Erastis William E. W. (Erastus William) Leonard was born about 1822 in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. A birth year (1819) is inscribed on his gravestone and a date of birth of 3 March 1819 is stated on his death certificate, however the 1819 birth year is not consistent with the date of his parents’ marriage nor his reported age in the 1830 and 1840 federal population schedules of Pittstown and Berlin, Rensselaer County, NY, respectively. A more likely birth year based on records created more proximal to his birth is 1822.
1,2,3,4,5 He and
Mary Ann ("May or Polly") Bentley were married MAYBE 1846 in New York. (see marriage sources)
6,7,8 He died on 14 January 1912 at age ~90 in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. He was buried in Fassett Cemetery with his wife. He's listed as E.W. on the gravestone. His birth year (1819) and death year (1912) are listed. It does not include his wife's death year. It lists 8 of his children, but no birth or death dates for five of them: Freddie, 4, Maryetta, 4, Alice A, 4, Pearl, 1, and Hattie, 8.
9 He was buried in 1912 at Fassett Cemetery in Edgerton, Rock, Wisconsin, United States. He's listed as E.W. on the family gravestone, with a birth year of 1819 and a death year of 1912. Erastus' wife's year of death is not present.. The gravestone also lists 8 of his children, but without birth or death dates for five of them: Hattie 8 yrs., Freddie 4 years,, Maryetta 4 years, Alice L. 4 years, and Pearl 1 year.
10 Erastis William E. W. (Erastus William) Leonard was also known as Erastus William ("E. W.") Leonard. His death certificate lists him as Erastis Williams Leonard, father Euphenius, mother Elsie Hill, both born in NY.
The family consisted of William, 49, Mary, 42, son James, 21 (b. 1855), Victoria, 15, Lucius, 3. They were living next door to Wesley Hakes and his wife, Caroline, And in the next dwelling, there was William Leonard, 24, his wife, Lydia, 19, and Edwin Hakes, 14, farm laborer and presumed brother of Wesley and Lydia.
This gives a more logical presentation of the family. Other censuses show a spread of 13 or 14 years between William and Mary, meaning William, Jr. would have been born when Mary was 9 or so.
The 1900 Census noted that they had had 10 children, of which 3 were still alive in 1900. This explains the missing children, as does their tombstone.
At both of Victoria's weddings, E. W. Leonard was listed as father of the bride.
He and his wife were buried in the Fassett Cemetery in Edgerton. All of his children except William and Victoria were buried in the Fassett Cemetery in Edgerton. William is not listed as a child of E.W. on the tombstone.
A. xe "LEONARD:Erastus William (b.1822) " f Axe "Rensselaer County, New York,United States " f B
ErastusWilliam "E. W." LEONARD was born about 1822 in Rensselaer County,New York.9–13A birth year (1819) is inscribed on his gravestone and a date of birth of 3 March 1819 is stated on his death certificate, however the 1819 birth year is not consistent with the date of his parents’ marriage nor his reported age in the 1830 and 1840 federal population schedules of Pittstown and Berlin,Rensselaer County, NY, respectively. A more likely birth year based on records created more proximal to his birth is1822, Wisconsin " Erastus migrated to Wisconsin from New York between 1850 and 1855.14–15 This estimate is based on the family's locations in 1850 (NY) and 1855 (WI).xe "Troy, New York, United States" f B xe "Rock County, Wisconsin,United States " f BHe died on 14 Jan 1912 at the age of 90 in Rock County, Wisconsin.20xe "Edgerton, Rock,Wisconsin, United States " f BE. W. was buried in 1912 at Fassett Cemetery in Edgerton, Rock, Wisconsin.21 He's listed as E.W. on the famil y gravestone, with a birth year of 1819 and a death year of 1912. Erastus' wife's year of death is not engravedon the stone. The gravestone also lists eight of his children, but without birth or death dates for five of them: Hattie 8 years, Freddie 4 years, Maryetta 4 years, Alice L. 4 years, andPearl 1 year. Erastus, who at times went by “William” and “E.W.,” made a living as a farmer, his stated occupation in both New York and Wisconsin. His family lived a modest life among other farmers, many of them also transplants from Rensselaer County in New York. While census schedules differ in theirassessment of the literacy of Erastus and Mary Ann, it is clear that Erastuswas able to provide a signature on documents, while Mary Ann used an “x” as hermark. It is quite possible that Erastusand his family made the trek to Wisconsin alongside the family of his youngerbrother, Henry Leonard. Both Henry andErastus disappear from New York census schedules after 1850. Erastus’s wife, Mary Ann, describes attendingto Martha Leonard, Henry’s wife, in childbirth on 14 July 1857, placing thefamilies in close contact shortly after their migration to Wisconsin.
While Erastus remained a resident of Wisconsin until his death in 1912, his brother Henry and family returned to Rensselaer County after Henry’s service inthe Union Army, as Henry suffered from “an abscess which formed in his head caused by taking cold while on Picket duty one stormy night.” Henry died in 1872. About ten years after his brother’s death,Erastus himself travelled back to Rensselaer County, New York to settle the estate of his late sister, Amanda (Leonard) Brower. Amanda died in 1880, and at the time was the owner of a land lot in Troy, NY. Dying without a will, New York State law dictated that her estate was to be divided among her siblings. as she had no children of her own and her parents weredeceased. Probate documents clearly identify her siblings as Erastus, Keziah (Leonard) Roberts, and Henry. With Henry having predeceased her, his share of Amanda’s estate was granted to his two surviving daughters, Emma (Leonard) Maxwell and Eva (Leonard) Lauflin. Erastus ultimately purchased all the other heirs’ shares of the lot at a cost of $100, selling the parcel in its entirety to Ann Greene in 1886 for$600.16–19
The family appears to have consisted of Erastus William (b. abt. 1822), MaryAnn (b. abt. 1830), son William Henry "W.H." (b. abt. 1846), son James Alvin (b. 25 April 1849), daughter Anna Caroline (b. abt. 1852), daughter Victoria A. (b. abt. 1855), and son Lewis Laveine (b. 29 August 1867). In 1870, Erastus and Mary Ann were living near their daughter Anna Caroline and her husband Wesley Hakes, and their son William Leonard and his wife, Lydia Hakes (sister to Wesley). Living with William and Lydia was EdwinHakes, age 14, a farm laborer and presumed brother of Wesley and Lydia.
