General Notes

Notes from Brad Leonard, a descendant:

Nathaniel Leonard6, born Aft. 1760 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co., MA6; died Abt. 1828 in Edwardsburgh, Ontario, Canada6; married (1) Betsy Bryant March 20, 1788 in Middleboro, Plymouth Co., MA7,8; born March 24, 1770 in Middleborough, MA9; died August 23, 1807 in Middleborough, MA; married (2) Mary Jane McDonald Abt. 1807 in Edwardsburgh, Ontario, Canada; born 1787 in Edwardsburgh, Ontario Canada; died January 06, 1858.

Notes for Nathaniel Leonard:
Referred to as Nathaniel Leonard 2nd and Nathaniel Leonard, Jr.,  in Middleborough VR's.  (e.g. at birth of son Nathaniel)

He was an Ensign in the Mass. Militia by the time of the birth of son Simeon in 1803.

Nathaniel Leonard "He got into trouble over a horse and skipped off to Canada," according to genealogist Elisha Clark Leonard in his manuscript tracking 7 generations of Leonards.  ECL has sparse information on Nathaniel, including birth date.  Same is true for some other children of Joseph.

There is in the Court of Common Pleas 1796 to 1807 the following case:  "25. Nathaniel Leonard, II, Gentleman (Middleborough) v. Josiah Leonard (Westport Forgeman).  Case, that on 13 September pltf. casually lost 'a brown stallion horse to the value of forty dollars,' which the deft. found and 'converted to his own use,' to pltf's damage of $50.  Default by deft.  Judgment for $40 and $6.99 costs.  Fully satisfied."  Another case:  "12.  Isaac Leonard (Middleborough housewright) v. Nathaniel Leonard II, Gent. (Middleborough) and Timothy Wood (Middleborough, yeoman).  Case, on five notes dated 13 April 1801 each payable with interest, 4 notes for $20; and 1 note for $3.66.  Defautl by defts.  Judment for $88.74 and $10.59 costs."  "Court allowed $2.25 to Wilkes Wood Esq. on a complaint of Joseph Bump v. Nathaniel Leonard II and Leonard Sears."  Leonard Sears was Nathaniel's brother-in-law, married to Abiah Leonard.

In Canada he married Jennet (Jennette) McDonell (McDonald).  Her father was a Loyalist of Edwardsburg Township, Grenville Co.  Earliest record in Canada is an application for land from Jennet Leonard, his wife, dated February 23, 1807, requesting 200 acres of land.  Nathaniel and Jennette had 8 children, of which Joseph was the oldest.  Apparently, Nathaniel died at a fairly early age (winter of 1828-29), and Joseph at age 18 took over providing for the family.  A deposition from a neighbor in 1850 says that he died intestate and that Joseph Helmer Leonard was his eldest son and heir at law.

An obituary appearing in the Canadian Christian Advocate, Hamilton, Ontario, dated July 4, 1844, about Nathaniel's son, Rev. Joseph Helmer Leonard, says: "His father was a citizen of Massachusetts and went to Canada to erect large mills, being a very skillful builder of such machinery.  Joseph pursued this occupation up to the age of 18, when his father died and left him and his widowed mother in charge of seven younger children."  It is possible Nathaniel Leonard visited Canada in the years before he "skipped off."

During the War of 1812, Nathaniel served as a private in a troop of provincial light dragoons.  He died before claiming his entitlement of land for military service; and his son Joseph, as his heir, made that claim in 1850 (Ont. Archives RG 1, C13, vol. 133, p. 88).  The War of 1812 must have cut into Nathaniel's mill business, as in 1812, 1816, and 1817 he applied for and was granted a license to keep an inn at his home in Edwardsburgh, the 10 pounds for his license being his tax for the year.

Nathaniel was a Presbyterian, his wife Jennet was raised a Roman Catholic, and their children were left free to pick their own religious affiliation.

Information on this branch of the family courtesy of Lisa Leonard and Eric Bowler via the Internet April 4 to 8, 2002.  Eric says the information about the Leonards came to him from Molly Leonard, who was living on Taiwan in 1999.  Eric also supplied documentation concerning Nathaniel.

