters, 3 of whom weren'tmarried in 1790 and 1 of whom had died. The son of Joseph 1732-88,Joseph who married Elizabeth Richmond, is listed near Abigail in the 1790Census in a household with 2 males 16+ and 3 females. Joseph who marriedRuth White is listed with 1 male 16+, 2 males >16, and 6 females next tohis brother Philip. Joseph Leonard who married Rebecca Lyon had ahousehold of 2 males 16+, 1 male >16, and 4 females. He is listed nextto Jonathan Leonard. The fourth Joseph Leonard is shown in a householdof 2 males 16+ and 1 female. This Joseph is from the Solomon Leonardline.

By the 1800 Census, there were only two Josephs left in Middleboro. Ihave charted all the Leonards in Middleborough in the 1790 and 1800Censuses and correlated most of them to this Leonard data base. See thenotes for Joseph Leonard, Jr., b. 29 July 1732, who married AbigailRaymond for a description of the "multiple Joseph" problem inMiddleborough in the 1700's.

Lieutenant Joseph LEONARD and Hannah PRATT were married on 9 Apr 1729 in Middleborough, Plymouth Co., MA.⁶⁶ Hannah PRATT was born on 17 May 1708 in Middleboro, Plymouth, MA.²¹⁶ She died before Nov 1731 in Middleboro, Plymouth, MA. No death date in Middleborough VR's.

Lieutenant Joseph LEONARD and Fear SOUTHWORTH were married on 18 Nov 1731 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co., MA.² Fear SOUTHWORTH²¹⁷ (daughter of Capt. Nathaniel SOUTHWORTH and Jael BENNET) was born on 3 Feb 1709/10 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co., MA.²¹⁸ She died on 23 Apr 1784 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co., MA. In case the issue ever comes up, descendancy from the Mayflower familiesfor this line of Leonards can be documented through Fear. See MayflowerVital Records, Deeds, and Wills, CD #167. Mayflower Families, Vol. II,goes only as far as Fear Southworth Leonard (p.87). NathanielSouthworth's will, quoted in Mayflower Families through Five Generations,Vol. 15, James Chilton, p. 108, mentions Fear Leonard. Fear would be aMayflower descendant through both her father and her mother (Chilton andHowland).

Paul Bumpus at the Mayflower Society rejected Fear Southworth as adaughter of Jael Howland and Joseph Leonard. Jael Howland was apparentlyborn Jael Bennett, so is not a Howland and her ancestry can't be tracedback through the Howlands.

ECL gives Fear as daughter of Nathaniel and Gail (Howland) Southworth.

One source of OneWorldTree gives the date of her death as December 25,1755, vice 23 April 1784. ECL gives date as 23 June 1784. Check. Deathnot recorded in Middleboro VR's. Lieutenant Joseph LEONARD and Fear SOUTHWORTH had the following children:

+442	i.	Lt. Joseph LEONARD.
+443	ii.	Timothy LEONARD.
+444	iii.	Hannah LEONARD , 3rd.
+445	iv.	Abiah LEONARD.
+446	v.	Gideon LEONARD.
447	vi.	Fear LEONARD219 was born about 1741 in Middleborough, Plymouth, MA. No further information about a Fear Leonard. No marriage record inMiddleboro VR's. Did she die young?
448	vii.	Simeon LEONARD220 was born about 1743 in Middleborough, Plymouth, MA. ECL-GML Genealogy says he never married, according to a Mrs. Haskins whogave ECL the name. But there was a Simeon Leonard who married PhebeKing, b. 1738, daughter of Jonathan King, a furnaceman in Taunton, andshe apparently lived to a ripe old age. There is no mention of anychildren of the marriage. Sanborn, "Genealogy of the Families of Kings,"p. 17.
449	viii.	Nathaniel LEONARD221 was born about 1745 in Middleborough, Plymouth, MA.222 E.C.L. notes this is one of three names of children of Joseph given himby Mrs. Haskins, but she could tell little about them. I can't find anyother record of this Nathaniel. There was another Nathaniel born in Middleborough, son of Joseph'sbrother Elkanah, who married Hope Bennett, raised a large family, andmoved to Buckfield, ME, between 1810 and 1820. There was another Nathaniel Leonard, son of Samuel Leonard, born aboutthis time in Raynham, who married Katherine Dean.