Toby Leech (1652 - 1726)

Born 1 Jan 1652 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Esther (Ashmead) Leech — married 26 Dec 1679 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

Descendants

Died 16 Nov 1726 at age 74 in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

Problems/Questions Profile manager: William Penn and Early Pennsylvania Settlers WikiTree [send private message]

Toby Leech was a part of William Penn's Pennsylvania Settlers community. Join: William Penn and Early Pennsylvania Settlers Project Discuss: penn

Biography

Toby Leech was a William Penn fleet passenger.

Toby Leech was born 1 Jan 1652 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. He is the son of Toby Leech. Many descendants believe Toby to be a nickname for Tobias, but in reality he was christened Toby and Toby is also the name he used in his marriage record.

“January 1652 2Bapt the first Toby son of Toby Leche”^[1]

Toby Leech married Esther Aishmeed on 26 Dec 1679 in Gloucester, Cheltenham, England.^[2]

“According to the order of truth Toby Leech and Esther Aishmeed both of Cheltenham were married at a meeting held on the 26th day off the 10th Monthe in the year of the Lord 1679”^[3]

Tobias Leech arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682.^[4]

In 1692, Toby was enumerated in Petition Township, Pennsylvania^[5]

“101 TOBY LEECH, as he was always called, John Ashmead, Everard Boulton (Bolton), and Richard Wall, purchased 1000 acres jointly after they arrived in Pennsylvania, Toby’s share being 300 acres ^[6]

Toby Leech was an executor of his son-in-law Bartholomew Penrose Sr. (bef.1674-1711)’ 1709 Will proved 1711/2^[7]

He died in 1726 and was buried in Trinity Oxford Episcopal Churchyard, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA ^[8]

Will Précis

Will Date: 7 Apr 1724

Will Proved Date: 7 Dec 1726

Comments: Toby Leech. Cheltenham, Co. of Philadelphia. Gentleman. April 7, 1724/5. December 7, 1726. E.10. Wife: Hester. Children: Toby Junr., John, Jacob, Thomas, Isaac. Grandchildren: Toby and Thomas Leech, Dorothy, Sarah, Thomas and Bartholomew Penrose. Exec: Thomas and Isaac Leech.^[9]

Memorial

Transcription from a photograph of the gravestone:

“In Memory of TOBY & HESTER LEECH who came from Cheltenham in Glocestershire England in the year 1682 And were here interred TOBY Died 13. Novbr. 1726. Aged 74 Years HESTER 11. Augst. 66”

His walking stick is on display in a glass case in Trinity Oxford Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania.

Notes

Removed III as a suffix since there is no evidence this was ever used at the time.

^[10]

From Pennsylvania Traveler Post, Vol 1, Issue 3, May 1965, an article about the Toby Leech family.^[10]

Toby Leech joined with three other Quakers, John Ashmead, Richard Wall and Edward Bolton to purchase 1000 acres from William Penn. Toby & Hester along with their son were on the 18th boat (The Bristol Factor) to leave for PA. from England. Toby died in 1726. When Toby died, he had acquired 2,700 acres of land and had been a member of the PA Assembly in 1713, 1714, 1715, 1717, and 1719. It is also believed Toby was a large stockholder and a member of the Free Society of Traders. As such he built several mills along the Tacony Creek and was given additional land by William Penn as a partial compensation for the risk he took in investing in the society.

From Genforum: this is the same Toby Leech who came from Cheltenham, England at the time of William Penn. He was an original PA land owner as was his father-in-law John Ashmead, who never came to this country, but left his land to Toby. Toby's mother-in-law was Mary Ashmead; she came over on the Bristol Factor.^[10]

“Leech, Tobias, 1652-1726 (Pa) Member of Penna. Assembly, 1713-‘14, 1717, 1719” Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Maryland Services of Ancestors [unsourced]

Toby's Will

The pages containing Toby's will, reportedly page 10 in Book E, seem to be missing from Philadelphia County wills on familysearch, but a transcript of his will is available online in a book about the Old York Road. ^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, Gloucestershire; Gloucestershire Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: P78/1 in 1/2
2. ↑ https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=TNA%2FRG6%2FMAR%2F56891%2F1 RG6/1537; Description GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND WILTSHIRE: Monthly Meeting of Gloucester: Cheltenham; Record set England & Wales, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Marriages 1578-1841
3. ↑ https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=TNA%2FRG6%2F1537%2F0%2F0016&parentid=TNA%2FRG6%2FMAR%2F56891%2F1
4. ↑ SHEPPARD, WALTER LEE, JR., compiler and editor. Passengers and Ships prior to 1684. (Publications of the Welcome Society of Pennsylvania, 1.) Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1970. 245p. Reprinted by Heritage Books, Bowie, MD, 1985. Page: 54
5. ↑ Jackson, Ronald V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.. Pennsylvania Census, 1772-1890. Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
6. ↑ Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series XIX, 86, 263, 49[?]4
7. ↑ Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, U.S., Will Index, 1682-1819 page c:285
8. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14868281/tobias-leech
9. ↑ Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, U.S., Will Index, 1682-1819 E: 10
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Acrossthepond.ged, 21 February 2011
11. ↑ Anne De Benneville Mears, The Old York Road and its Early Associations of History and Biography. 1670-1870. Philadelphia: printed for the Author by Harper & Brothers. 1890, pp. 72-75. [1]

See also:

• Filby, P. William, ed. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2012.