Third Generation

80. Seth LEONARD¹³⁰ was born about 1694 in Taunton, Bristol Co., MA. He died before 5 Feb 1750/51 in Lyme, CT.¹³¹ Seth was a large land owner in Easton, but sold out in 1741 and moved toLyme, CT. In Taunton VR's, he is listed as "of Taunton" while Deborah islisted "of Easton" in marriage record.

Quote from ECL's manuscript, p. 89:

"53, Seth (Uriah 2, James 1)

born ---------, He died July 5, 1759 at Halifax, Nova Scotia, where hehad been in the War. (Note: this is in error. He apparently died earlyin 1750 in Lyme, CT, according to records there administering hisestate.) He married April 18, 1728, at Easton, MA Deborah Hall,daughter of George and Lydia (Dean) Hall. She was born February 15,1708. He was a large land owner in Easton but sold out in 1741 and movedto Lyme, Conn. His brothers-in-law George and Thomas Hall went with him(also Isaac Hall. The Halls went there to establish an ironworks. It isunknown whether Seth was part of this undertaking). The following listof children are not all verified (by ECL).

144 Jedidiah born---- 1730. He died ? He married Sarah Baldwin ofHanover, NJ. (Note: Haven't checked NJ records. But he and Sarahappear to have settled in CT.))

145. William born------? Died ----? (Note: no further record ofbirth, marriage, or death.)

146. Deborah born ----? died ----? (Note: no further record ofbirth, marriage, or death.)

147 Jonathan born 1735. He married November 1, 1764 Sarah MariaDodge. He died at Wilmot, Nova Scotia May 4, 1812. (Note: more info onJonathan is listed under his place in the genealogy. He went on theexpedition to Nova Scotia in 1759 and emigrated there in 1760.)

148. Samuel born ----? died ----? (Note: no further record ofbirth, marriage, death.)

149. Ruth born ----? died ----? (Note: born 1740? no furtherrecord of birth, marriage, death.)

150. Asa born or baptized March 24, 1742? Deerfield, MA. VR says "sonof Seth and Deborah." (Note: Asa settled in Vernon, CT.) (Why didDeborah go up to Deerfield, MA?)

151. Daniel born ---? died ----? (Note: no further info, exceptpossible birth in 1744.)

152, Sarah born ----? died ----? (Note: may have married RufusBarney and possible confusion as to who moved to Bennington, VT.)

153. Silas born 1747 "near Lyme, Conn." He died ---- 1798 at Parma,NY. He married September 1, 1744 Persis Henshaw (Hincher). (Note: He'sdocumented in another Leonard genealogy.)

154. Seth born ----- ? (Note: This Seth could have been born about1729 in Taunton or Easton, first-born son named after his father, and bethe Seth who is attributed to the last-born son of William Leonard andSarah Bolton of Bridgewater, for whom there is no documentation inBridgewater records. He also could be the Seth who lived in Granville,MA, for whom there is no obvious parentage.)

155. Rufus Barney born March 2, 1754. He married September 18, 1774Sarah Holmes. "Went with Taunton people to Bennington, VT." (Note:Probably confused with Rufus Barney, who married Sarah Holmes and didmove to Pownal, VT. I think this Rufus Barney Leonard does not exist andhave eliminated him from my data base. He would have been born 4 yearsafter Seth died.)

156. Charity born -----? Married at Lyme VR January 30, 1755 EbenezerStaples of Lyme, Conn."

Harriet Leonard Standish in "A Leonard Dictionary" quotes Mr. Thatcher,"known to be a careful and accurate genealogist," as giving Seth andDeborah's children as "1. Jedidiah, b. abt. 1730, 2. Seth bpt in OldLyme, CT, 1745-6, Silas, b. 1746, and 4. Asa." Thatcher's papers wereowned by Wm. Boynton of Middleboro, MA (where are they now?)."Americana" gives children as follows: Wm, Deborah, Samuel, Ruth,Barney, Daniel, Sarah, Seth, Silas, Jonathan. Miss Eva Moffett ofAulston, MA, professional genealogist, sent to Mrs. McKee of Michigan thefollowing list of children: Wm, Samuel, Seth, Barney, Sarah, Silas,Ruth, Daniel. Miss Moffett sent the same list Minus Silas and Seth toMrs. Standish.

