Seth was a large land owner in Easton, but sold out by 1741 and moved to Lyme, CT. In Taunton VR's, he is listed as "of Taunton" while Deborah is listed "of Easton" in marriage record. Was he a carpenter?
A Seth Leonard was baptized in Old Lyme 13 Jan 1744. Was it this Seth?
Seth Leonard and Deborah Hall sold land in Easton (Taunton North Purchase) to John Wetherell of Norton in 1735 (26:396) and 1739. In 1741 Seth and Deborah sold land to Seth Basset of Bridgewater that had come to them through their late mother, Lydia Dean Hall and grandmother, Katherine Dean (LR 30:249). Deborah and Seth sold their interest for 400 pounds, "reserving the right only of our honored father, George Hall, the improvement during his life. (George Hall resided in that section of Taunton, North Purchase, which became Norton in 1711 and Easton in 1725, which may explain why it's difficult to track some of the records during this period.) There's another land grant signed by George Hall, Thomas Hall, Lydia Hall White, Seth Leonard, and Deborah Hall Leonard dtd. 31 July 1734 that apparently wasn't entered into Taunton records until 30 October 1765 (LR 50:298). Another land grant for some acreage in Cedar Swamp that Seth bought from Nicholas White, entered in Taunton's books in 1785 (LR 64:150), was originally signed by Seth and Deborah 2 September 1738.
David Brainerd Hall, "The Halls of New England, Historical and Genealogical," 1883, is quoted as follows: "The children of George and Lydia Hall were: ...2. Deborah, b. Feb. 15, 1708;
m. Seth Leonard, son of James*, the iron worker, and
brother of Elizabeth, wife of Capt. Joseph Hall; he was a large landholder; they sold their estate in Easton in 1741, and removed to Lyme, Conn., where Seth lived but a few years." This supports the notion that this Seth did not die in Nova Scotia, as some allege. On p. 571, Hall is explicit that the Elizabeth Leonard who married Capt. Joseph Hall was the daughter of James Leonard 2nd, the iron manufacturer. But then there is a conflict between which Seth married Deborah Hall: Seth3, James2, James1 married Dorcas White, which seems to be supported by James2's will, and he explicitly mentions their daughter Elizabeth Hall. The Seth that married Deborah Hall is the son of Uriah2, James1, so the statement that he was son of James2 is wrong.
There is also much confusion about the couple's children. Here's how they appear in ECL's manuscript, p. 89, with my corrections in parentheses:
"53, Seth (Uriah 2, James 1) born ---------, He died July 5, 1759 at Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he had been in the War. (Note: this is in error. He apparently died early in 1750 in Lyme, CT, according to records there administering his estate.) 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 moved to Lyme, Conn. His brothers-in-law George and Thomas Hall went with him. (Isaac Hall also went. The Halls went there to establish an ironworks. It is unknown whether Seth was part of this undertaking, either as a carpenter or an ironworker). The following list of children are not all verified (by ECL).
144 Jedidiah born---- 1730. He died ? He married Sarah Baldwin of Hanover, NJ. (Note: I haven't checked NJ records. But he and Sarah appear to have settled in CT.)
145. William born------? Died ----? (Note: no further record of birth, marriage, or death.)
146. Deborah born ----? died ----? (Note: no further record of birth, marriage, or death.)
147 Jonathan born 1735. He married November 1, 1764 Sarah Maria Dodge. He died at Wilmot, Nova Scotia May 4, 1812. (Note: more info on Jonathan is listed under his place in the genealogy. He went on the expedition to Nova Scotia in 1759 and emigrated there in 1760. This has his date of death wrong by 10 years. He was 61 when he died in 1802.)
148. Samuel born ----? died ----? (Note: no further record of birth, marriage, death.)
149. Ruth born ----? died ----? (Note: born 1740? no further record of birth, marriage, death.)
150. Asa born or baptized March 24, 1742? Deerfield, MA. VR says "son of Seth and Deborah." (Note: Asa apparently settled in Vernon, CT. Seth's son Jedidiah had a son named Asa.)
