Japheth Leeds (1682 - 1748)

Born 24 Oct 1682 in Springfield, Burlington, New Jersey

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 15 Dec 1748 at age 66 in Leed's Point, Gloucester, New Jersey

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Biography

Japheth Leeds is Notable.

Japheth was a Friend (Quaker)

Japheth, son of Daniel and Dorothy (Young) Leeds, was born in Springfield township, Burlington county, New Jersey, October 24, 1682, and was christened at St. Mary's Church in Burlington, February 4, 1703, after his father broke away from the Friends and became Episcopalian (recorded in St. Mary's records, as baptism, ffeb. 1704/5).

Some official records record his name as Japhet, others call him Japheth. I've used the biblical spelling to make it searchable by either.

He is supposed to have located near Leeds Point before 1710. His house stood well out on the point, and is now known as the site of the Townsend house. It was one of the three places of meeting for the Haddonfield quarterly meeting, the other two being Peter White's, at Absecon, and John Scull's, at Summers Point[sic]. Japheth's will was dated February 5, 1736, and proved December 15, 1748. He married Deborah Smith, of Burlington.

12 children:

1) Mary b=1704 m=Samuel Somers

2) Robert b=1706 m=Abigail Higbee

3) John b-1708 m1=Rebecca Cordery m2=Sarah (Mathais)[sic] Coate

4) Japheth b=1710 d=1781 m=Rebecca Woodward

5) Nehemiah b=1712 m=Elizabeth Woodward

6) James b=1714

7) Daniel b=1716 occ=1757 surveyor general of NJ m1=Susannah Steelman m2=Rebecca Steelman [children were: Susanna m=James Scull (q. v.) & Dorcas & Rachael]

8) Sarah b=1718 (probably m=Thomas Wilson)

9) Deborah b=1720 m=Hugh Neale

10) Dorothy b=1722 m=Jonathan Husted

11) Ann b=1724 m=Nathaniel Thomas

12) Hannah b=18 Feb 1726 d=24 Nov 1762 m=Peter Steelman

[per "Genealogical & Memorial History of the State of New Jersey" edited by Francis Bazley LEE (now copyright-free, public domain and available for free at google books)].

NOTEWORTHY: Japheth Leeds and his wife Deborah Smith are usually the Leeds family ascribed to the Legend of the Jersey Devil; reason being they had 12 children in the right time frame. More on that if you click on his wife Deborah.

Family lore states that Japheth, his wife, and some of their children are buried in an ancient graveyard, somewhere at the highest point of the original Leeds property in Leeds Point.

Japheth was baptized Episcopalian when he was about twenty-one years old but rejoined the Quakers, as records indicate he provided his home as a place of Quaker meetings until a Meeting House was built. He married Deborah Smith of Burlington.

Japheth has a particular place of notoriety in the folklore of South Jersey. While there are many versions of the legend of the Jersey Devil, the most commonly believed version is that the Devil was the thirteenth child of Japheth and Deborah. Legend has it that Deborah, upon learning that she was pregnant again said something like "if I am to bear a thirteenth child it had better be the Devil himself." Cynthia Lamb, a direct descendant of Japheth, and therefore a distant cousin of ours, researched the family and found little evidence of the Devil's Heritage existing. She found enough, however, to prove to her own satisfaction that the original legend of the Devil being the child of Japheth and Deborah was the most believable. Being unable to write a factual historical novel for lack of concrete evidence she instead wrote a novel based on as much fact and logical conclusions as was possible called Brigid's Charge. It's a great read and can be found in most libraries. You can purchase autographed copies at her website.

In "Discover the Hidden NJ", Russell Roberts in 1953, page 167 mentions local rumors that "Mother Leeds" was involved with sorcery and witchcraft. Cynthia Lamb ran across the same rumors. Researching why Mother Leeds was so accused she learned that substantial archeological findings provide evidence that a once nearly universal Goddess-centered religion existed for thousands of years and predated Christianity. She also learned that healers and midwives were often called witches and unpopular with a rising medical establishment. Putting all the legends and rumors together she began to consider the possibility her ancestor Mother Leeds might have been a healer and midwife and therefore called a witch.

Prior to 1939 when the Devil was declared the State's Demon or Jersey Devil, the creature was universally known as Leeds Devil, named either for the family or Leeds Point where it first appeared.