OneWorldTree does not list Nathaniel among children of Joseph Leonard and Abigail Raymond, but research there seems incomplete on this branch of Leonards.

The marriage is also recorded as occurring in Medford, Middlesex Co., MA.

Notes for Betsy Bryant:
There were four Elisabeth or Betsy Bryants born in Middleborough about the right time to have been Nathaniel's wife:

  -   Betsy Bryant, daughter of Jesse Bryant and Mercy Shaw, born March 24, 1770 (Middleborough VR, CD# 203, p. 297)

  -   Elisabeth Bryant, daughter of Amos and Margaret Bryant, born October 31, 1770.  Elizabeth Bryant, "pauper 8 yrs," died October 15, 1843, in Middleborough, age 73 (born 1770), daughter of Amos.

  -   Elisabeth Bryant, daughter of Seth and Sarah Bryant, born July 13, 1772

  -   Betsy Bryant, daughter of Micah Bryant and Margaret Paddock, born January 26, 1773 (Middleborough VR, CD #203, p. 271)

Various genealogists have various Betsy Bryants marrying Nathaniel Leonard.  A Bryant genealogy by Albert Scott Bryant lists Betsy, daughter of Micah and Margaret, as marrying Nathaniel.  A. S. Foley has Elizabeth, daughter of Amos and Margaret, as marrying Nathaniel. Hadaway on his web site has either Betsy by Jesse and Mercy or by Micah and Margaret as marrying Nathaniel.  Two Betsy Bryants are in Middleboro VR's, Jesse and Mercy's, born 3-24-1770, and Micah and Margaret's, b. 1-26-1773.  Elizabeth Bryant, dau. of Amos and Margaret, b. 10-31-1770, is also there.  In none of the cases is the husband shown, although it is for some women in the records.

A Betsy Bryant of Freetown and William Howland of Middleborough married December 9, 1790 (bans published November 14).  Elisabeth Bryant married Nathaniel Leonard, Jr., March 20, 1788 (bans February 29), but the Middleboro VR's don't list her parents.  An Elisabeth Bryant married Josiah Manley of Middleborough August 16, 1744 in Brockton.  And an Elisabeth Bryant married Israel Cook October 15, 1795, in Boston.  None of these records list the parents of the bride.

"Hard copy" (as opposed to the CD versions) of the Middleborough VR lists the intentions and the marriage of Nathaniel Leonard, Jr., and Elizabeth Bryant as February 29 and March 20, 1788, respectively (Middleborough VR, Vol II, Book 2, Part 2, p. 111, p. 150).

The History of the Town of Middleborough, Massachusetts, 1669 –1905 by Thomas Weston (Boston:  Houghton-Mifflin, 1906) includes an appendix with the membership of the First Church of Middleborough.  On page 673, record dated August 23, 1807, member no. 686, Betsey Leonard, w. Nathan'l, m. 1788, o. Bryant, fa. 637, d."  Betsy Bryant Leonard, who married Nathaniel in 1788, was member #686, and her father, Jesse, was member #637.  She died on or prior to August 23, 1807.

Until I find evidence otherwise, I [Brad] believe Betsy Bryant, the daughter of Jesse Bryant and Mercy Shaw, was the wife of Nathaniel Leonard.

This Betsy had a brother, Abraham Bryant, son of Jesse and Mercy, who was born July 22, 1786 (Middleborough VR, CD 203, p. 298), and died September 30, 1796 (Records from the Nemasket Cemetery, Middleborough, CD 203, p. 2; Middleborough VR, CD 203, p. 271).  It may be just a coincidence that Betsy and Nathaniel named a son Abraham Bryant Leonard in December 1796.

There was a Betsy Leonard, 80, living in the household of Rev. Lewis Leonard, husband of the late Betsey Leonard, in Cazenovia, NY, in the 1850 Census.  Could it be that Betsy Bryant Leonard didn't die in 1807 before/after Nathaniel skipped off to Canada?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~