Joseph Greenleaf (1720 - 1810)

Born 10 Nov 1720 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Abigail (Paine) Greenleaf — married 17 Oct 1749 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died 28 Oct 1810 at age 89 in Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States

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Biography

Joseph Greenleaf was born in Boston, Massachusetts on Nov 10, 1720. ^[1]

Joseph Greenleaf son of William and Mary (Shattuck), married Abigail Payne ^[2], the daughter of Rev. Thomas Payne, of Weymouth, Massachusetts, and who afterwards became a merchant in Boston. The wife of Mr. Payne was Eunice Treat, the daughter of Rev. Samuel Treat, of Cape Cod. He was the son of Governor Treat, of Connecticut. This Samuel Treat married Abigail Willard, the daughter of Rev. Samuel Willard of Groton, Massachusetts, and afterwards pastor of the Old South Church in Boston. Rev. Samuel Willard was son of Major Simon Willard, and was born at Concord, Massachusetts, 31 Jan. 1639/40.

Hon. Robert Treat Payne was the son of Rev. Thomas Payne. He was graduated at Harvard College, 1749; was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, a distinguished lawyer, Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a Judge of the Supreme Court, and a member of the Executive Council. The mother of the Rev. Thomas Payne was the daughter of Mr. Thatcher, from whose sister Judith, ' Point Judith,' a noted point on the south coast of Rhode Island, takes its name.

The tradition is that in former times she with her father were on board a small vessel which got aground on that point and came near being wrecked. She rendered great service and the vessel was saved; in remembrance of this the crew called the point after her name.

Mr. Joseph Greenleaf was a popular writer and an ardent patriot, and was the author of the Noble Resolves passed at a town meeting at Abington, 10 March 1770, which reflected great credit on him. (See Hobart's History of Abington.) He resided at Abington many years, near where the present Townhouse stands. In 1771 he moved to Boston, and frequently wrote for the Massachusetts Spy, printed by Isaiah Thomas. On 14 Nov. 1771 he wrote an article under the signature of Mucius Scaevola, which caused much excitement among the authorities. As they could obtain no satisfaction from Thomas, they summoned Greenleaf, 16 Nov. 1771, to appear before the Governor and Council. He refused to obey the summons, and was deprived of his Commission of Justice of the Peace, 10 Dec. 1771. In 1773 he opened a printing office in Hanover Street, where he printed several pamphlets and books.

In August 1774, he published the Royal American Magazine. 22 Nov. 1772, he was on "a committee of twenty-one of correspondence, to state the rights of the Colonists, and of this Province in particular." 9 March 1773, one of a committee of five "to consider what is proper to be done to vindicate the town (Boston) from the gross misrepresentations and groundless charges in His Excellency's messages to both houses." 5 May 1773, 25 Sept. 1774, and 23 May 1776, one of a committee of five "to prepare instructions for our representatives in General Assembly." A draft of the latter instruction read on 30 May 1773, at a town meeting, contain these expressions: "The whole United Colonies are upon the verge of a glorious revolution." "Loyalty to him (the King) is now treason to our country." (See Boston Town Records.) It appears that on 3 Aug. 1779, and as late as 1796, he was again a Justice of the Peace at Boston, Massachusetts. By a resolve of the General Court, 13 Feb. 1776, a "Committee of Correspondence, Inspection, and Safety was chosen, of which Joseph Greenleaf was chairman." (New England Geneal. Hist. Reg., Vol. XXX. p.382.)His will is dated 15Sept. 1809.24

Joseph died in Malden, Massachusetts on Oct 23, 1810. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQXK-438 : 10 February 2018), Joseph Greenliefe, 10 Nov 1720; citing BOSTON,SUFFOLK,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 0014734 V. 24.
2. ↑ "Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC7M-QXQ : 9 February 2018), Joseph Greenleaf and Abigail Paine, 17 Oct 1749; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 0928191 IT 2.
3. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-HFGQ : 29 November 2018), Joseph Greenleaf, 23 Oct 1810; citing Death, Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007578571.

• James Edward Greenleaf, Genealogy of the Greenleaf Family (Boston, Massachusetts: Frank Wood, Printer, 1896), 190. Hereinafter cited as Genealogy of the Greenleaf Family.

• W. S Appleton, "The Greenleaf Ancestry," NEHG Register (CD-ROM:1996) Volume 38 (July 1884): 300. Hereinafter cited as "The Greenleaf Ancestry".

• Boston Births, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths 1630 - 1699.