Seth Leonard and Deborah Hall sold land in Easton (Taunton NorthPurchase) to John Wetherell of Norton in 1735 (26:396) and 1739. In 1741Seth and Deborah sold land to Seth Basset of Bridgewater that had come tothem through their late mother, Lydia Dean Hall and grandmother,Katherine Dean (?) (30:249). Deborah and Seth sold their interest for400 pounds, "reserving the right only of our honored father, George Hall,the improvement during his life. (George Hall resided in that section ofTaunton, North Purchase, which became Norton in 1711 and Easton in 1725,which may explain why it's difficult to track some of the records duringthis period.) There's another land grant signed by George Hall, ThomasHall, Lydia Hall White, Seth Leonard, and Deborah Hall Leonard dtd. 31July 1734 that apparently wasn't entered into Taunton records until 30October 1765 (50:298). Another land grant for some acreage in CedarSwamp that Seth bought from Nicholas White, entered in Taunton's books in1785 (64:150), was originally signed by Seth and Deborah 2 September 1738.

David Brainerd Hall, "The Halls of New England, Historical andGenealogical," 1883, is quoted as follows: "The children of George andLydia Hall were: ...2. Deborah, b. Feb. 15, 1708; m. Seth Leonard, sonof James*, the iron worker, and brother of Elizabeth, wife of Capt.Joseph Hall; he was a large landholder; they sold their estate in Eastonin 1741, and removed to Lyme, Conn., where Seth lived but a few years."This supports the notion that Seth did not die in Nova Scotia. On p.571, Hall is explicit that the Elizabeth Leonard who married Capt. JosephHall was the daughter of James Leonard 2nd, the iron manufacturer. Butthen there is a conflict between which Seth married Deborah Hall: Seth3,James2, James1 married Dorcas White, which seems to be supported byJames2's will, and he explicitly mentions there daughter Elizabeth Hall.The Seth that married Deborah Hall is the son of Uriah2, James1, so thestatement that he was son of James2 is wrong.

There is evidence that ECL's note about Seth dying in Nova Scotia iswrong. Muster Roll #87371, Mass. Archives, vol. 97, p. 287, datedHalifax, Nova Scotia, notes concerning Seth Leonard: "Of a company inHis Majesty's service under the command of Capt. Josiah Thacher," Seth islisted as a private, residence Bridgewater, entered service April 6,served until July 5, 1759, when he was "reported dead." This Sethappears to be some other Seth, not the brother of Jonathan, who servedwith a CT, not MA company. It would be unlikely that a man of 65 wouldenlist as a private to go to fight in a foreign war. Also, the HallGenealogy referenced above notes on p. 573: "(Seth and Deborah) removedto Lyme, Conn., with their brothers, where Seth died, as Deborah was awidow in 1751." Manning Leonard in The Leonard Memorial traces thedescendants of Solomon Lennard of Bridgewater. On page 82, he lists"229. Seth5, b. March 1, 1727, d. in Nova Scotia, a soldier, 1755."This Seth was a son of Joseph4 Leonard and Mary Packard. Joseph, adescendant of Solomon Lennard, was a prosperous farmer in the southprecinct of Bridgewater. This Seth may be the one who died in NovaScotia on July 5, 1759.

The Haskin-Leonard Genealogy lists a Seth (not this Seth) as a son ofJoseph Leonard, Jr. 1696-1786 of the Solomon Leonard line and his wifeMary Packard. They had ten children. "Four of Joseph Leonard, Jr.'ssons were soldiers: Dan, Simeon, David, and Seth were all in theexpedition to Nova Scotia under General Winslow against the French, andSeth died there." p. 9. This Seth Leonard (Seth 5, Joseph 4, Joseph 3,Jacob 2, Solomon 1) is listed in Manning Leonard's genealogy of theSolomon Leonard family and was born in 1727. He may be the Seth who diedin Nova Scotia, a soldier, 1755. Joseph and Mary were members of thechurch, South Precinct, Bridgewater, and had their children baptizedthere in infancy.

