Thomas Leatherbury (1622 - 1673)

Born 1622 in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England

Descendants

Died Aug 1673 at about age 51 in Accomack, Virginia

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Biography

Thomas was a Friend (Quaker) and attended Nassawaddox Monthly Meeting, Virginia

Thomas was born in England abt 1622. He was in Maryland by 1638 when as Leatherborough or Leatherbarrow he received some land as "head rights" for transporting himself into the colony. He assigned this property to Randall REVELL, a cooper. Perhaps this land was payment for an apprenticeship as a cooper, since Thomas later became a cooper by trade. By 1645 he had settled near Onancock, Northampton Co., Virginia, this property becoming his home property. By the time of his death he had acqirred more than 3500 acres of land. ^[1]

He died bef 19 AUG 1673 in Accomack Co., Virginia [Will probate date]. In his will made 3 July 1673, He mentioned wife Eleanor, and sons "eldest" Charles, "2nd" George and "2nd"(sic) Perry ^[2] [No other reference is made to George, this so-called 2nd son and it has been theorized that he may be a son of a female servant. There is evidence to support this in a court case involving his widow in which one of their servants had given birth to a son out of wedlock, but his name was not given.]

He married bef 2 Oct 1655 to Eleanor Unknown (b ABT 1625). [Land patent to Thomas Leatherbury of this date mentions Eleanor LEATHERBURY]

Children were Charles LEATHERBURY b: ABT 1656 and Perry LEATHERBURY b ABT 1658 in Accomack Co., VA ^[3]

Eleanor died before 17 Apr 1677 in Virginia, having married as Eleanor LEATHERBURY to Edmund BOWMAN, as his third of four wives. {"Eleanor, the widow of Alexander MADDOX, married William BOSMAN (sic) and James CAINE."} (It has often been assumed that she was the widow of Alexander MADDOX but this is not likely. Alexander MADDOX first married an Elizabeth and his second wife was Eleanor, whose last name may have been WHITE. Alexander did not die at least until 4 April 1660 when his will was probated in Northampton County, Virginia. His widow could not have married Thomas LEATHERBURY before 2 October 1655, when Eleanor LEATHERBURY was mentioned in the land patent to her husband. { Adams-16917 13:31, 4 November 2015 (EST)info on marriages needs verification: death often precedes probate by years}

Notes

Witt-1888 05:11, 25 October 2021 (UTC): From Cavaliers and Pioneers, Vol. 1: Patent Book 4, page 413: "Thomas Littleberry (Letherberry) & Allexander Maddocks, 516 acs. N'ampton, along land of James Jones, p. 51 (497). Granted to sd. Maddocks & James Jones, the latter selling his part to Letherberry. (10 June 1654)."

below re Land ^[4] "There is much that is vague in the early history of the tract (A62, Accomack County, Virginia), there being several patents, which are sometimes conflicting, but eventually the area of the tract as shown on the patent map all became the property of Thomas Leatherbury. 1655 Patent to Thomas Leatherbury for 600 acres, and the rather vague bounds would seem to place it next to A61. It was reissued to him in 1661. 1660 Patent to John Ellsey for 1200 acres. Three years later John and Sara Elzey assigned to Thomas Leatherbury, who for a consideration of "Three Matchcoates" bought the Indian rights from Tapatiapon, great Emperor of the Easterne Shore, and Kokewiss and Watchesagon also signed the deed. By another deed with the same consideration they also sold their rights to Leatherbury's own previous patent. 1669 Patent to Leatherbury for 1400 acres as having been assigned by John Elsey. 1671 Patent to Captain John West for 1000 acres which was the strip along the southwest side of the tract. Two years later, Thomas Leatherbury bequeathed this land as having been purchased of John West, but no deed had passed, so the next year John and Matilda West gave a deed for the 1,000 acres to Perry Leatherbury to whom it had been left. ^[5]

2 October 1655, Thomas Letherberry (Leatherberry), 600 Acres Northhampton Co., On S. side of the S. Branch of Anancock and Bounding Wly. on land of John Dorman. Trans. of 12 pers: Ellynor Leatherberry, Howell Gladeine (or Gladenie), Owen Maturt, Dennis Solivart, Syfra Aubuff (?), Mary Gladen, Wm. Mitchell, Mary Batchellor, Teague Roane, Rob. Bright, Mary Fookes, Cha. Coonies (or Coomes). Patent Book Number 4, P.9 (13). ^[6]