The Jersey Devil by James F. McCloy and Ray Miller, Jr in 1976 sets forth many theories on the birth of the Devil, but the most graphic was the birth to Mother Leeds:

"A violent thunderstorm swept in from the Pine Barrens across Burlington, NJ one dark night in 1735 as Mrs. Leeds lay in labor, attended to by a group of old women from the community. The candle-lit room was pervaded by a mood of uneasiness, for Mother Leeds was the subject of rumors, that despite her Quaker beliefs, she had indulged in sorcery ... a handsome boy child was delivered ... but the child began to be transformed ... flapping his wings, he shot up the chimney and out into the night. For the next few years the area was so plagued by periodic visitations of this creature that in the 1740's a brave clergyman exorcised the Devil with bell, book and candle. The exorcism was to last one hundred years .... tho not completely absent during this period, South Jerseyites were particularly uneasy in 1840, their ancestors having warned them to be prepared. He DID reappear that year on schedule".

Jack E. Boucher in writing Absegami Yesteryear suggest the Devil to be a deformed human boy and not a devil. McCloy and Miller propose that whenever a retarded child was born in the Pine Barrens he was labeled "another Jersey Devil". This could explain on naturalistic grounds the series of incidents extending through history beyond the time span of one mortal. There could be some merit to this deformed child theory. There were a few "weak and helpless" Leeds children mentioned in Wills and family histories. One writer called this continuing trend "rebirths of the retards". Another alluded to the rumors that there may be a genetic defect in the line. Not surprising when there appears to be quite a bit of intermarrying. Of course, there wasn't a huge population to choose from.

Adding to the legend could have been a very real encounter with a strange bird that could have easily inspired a frightened imagination. The Sand Hill Crane, though doing its best to avoid man, would react with incredible fury when confronted. Jean Audubon was chased into a river by one. Rumor has it that the bird had been known to drive its long bill into a man's brain through his eye. The crane weighs about twelve pounds, is about four feet long with a wingspread of eighty inches. It possesses a chilling whoop which can be heard at a great distance. They gather in large numbers to engage in mating dances where they rapidly hop huge distances. Seeing these crying, hopping, long winged creatures with their odd gyrations could have led the colonists to supernatural explanations. The crane has a passion for corn, potatoes and eggs which could cause major crop damage or raids on barnyards traditionally blamed on the Devil.

I found recorded in the Quaker minutes of Eggharbor Meeting they had to deal with Deborah Leeds for selling strong drink.

From his father Daniel Japheth received Leeds Point containing 800 to 1000 acres. His house stood well out on the Point and was an old fashioned structure hip-roof structure known as the Homestead. It was successively occupied by Japheth 2nd, his son Samuel, Samuel's youngest son Barzillai. Somewhere there on the same highest point is an ancient graveyard which is supposed tohold the bodies of Japheth, his wife and some of his children.

Japheth died in December of 1748 and in his Will proven on December 15, 1748 he gave his son Robert (our ggggggrandfather) land bought of Benjamin Jennings near a brook formerly called Wigwam Creek, southeast to Holly Swamp brook and giving the rest of his acreage divided into parcels to the rest of his children.

Page: 295 Name: Japhet Leeds Date: 05 Feb 1736 Location: Great Egg Harbor, Gloucester Co.

yeoman; Will of. wife, Deborah. Sons--Robert, land bought of Benjamin Jennings near a brook, formerly called Wigwam Creek, southeast to Holly Swamp brook; John, land, 200 acres, bought of his uncle Felix Leeds, by the south branch of Landing Creek; Japhet, the plantation I live on by the Bay northwest to Maple Swamp; Nehemiah, land adjoining Jeremiah Addams; James (youngest son), land bought of Benjamin Jennings, adjoining his brother Robert's; and Daniel, not 14. Daughters--Mary, eldest (alias Somers), Sarah, Deborah, Dorothy, Ann and Hannah. Cedar swamps on Bever Run and Proprietary Rights to the sons. Executors--sons John and Japhet. Witnesses--Jeremiah Adams, Abel Scull, Isaac Addams. Affirmed 15 Dec 1748.

Lib. 6, p. 10. 1748, Nov. 4. Inventory, £213.17.3; made by Abel Scull, Joseph Johnson.

Deborah also died in 1748.

Sources

• Wikipedia:Jersey_Devil

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 05 September 2020), memorial page for Japhet “Japheth” Leeds (24 Oct 1682–1748), Find A Grave: Memorial #74896775 ; Maintained by greatgrands (contributor 47420642) Non-Cemetery Burial, who reports a Buried at Leeds Point on family property., spouse=Deborah Leeds, b=24 Oct 1682 Springfield, Burlington County, New Jersey d=1748 Leeds Point, Atlantic County, New Jersey

• http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/2013/08/the_forgotten_political_feud_t.html