Sources: Middleborough Vital Records, Vol. 1, p. 263. Also Elisha Clark Leonard's typewritten manuscript of the James Leonard descendants, #1130 (7th Generation), the Bristol Phoenix newspaper of 10 Dec 1853 ("last Sunday, after a short but distressing illness") and Census records, RIVR's, tombstone.
1850 Census: Abraham Leonard, laborer, 53, born in RI (!), listed as living in Portsmouth, RI (across the bay from Bristol, where his wife, Abby, is listed as living with her daughter's family). 1800 Census -- MA; 1820, 1830, 1840, and 1850 Censuses -- RI
He may have derived his name from his second cousin, Abraham Bryant, who died a few months before he was born. This Abraham Bryant was the son of Jesse Bryant, was born July 22, 1783 in Middleborough, and died September 30, 1796, aged 13 years, 2 months, 7 days (p. 213, Middleborough VR's, on CD203). Another uncle named one of his children Abraham a few years later: Jesse Bryant, Jr., and Jane, his wife, had an Abraham Bryant born May 31, 1801, in Middleborough (p. 316). There was an Abraham Bryant, 49, living in Middleborough in the 1850 Census. He was a forge man. There were also Abrahams in the Micah Bryant family.
He may have come to Bristol from Middleborough with his older brother, Nathaniel, after 1810. His father had skipped off to Canada. A Nathaniel Leonard married Sarah Seamans of Rehoboth at Bristol February 21, 1815.
Abraham Leonard is mentioned as a "teamer" (teamster?) in Bristol in 1820 (Charles O. F. Thompson, Sketches of Old Bristol, 1942, p. 5).
Abraham Leonard of Bristol placed an ad in the Providence Gazette, April 12, 1822: "Notice: Ran away from the subscriber on Tuesday the 9th inst. an indented boy, named William Brown, a mulatto, aged about 18 years; had on when he went away, gray Sailnott jacket and trousers, oldish hat, stockings and shoes--all persons are hereby forbid harbouring or trusting him on my account. Any person who will return said runaway to the subscriber, shall be entitled to a reward of One Cent, and no charges paid."
Abraham evidently enjoyed some travel and adventures. From the Providence Gazette, 4 Dec 1822, page 3, Shipping News: "The schooner Enterprise, Eldridge, from Bristol, RI with a cargo of lime, bound to Charleston, SC, was wrecked on the 27th of Oct. near Cape Hatteras. When she struck it was night, and amid the darkness, all was confusion and dismay. The pumps were found to be chocked; several of the passengers and crew clung to the shrouds and whatever else came in their way--but they were soon obliged to abandon their hold, the breakers constantly dashing over the vessel almost mast high. In this situation all hands went to work, in order, if possible, to save the vessel, but the perils of the scene increased every moment, for in the course of 30 minutes there were five or six feet of water in the hold, and the fearful cry--"the lime is on fire--the lime is on fire"--spread consternation. In this extremity, the interposition of Heaven was fervently supplicated by a number of pious people on board. After beating some time on the beach, land, it was thought, could be discerned, and in order to establish the fact, a horse was set into the sea. Two persons then pushed off in this jolly boat, which, however, soon sank, but the persons succeeded in reaching the shore, and gave the animating cry, "there is land, there is land." By means of a line fastened on shore, all on board the Enterprise reach the land in safety. By this time it was daylight, a few articles of clothing, etc., were then saved from the wreck, after which the crew went in search of a house. They soon ascertained that there were about 24 families on the island and that every kind assistance would be rendered them. Having chartered a schooner at Chickimicomico, the saved on the 10th ultimo, for Ocracoke. After being under way a short time, the Captain of the vessel (Edward Scarborough) was lost overboard, and every effort to rescue him was unavailing. Having no person on board capable of managing the vessel, they were compelled to put back. They subsequently took passage on a vessel for New Bern, where they arrived on the 12th ultimo. The following is a list of the passengers of the Enterprise who came to Newbern, viz. Jonathan West of Bristol, William Gardner of Philadelphia, James Ellis and William Ellis of Seekonk, David Fish, Abraham Leonard, Lemuel Bunn, William Walden, Hersey Mason, and Abraham Pearse of Bristol, and Edward P. Dener of Charleston. Charles Shaw and 3 apprentices remained on board the chartered vessel."
He was appointed guardian of Thomas Gladding, who was non compos, May 2, 1831. He was appointed by the Bristol Town Council 1 of 3 commissioners to receive claims against the estate of Samuel C. Richmond.
The Bristol Phoenix carried an article on December 7, 1833, about his dissolving a partnership (newspaper not available to check); May 17, 1834, placed on Bristol Committee to Remove Nuisances; August 16, 1834, listed as proprietor of a boarding house, advertising a livery stable, advertising his hotel (Bristol Phenix of 2 Dec 1848) November 25, 1848, new ownership of hotel ("Mechanics Hotel, Hope Street, Bristol, R.I., recently occupied by Mr. Abraham Leonard").
Buried in plots #652 and #653 in the Old North Burial Ground in Bristol are Abraham and Abby, sons Abraham and Henry, and Fitz Peabody and Phebe Leonard. The major stones are for Fitz and Ellen Henrietta Peabody and a Gifford family (later info: His first daughter married a Gifford, which may explain why Gifford stones are intermixed there). Abraham's stone is broken; the cemetery foreman said it was probably moved from the town green of Bristol when the North Burial Ground was opened, but Abraham remains buried under the town green. Research indicates the North Burial Ground was opened in 1818, early enough for Abraham to have been buried there. Walter B., John H., Maria A., Alfred Francis, Ann, and John H. are also buried in the North Burial Ground. Nearby are Albert C. Bennett in #692 and Walter Bradford in #786. Abraham is listed as a teamer by occupation at the time of his death.
Nathaniel Leonard of Bristol married Sarah Seamans of Rehoboth at Bristol February 21, 1815. Abraham's brother Nathaniel? This Nathaniel Leonard moved to Attleboro. One of Abraham's children was born in Attleboro. Abraham Bryant Leonard had person sources.
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