James Leigh Sr (abt. 1791 - abt. 1871)

Born about 1791 in Grangemore, Kilcullen, Kildare, Ireland

Husband of Catharine Murphy — married about 1820 in Kilcullen, Kildare, Ireland [uncertain]

Descendants

Died about 3 Aug 1871 at about age 80 in Marion, Waushara County, Wisconsin

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Greg Traupmann [send private message]

James Leigh (Sr)

Born Dec 1796 Grangemore, Kilcullen, Kildare, Ireland

Died 1863 Marion, Waushara County, Wisconsin

James Leigh Sr migrated from Kildare, Ireland to the United States.

Biography

• James Leigh (Sr), son of Edward Leigh and Judith Walsh, was born in 1796 in Grangemore, Kilcullen, Kildare, Ireland, and died in 1863 in Marion, Waushara County, Wisconsin at age 67.
• He was baptized 1 Dec 1796 in Kilcullen, Kildare, Ireland

Residence

• Arrival in the US with his wife and children about 1844. Their youngest son was born in Ireland in 1843.
• His wife Catharine passed away in Cutler, Maine in 1849.
• 1850 US Census, James Leigh 54, living in Cutler, Maine with eight children, plus John's fiancée Esther Duggin. Catharine is not listed.
• circa 1853, moves with his family to Wisconsin
• circa 1855 married to his second wife, Rosanna (1809-1869) ^[1]
• 1855 WI Census, James Leigh in Marion, Waushara, Wisconsin
• 1860 US Census, James Leigh (farmer) 55 and Rosanna Leigh 50, both b. Ireland. Peter (farmer) 21 b. Ireland. Rosana Hast 25 b. Ireland. Rosana 10/12 b. Wisconsin.

Marriage & Children

• James married Catharine Murphy. Catharine was born 29 Aug 1796 in Kilcullen, Kildare, Ireland, died 12 Feb 1849 in Cutler, Washington, Maine at age 52, and was buried in Trescott, Washington County, Maine. Children:
  • Margaret Weatherby [Witherby] Leigh was born 24 Dec 1821 in Kildare, Ireland and died 8 Nov 1907 in Lincoln, Harrison, Bundy, Wisconsin at age 85.
  • John Thomas Leigh was born 27 Dec 1827 in Ireland and died 5 Oct 1893 in Stiles, Oconto, Wisconsin at age 65. Married Esther Durgan in Washington County, Maine in 1850. She was a native of New Brunswick.
  • James Leigh (Jr) was born 29 Dec 1829 in Kildare, Ireland and died 13 Oct 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at age 73.
  • Patrick Leigh was born in 1832 in Grangemore, Kilcullen, Kildare, Ireland and died in 1866 while living in Oconto, Wisconsin at age 34. He drowned in Lake Michigan, near Racine.
  • Thomas Leigh was born 25 Dec 1833 in Dublin, Ireland and died 2 Dec 1911 in Stiles, Oconto, Wisconsin at age 77.
  • Mary Anne Leigh was born 4 Jul 1835 in Kilcullen, Kildare, Ireland, died 17 Jul 1920 in Buchanan County, Iowa at age 85, and was buried in Independence, Buchanan, Iowa. Mary Anne married Mathew Rodney Sr, son of Michael Rodney and Bridget Tansey, on 16 Nov 1853 in Wisconsin. Mathew was born 24 Jun 1826 in Mayo, Ireland, died 12 Nov 1902 in Independence, Buchanan, Iowa at age 76, and was buried in Independence, Buchanan, Iowa.
  • Mathew Leigh was born about 1835 in Ireland and died about 1875 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois about age 40.
  • Peter Leigh was born 7 Jan 1837 in Kildare, Ireland and died 13 Apr 1925 in Waushara, Wisconsin at age 88.
  • Joseph Leigh was born in 1843 in Kildare, Ireland and died in 1852 in Oconto, Wisconsin at age 9.

Burial

• Conflicting information about date/place of death: Before 1871 in Wisconsin.
• Buried in Victory Hill Historic Catholic Cemetery, Spring Lake, Waushara County, Wisconsin

DNA

• James Leigh Sr and Catharine Murphy are the most-recent common ancestors confirmed by an Ancestry DNA test match between PLR and her paternal third cousin Greg Traupmann GEDmatch A542343, 48 cM over 4 segments.

Research Notes

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #118201361, Victory Hill Historic Catholic Cememtery, Waushara WI

• 1850 United States Federal Census. Year: August 1850; Census Place: Cutler, Washington, Maine; Roll: M432_272; Page: 210A; Image: 414. James Leigh (carpenter) 54, John Leigh (millman) 23, James Leigh (seaman) 21, Thomas Leigh (millman) 19, Patrick Leigh (millman) 18, Mary A Leigh 16, Martha Leigh 15, Peter Leigh 13, Joseph L Leigh 11, Esther Duggin 18. James and all his children born in Ireland.
• Wisconsin, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1820-1890. 1855, James Leigh, Marion, Waushara, Wisconsin. WI 1855 State Census Index.
• 1860 United States Federal Census. Year: July 1860; Census Place: Marion, Waushara, Wisconsin; Roll: M653_1435; Page: 846; Image: 96; Family History Library Film: 805435. James Leigh (farmer) 55 b. Ireland. Rosanna 50, b. Ireland [Perhaps James Sr's second wife?] Peter (farmer) 21 b. ireland. Rosana Hast 25 b. Ireland [Rosanna's daughter?]. Rosana 10/12 b. Wisconsin [Rosana Hast's daughter?]
• James Leigh, Family History/Biography. From a book printed for the "Leigh Clan Family Reunion", Pat Leigh Degeneffe, Edith Chesley Pries, and Illma Chesley Young (Chilton, Wisconsin, 14 Jul 1974). Unsourced.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #118201333 (1791 Ireland - 1871 Green Lake WI) Discrepancies of dates and spouse; see Biography.
• Parish baptismal certificate, Dec 1796, Grangemore, Kilcullen, Kildare, Ireland; states his parents were Edward Leigh and Judith Walsh of "Black Bog". National Library of Ireland; Dublin; Microfilm 06484/01.

JamesLeighSr_1796BaptismKildare.jpg

• Flower, F. A. (1881). History of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Chicago: The Western Historical Company. Page 492
  • "CAPTAIN JAMES LEIGH. Born near Dublin, Ireland, 29th December, 1829, son of James and Catharine (Murphy) Leigh, has sailed the lakes for twenty-seven consecutive seasons. He emigrated to Maine with his parents in 1837, and when 12 years of age commenced work in a lath(sic) mill where the labor not agreeing with him (sic), he shipped as cook on an American coasting vessel, and was on the Atlantic seaboard until he came to Wisconsin with his father's family in 1850, where they took up two sections of land on the Fox River, where the father died in 1873--the mother having died in Maine some years before."