The 1900 federal population census schedule describes Erastus’s wife, Mary Ann,as having born ten children, with three still living. Erastus’s obituary, published in 1912, notesthat the couple had thirteen children, with only one living at that time. The identities of all of the children haveyet to be determined with certainty.
Erastus’s death certificate, with his widow Mary Ann as informant, names Euphram [sic] Leonard and Elsie Hill, both born in New York, as his parents.
"Rensselaer County, New York, United States " f B
Erastus William "E. W." LEONARD and Mary Ann "Polly" BENTLEY were married about 1845 in Rensselaer County, New York.22–23 No record of the marriage has been located.xe"BENTLEY:Mary Ann (b. 1830) " f Axe "BENTLEY:James (b. 1803) "f Axe"
:Anna " f Axe "Rensselaer, New York, UnitedStates " f B Mary Ann"Polly" BENTLEY, daughter of James BENTLEY and Anna , was bornabout 1830 in Rensselaer, New York.24No record of the birth of Mary Ann Bentley has been found, however, she waslikely born about 1830 taking into account a plausible age for marriage and the birth of her first child. The 1850 federal census describes her as 19 years of age, with oldest child William H.being four.xe"Petersburgh, Rensselaer, New York, United States " f B Shelived in Petersburgh, Rensselaer, New York in 1850.25xe "Rock County, Wisconsin,United States "She lived in Rock County, Wisconsin in 1900.26xe "Rock Co., Wisconsin,United States " Polly died on 13 Mar 1916 at the age of 86 in Rock County, Wisconsin. This age is slightly higher than the age of83 cited in her obituary.27 Erastus WilliamLEONARD and Mary Ann BENTLEY had the following children:
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Erastus, who at times went by “William” and “E.W.,” made a living as a farmer, his stated occupation in both New York and Wisconsin. The family lived a modest life among other farmers, many of them also transplants from Rensselaer County in New York. While census schedules differ in their assessment of the literacy of Erastus and Mary Ann, it is clear that Erastus was able to provide a signature on documents, while Mary Ann used an “x” as her mark. It is quite possible that Erastus and his family made the trek to Wisconsin alongside the family of his younger brother, Henry Leonard. Both Henry and Erastus disappear from New York census schedules after 1850. Erastus’s wife, Mary Ann, describes attending to Martha Leonard, Henry’s wife, in childbirth on 14 July 1857, placing the families in close contact shortly after their migration to Wisconsin.
While Erastus remained a resident of Wisconsin until his death in 1912, his brother Henry and family returned to Rensselaer County after Henry’s service in the Union Army, as Henry suffered from “an abscess which formed in his head caused by taking cold while on Picket duty one stormy night.” Henry died in 1872. About ten years after his brother’s death, Erastus himself travelled back to Rensselaer County, New York to settle the estate of his late sister, Amanda (Leonard) Brower. Amanda died in 1880, and at the time was the owner of a land lot in Troy, NY. Dying without a will, New York State law dictated that her estate was to be divided among her siblings. as she had no children of her own and her parents were deceased. Probate documents clearly identify her siblings as Erastus, Keziah (Leonard) Roberts, and Henry. With Henry having predeceased her, his share of Amanda’s estate was granted to his two surviving daughters, Emma (Leonard) Maxwell and Eva (Leonard) Lauflin. Erastus ultimately purchased all the other heirs’ shares of the lot at a cost of $100, selling the parcel in its entirety to Ann Greene in 1886 for $600.
The family appears to have consisted of consisted of Erastus William (b. abt. 1822), Mary Ann (b. abt. 1830),, son William Henry "W.H." (b. abt. 1846), son James Alvin (b. 25 April 1849), daughter Anna Caroline (b. abt. 1852), daughter Victoria A. (b. abt. 1855), and son Lewis Laveine (b. 29 August 1867). In 1870, Erastus and Mary Ann were living near their daughter Anna Caroline and her husband Wesley Hakes, and their son William Leonard and his wife, Lydia Hakes (sister to Wesley). Living with William and Lydia was Edwin Hakes, age 14, a farm laborer and presumed brother of Wesley and Lydia.
The 1900 federal population census schedule describes Erastus’s wife, Mary Ann, as having born ten children, with three still living. Erastus’s obituary, published in 1912, notes that the couple had thirteen children, with only one living at that time. The identities of all of the children have yet to be determined with certainty, although Erastus’s gravestone and Fassett Cemetery burial records suggest children other than those named above may have included Willie, Hattie, Freddie, Marietta, Alice and Pearl Leonard, all of whom apparently died in childhood.
Erastus’s death certificate, with his widow Mary Ann as informant, names Euphram [sic] Leonard and Elsie Hill, both born in New York, as his parents. Erastus migrated to Wisconsin from New York between 1850 and 1855. This estimate is based on the family's locations in 1850 (NY) and 1855 (WI).7,11 He owned a parcel of land that he inherited with his siblings after the death of his sister Amanda in 1883 in Troy, New York, United States. Erastus sold the land in 1886.12,13,14,15