3 Nov 1660, John Ellsey, 1200 acres Northampton Co., for Transport of 24 persons. Patent Book No. 4, page 455. Marginal Note: This patent was by John Ellsey sold and assigned to Thomas Leatherbury and granted since to Leatherbury by patent dated 10 March 1663.^[7]

In 1660 he had a patent for 1200 acres and was then living near Eastville, Eastern Shore of Virginia". p49, ^[8]

12 April 1661, Thomas Leatherbury, 600 acres, N'ampton Co.. At Anancock Cr., Bounded on W. by land of John Williams, on N. by William Robinson and on the S. by the main Br. of Anancock. Trans. of 12 pers. Patent Book No. 4, p467. ^[9]

26 March 1662, Thomas Letherbury (Leatherbury), 600 acres On S. side of the S. branch of Anancock Cr. and adj. land of John Dorman. Renewal of his patent dated 2 Oct 1655. Patent Book 4, P. 539.^[10]

The part of the tract (A62, Accomack County, Virginia) containing sites A62C and A62D is a neck formed by two little creeks branching out of Onancock Creek; in patent days, the one on the west side was first called Undimenos Branch, and Later Diamond Branch, but before long it became Leatherbury's Creek, which name is still in use; the one on the east side of the neck was called Cabbin Branch, and had other names as later owners came and went, but on a modern map it is called Titlow's Creek. ^[11]

"No person should entertain Quakers that had been questioned by the Governor and Council; nor permit any assembly of them in or near his house, under the penalty of one hundred pounds sterling; and the publication of their writings was prohibited." ^[12] For the violation of this law William Colbourne, Henry White, Thomas Leatherbury, and Ambrose Dixon were arrested and sent to James City for a hearing before the Council. ^[13].

[Historical information added by Chet Snow]: ^[14] This source from 2000 researched Thomas' arrival in Maryland in 1638 and found his name was originally Leatherbarrow or Leatherbourough. As there was a large Leatherbarrow family in Lancastershire, England, at that time, with a son Thomas, christened in 1621/22, it has been assumed this is the same Thomas Leatherbarrow/Leatherbury [one of the three known sons of Roger LEATHERBARROW and Alice BUTLER who was christened on 16 March 1621/1622 in Saints Peter and Paul Church in Ormskirk, Lancaster, England.] This theory has not been confirmed. This Thomas Leatherbury is the first and only known ancestor for the Leatherbury family in America.

Sources

• Quaker History, Eastern Shore Quakers by Grady Gordan Brickhouse, Eastern Shore Quakers

• Parks, Gary, indexer, ‘’Virginia Land Records: from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, the William and Mary College Quarterly, and Tyler’s Quarterly’’ Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1982. Index and images available at Ancestry.com [1]

25 Ffeb. 1660, (Northampton County, Virginia) …. Cert. granted to Thos. Leatherbury for 600 Acres Image

1. ↑ Virginia's Eastern Shore, etc., p 832.
2. ↑ Stratton Nottingham, Wills and Administrations of Accomack County Virginia: 1663-1800, p5.
3. ↑ http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/k/i/n/Joyce-A-Kintzel/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-1274.html
4. ↑ http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=thamm&id=I179 - "The Ham/m Tree"
5. ↑ Virginia's Eastern Shore by Ralph T. Whitelaw, Vol 2, Peter Smith Pub., Gloucester, Mass., 1968, pp 831-832.
6. ↑ Cavaliers and Pioneers, p324
7. ↑ Cavaliers and Pioneers, p 405.
8. ↑ The Prettyman Family by Rev Prettyman, in the Prettyman file.
9. ↑ Cavaliers and Pioneers, p407
10. ↑ Cavaliers and Pioneers p418.
11. ↑ Virginia's Eastern Shore, p832
12. ↑ Hening, Vol I, pp 532-3.
13. ↑ Eastern Shore of Virginia History by Jennings Cropper Wise, Regional Publishing Co. Baltimore, 1967, p157
14. ↑ "Thomas Leatherbury" ... http://www.esva.net/ghotes/dead_files/ghotes5p.htm