Communication with descendants of brothers Jonathan and Silas indicatethat these two children were the youngest of Seth's brood. After Seth'sdeath apparently before 1750, the two youngest sons, Jonathan and Silas,were placed under the guardianship of Deborah's brother, Isaac Hall.There is a record in the New London Probate court index: Silas Leonard,guardianship, J6, 140 "of late ? ///// (where ? is a short illegible wordand //// + crossed out, but had been Silas. J5 spans September 2, 1742 -April 9, 1754. There is no guardianship for a Seth, and that would havebeen required if Seth were 14 or under.

The New London Probate Court card index also includes: Seth Leonard,insolvent. Deborah Leonard, Admx: Mar. 12, 1750/51, Decrees: J5, 103,Apt. Comrs: J5, 103, Inventory 7, 207, Additional inventory: 7, 245,Order ? Adm. Acct: J5, 109. Deborah signed March 12, 1750/51. WardLeonard did not find a death record for Seth to go with this subsequentadministration of his estate.

There is a suspicion that the first son of Seth, b. in 1729, was namedSeth and was the Seth who married Ruth Hoar.

ECL lists a Rufus Barney Leonard, #155, but he's not included here. TheRufus Barney who moved to VT was not a Leonard.

Seth LEONARD and Deborah HALL were married on 18 Apr 1728 in Easton, Bristol Co, MA.¹³² Deborah HALL¹³³ (daughter of George HALL and Lydia DEAN) was born on 15 Feb 1707/8 in Easton, Bristol Co., MA. She died after 1750 in Lyme, CT. She's mentioned in the will of Hannah Dean of Taunton, dau. of ThomasDean of Taunton dtd. June 1, 1726, prob. February 6, 1749. "To KeziahHall, Isaac Hall, Lydia Hall, Deborah Hall, George Hall, Thomas Hall,Abiel Hall, Nathan Hall, and Abijah Hall, children of George Hall..."

Ward Leonard found that Seth's probate record is in a New London Countycourt file and that Deborah was executor.

"George Hall and His Descendants, 1603-1669" by R. L. Hall lists "Deborah(Lathrop), b.15 Feb 1707/8 in Taunton, housewife; married Seth Leonard(Allred) 18 April 1728 in Easton." Are names in parentheses sources? Orwhat?

Deborah Hall sold her Bristol Co. property, recorded 1735, 1741, 1753,1765, and 1785, according to Ward Leonard. Seth LEONARD and Deborah HALL had the following children:

+307	i.	Jedidiah LEONARD.
308	ii.	William LEONARD134 was born in 1732 in Massachusetts. No record of birth, marriage, death. ECL had no information about him. Was he the William Leonard who married at Saybrook, CT, 26 August 1759,Mary Earle?
309	iii.	Deborah LEONARD135 was born in 1734.
+310	iv.	Charity LEONARD.
+311	v.	Jonathan Stewart LEONARD.
312	vi.	Samuel LEONARD136 was born in 1738. No record of birth, marriage, children, death in ECL's notes. Could this be the Samuel Leonard, grandfather of Job Mason Leonard, whomarried Wetherell?
313	vii.	Ruth LEONARD was born in 1740.
314	viii.	Asa LEONARD137 was born on 24 Mar 1741/42 in Deerfield, MA.20 Did he reside in Providence, RI? Did he marry Rosabella, b. abt. 1769,d. bef. May 10, 1814, Providence, RI? Daughter Atharesta, F, b. 1784 inProvidence? An Asa Leonard of Bolton, CT, served 3 years in Revolutionary War,according to Vol. XII, CT Historical Series Collections. Elsewhere notedprivate in American Revolution.
315	ix.	Daniel LEONARD was born in 1744. No information about him, other than his name, in ECL's notes.
316	x.	Sarah LEONARD was born in 1746. Sarah may have married Rufus Barney. On May 21, 1786, Samuel Leonard'swife Mary and Sarah, wife of Rufus Barney, forego a right of dower inestate of Jonathan Barney, deceased, of Taunton.
+317	xi.	Silas LEONARD.
+318	xii.	Seth Leonard ?.