Elizabeth (Leagent) Eaton (1578 - 1631)

Born 23 Jan 1578 in Dover, Kent, England

Wife of Thomas Patterson — married 30 Jan 1599 in Dover, Kent, England

Wife of Peter Eaton — married 27 Jan 1604 in Dover, Kent, England

Descendants

Died 8 Jan 1631 at age 52 in Dover, Kent, England

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Joe Cochoit [send private message]

Biography

Name

Elizabeth Leagent.^[1]

Her LNAB is frequently given as Patterson; however, she was married as the widow Elizabeth Patterson. So, Patterson is a married name and not her maiden name. She is almost certainly the Elyzabeth Leagent who married Thomas Patterson on 30 January 1598/9. This Thomas Patterson died in July 1603, and as Elizabeth Patterson, widow, she remarried to Peter Eaton in January 1603/4.

The only known candidate for this Elizabeth Leagent would be the Elizabeth daughter of John Leagent baptized on 23 January 1578 in Dover. This should be confirmed by wills if possible.

We also need to examine the original parish records for this name to confirm the spelling "Leagent." It is unusual enough that it is perhaps a transcription error (for Seagent?, Sergent?, Sergeant?, Bergent?). As examples for the uncertainty of the LNAB spelling, the marriage to Thomas Patterson is also indexed under the spelling Bergent.^[2] This is an example of the spelling Sergent at St. Mary Dover, and of the spelling Seagent at St. James Dover. The name Sargeant was extremely common at St. Mary Dover and other surrounding parishes.^[3]

Birth

Baptized: 23 January 1578 in Dover, Kent, England.^[4]

Assuming she is the daughter of John Leagent. This is highly probable given the lack of other candidates and the perfect fit of the dates.

Marriage and Children

Married: 1st - Thomas Patterson on 30 January 1598/9 at Saint James the Apostle parish in Dover, Kent, England.^[5] He was buried on 24 July 1603 in Dover.^[6]

Married: 2nd - Peter Eaton on 27 Jan 1603/4 at Saint Mary The Virgin parish in Dover, Kent, England.^[7] In a license dated 23 Jan. 1603/4, no ages given, he was a merchant of St. Mary, Dover, she a widow of the same place, but the marriage was to take place at St. Margaret’s, Canterbury.^[1][8]

Children of Peter and Elizabeth Eaton:

1. Jane Eaton, bp. 17 March 1604/5, m. (—) Shemall.
2. William Eaton, bp. 26 Sep. 1607. [It is alleged that this William Eaton emigrated to New England in 1637. ]
3. Catherine Eaton, b. say 1609, m. [lic. 1 Nov. 1626] 2 Nov. 1626 St. Mary, Dover, William Robinson, mariner, of St. James, Dover, b. ca. 1602.
4. Joyce Eaton, bp. 1 [or 21?] Sep 1611, living as a widow in 1665, m. 16 Aug. 1632 [lic. 10 Aug. 1632 ], St. Mary, Dover, EDWARD RANGER.
5. Peter Eaton, bp. 3 July 1614, bur. 3 Oct. 1628.
6. John Eaton, bp. 23 Oct. 1616, living 1636 (when mentioned in the will of his uncle Nicholas).
7. Jonas Eaton, born about 1618. The Great Migration immigrant Jonas Eaton of Reading is usually said to have come in the company of his older brother William Eaton. And that they are both sons of this Peter Eaton. No baptism for Jonas has ever been found. There are good reasons to believe this is true, but it is not completely proven.
8. Elizabeth Eaton, bp. 22 [or 12?] Aug. 1619, living 1636 (when mentioned in the will of her uncle Nicholas).
9. Nicholas Eaton, bp. 6 July 1623, bur. 28 Sep. 1628.

Death

Buried: 8 January 1631 at Saint Mary The Virgin in Dover, Kent, England. ^[9]

Research Notes

Last Name at Birth?: In the marriage record of Elizabeth to Thomas Patterson, the name is sometimes said to be Beagent and off to the side of the marriage record is indeed entered "Beagent (?)". The names written in ink to the side of the original entries was made by someone who was a very poor paleographer and made many errors so the "Beagent name should be discounted and only the original looked at. However, the written name does not look like a "B". Paul C Reed in his write up of the family took it to be an "L" and called her Elizabeth Leagent. If so, it looks very much like a small "L" and not a capital "L" like it should be. FindMyPast has also taken her name to be Elizabeth Leagent.^[10] Searching for Leagent on FindMyPast showns many entries for people surnamed Leagent, so it was not an uncommon name. It has been speculated that it could be Seagent or Sargent as this was a common name at both parishes in Dover.

Elizabeth Leagent?[11]

For example, this is the baptism of an Elizabeth Sargent in 1594.

For example, this is the baptism of Bartholomewe Lawrence sonne of Barnabo Lawrence.

For example, this is the burial of John Legent in 1597.

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Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Reed, Paul C. F.S.A.G. The English Ancestry of John¹ Eaton, of Dover, Kent, and Dedham, Massachusetts. Research report commissioned by Joe Cochoit and the Eaton Family Association (2003). Available on the Eaton Family Association website (paid).
2. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NVB2-5TT : 10 February 2018), Thomas Pattenson and Elizabeth Bergent, 30 Jan 1598; citing Saint James The Apostle,Dover,Kent,England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 355,636.
3. ↑ As shown by this FamilySearch.org search.
4. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N25H-PMQ Elyzabeth Leagent, 23 Jan 1578); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,736,692.
5. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JSQ4-P6P : 11 April 2018, Elyzabeth Leagent, ); citing item 5 p 9, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,736,692.
6. ↑ "England, Kent, Canterbury Parish Registers, 1538-1986," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGNL-87CK ), Thomas Patteson, 24 Jul 1603; from " Kent, Canterbury Archdeaconry Parish Registers Browse, 1538-1913," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d); citing Burial, Dover St Mary the Virgin, Kent, England, United Kingdom, Citing Canterbury Cathedral Archives, England.
7. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NVBK-48W : 10 February 2018), Peter Eaton and Elizabeth Patterson, 27 Jan 1603; citing Saint Mary The Virgin,Dover,Kent,England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 355,634.
8. ↑ Joseph Meadows Cowper, ed., Canterbury Marriage Licences, First Series, 1568-1618 (1892): page 135.
9. ↑ "England, Kent, Canterbury Parish Registers, 1538-1986," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGNL-VJJG ), Peter in entry for Elizabeth Eaton, 8 Jan 1631; from " Kent, Canterbury Archdeaconry Parish Registers Browse, 1538-1913," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d); citing Burial, Dover St Mary the Virgin, Kent, England, United Kingdom, Citing Canterbury Cathedral Archives, England.
10. ↑ Kent Marriages And Banns. Dover, St James, Kent, England. (FindMyPast.co.uk online database). Marriage of Thomas Pattenson and Elizabeth Leagent, 30 Jan 1598.
11. ↑ Kent Marriages And Banns. Dover, St James, Kent, England. (FindMyPast.co.uk online database). Marriage of Thomas Pattenson and Elizabeth Leagent, 30 Jan 1598. Original parish record. Image 16 of 69.