Solomon Leonard (abt. 1610 - bef. 1671)

Born about 1610 in Monmouthshire, Wales [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Chandler) Leonard — married about 1640 in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died before 1 May 1671 before about age 61 in Bridgewater, Plymouth Colony

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Solomon Leonard migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 207) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Solomon Leonard (or Lenner or Leonardson),^[1] is known in some sources as Solomon Conchise Leonard or John Solomon Leonard^{[citation needed]}.

NOTE: middle or double names were not in use by English-origin people of that era.

He was born about 1610 in Monmouthshire, England. He passed away about 1671 at Bridgewater, Plymouth Colony (now Massachusetts, USA).

He arrived at Plymouth Colony about 1637.^[1]

About 1640 he married Sarah Chandler who was the daughter Roger Chandler and Isabella Chilton.

Around 1651 he moved his family about twenty miles inland to the wilderness area called Nuckatest. Nuckatest was granted in 1645 by the colonial court to 54 proprietors, mostly from Duxbury; was deeded in 1649 by the Indians to the proprietors; was first settled about 1651 by the colonists; and was incorporated in 1656 as the town of Bridgewater.^[2] The town center [now West Bridgewater] was on the Town River which provided water power. The Town River is a tributary of the Taunton River which flows southwest to Rhode Island.

For much more on him see Manning Leonard’s ‘’Memorial, genealogical, historical, and biographical, of Solomon Leonard.’’ ^[3]

His estate papers refer to him as a weaver.^[4]

Solomon and Sarah (Chandler) Leonard had six children:^[1][5]

1. Samuel
2. John
3. Jacob
4. Isaac
5. Solomon
6. Mary

Chilton and Leonard: Mayflower Families Through Five Generations

Solomon Leonard was first recorded in Duxbury 1637, and in May 1638 was “promised lands on Duxburrow side, (in part of those due to him for his service).” This was probably the usual recompense to a servant; since normal service was seven years, we surmise that Solomon prob. arrived in Plymouth ca. 1631. In Feb. 1638/9 he received a grant of 25 acres. In 1645 he received a share of land in what later became Bridgewater, to which he removed soon after 1649. He was living there in 1658/9.

On 1 May 1671 Samuel Leonard of Bridgewater confirmed that his deceased father, Solomon Leonard, had given land to “my brother John Leonard.” Strangely, Samuel did not post bond as administrator of his father, Solomon deceased, until 27 Oct. 1675, at which time the failure to mention the widow of Solomon implies that Sarah had already died. In the disposition of this estate, “Samuel Leonardson” is called eldest son, John second son, with equal division among the “rest of the children.” In a deed 10 May 1677 to his brother “Isaak Leonardson,” Samuel Leonardson mentions brothers John, Jacob and Solomon

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Mayflower Families Vol 2 pp.10, 11
2. ↑ Mitchel, Nahum. History of the Early Settlement Bridgewater (1840), Page 11.
3. ↑ (Leonard) p.11.
4. ↑ (Leonard) p.27.
5. ↑ (Leonard), p.33.

• Mayflower Families Through Five Generations Chilton/More Volume 15 pp. 8-9

• Kellogg, Lucy Mary, F.A.S.G.,Mayflower Families through Five Generations, Volume 2, General Society of Mayflower Descendents, Plymouth, MA., 1975. Chilton, More, Thomas Rogers p. 10 - 11.

• Filby, P. William, ed. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2010. Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2010.

• Source: Title: Cary Family History, Author: Joiner, Rev. Darrell and Sallyann, Media: book

• Leonard, Manning Memorial: Genealogical, Historical, and Biographical, of Solomon Leonard, 1637: of Duxbury and Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and some of His Descendants. Southbridge, Mass. Press of Knapp, Peck & Thomson, Auburn N.Y. 1896,

• Torrey's New England Marriages to 1700 (subscription) page 941

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Kitty Smith for contributions to this profile. Cooper-1 09:16, 26 March 2016 (EDT)