151. Daniel born ---? died ----? (Note: no further info, except possible birth in 1744.)
152, Sarah born ----? died ----? (Note: may have married Rufus Barney 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's documented in another Leonard genealogy.)
154. Seth born ----- ? (Note: This Seth could have been born about 1729 in Taunton or Easton, first-born son named after his father, and be the Seth who is attributed to the last-born son of William Leonard and Sarah Bolton of Bridgewater, for whom there is no documentation in Bridgewater 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, 1774 Sarah Holmes. "Went with Taunton people to Bennington, VT." (Note: He is probably confused with Rufus Barney, who married Sarah Holmes and did move to Pownal, VT. Rufus Barney Leonard was not a Leonard and has been eliminated from the data base. He would have been born 4 years after Seth died.)
156. Charity born -----? Married at Lyme VR January 30, 1755 Ebenezer Staples of Lyme, Conn." (Marriage verified but was born in 1735.)"
Harriet Leonard Standish in "A Leonard Dictionary" quotes Mr. Thatcher, "known to be a careful and accurate genealogist," as giving Seth and Deborah's children as "1. Jedidiah, b. abt. 1730, 2. Seth bpt in Old Lyme, CT, 1745-6, Silas, b. 1746, and 4. Asa." Thatcher's papers were owned 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 of Aulston, MA, professional genealogist, sent to Mrs. McKee of Michigan the following list of children: Wm, Samuel, Seth, Barney, Sarah, Silas, Ruth, Daniel. Miss Moffett sent the same list, minus Silas and Seth to Mrs. Standish.
The court papers identify wife Deborah as executor of his estate, which was probated in early March 1750/51. He must have died shortly before this date. At the time, the only children still in the household were Jonathan and Silas, who was 4 and ordered by the court to choose a guardian, Isaac Hall.
Seth and Deborah apparently spent some time in the Deerfield and Northfield, MA, areas in the 1730's, given that at least two children, Penelope and Asa, were either born or baptized there.
There is evidence that ECL's note about Seth dying in Nova Scotia is wrong. Muster Roll #87371, Mass. Archives, vol. 97, p. 287, dated Halifax, Nova Scotia, notes concerning Seth Leonard: "Of a company in His Majesty's service under the command of Capt. Josiah Thacher," Seth is listed as a private, residence Bridgewater, entered service April 6, served until July 5, 1759, when he was "reported dead." This Seth appears to be some other Seth, not the brother of Jonathan, who served with a CT, not MA company. It would be unlikely that a man of 65 would enlist as a private to go to fight in a foreign war. Also, the Hall Genealogy referenced above notes on p. 573: "(Seth and Deborah) removed to Lyme, Conn., with their brothers, where Seth died, as Deborah was a widow in 1751." By 1759 Seth had been dead for 9 years.
Manning Leonard in The Leonard Memorial traces the descendants 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, a descendant of Solomon Lennard, was a prosperous farmer in the south precinct of Bridgewater. This Seth is the one who died in Nova Scotia on 5 July 1759.
The Haskins-Leonard Genealogy lists a Seth (not this Seth) as a son of Joseph Leonard, Jr. 1696-1786 of the Solomon Leonard line and his wife Mary Packard. They had ten children. "Four of Joseph Leonard, Jr.'s sons were soldiers: Dan, Simeon, David, and Seth were all in the expedition to Nova Scotia under General Winslow against the French, and Seth 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 the Solomon Leonard family and was born in 1727.
Communication with descendants of brothers Jonathan and Silas indicate that these two children were the youngest of Seth's brood. After Seth's death apparently before 1750, the two youngest living 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 word and //// + crossed out, but had been Silas. Index J5 spans September 2, 1742 - April 9, 1754. There is no guardianship for a Seth or for other children, and that would have been required if Seth were 14 or under, which he would have been if he was born in 1749.
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. Ward Leonard did not find a death record for Seth to go with this subsequent administration of his estate. Seth Leonard had person sources.
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