Frank Melancthon Leigh (1844 - 1925)

Born 16 Feb 1844 in Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Beverly (Matthews) Leigh — married 1873 in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi

Died 28 Jun 1925 at age 81 in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi

Biography

Captain Frank Leigh served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: May 1, 1862
Mustered out: April 9, 1865
Side: CSA
Regiment(s): 43rd Regiment, Mississippi Infantry, Co. B

• Died at age 81
• Buried Friendship Cemetery, Lot 142, Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi.
• Pvt; Co. B, 43rd MS Inf, CSA
• Cotton Buyer
• 1862 Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity
• On December 29, 1876 he purchased the home with 1,000 acres (824 7th Street in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi) that would be known as Leighcrest and remain in the Leigh family as recently as 2004. James Sykes purchased the home from Thomas W. Yates and on the same day ownership was transferred to F. M. Leigh. (Deed Book 51:452-453). For further research: F. M. Leigh's grandmother was a Sykes. Not sure how he is related to James.

Children

1. Frank Melancthon Leigh (1883–1940)
2. Frances Virginia Leigh (1902–1943)
3. Beverly Matthews Leigh (1877–1956)
4. Mary Olivia Leigh (1880–1965)
5. Robert Matthews Leigh (1887–1969)
6. Louise Gilbert Leigh (1890–1974)
7. Richard Eugene Leigh (1874-1961)

Obituary

Captain Frank M. Leigh, Columbus, Mississippi.

Columbus, Miss., July 1 - Capt. Frank M. Leigh, a prominent citizen of Columbus, died Sunday afternoon. He had been in declining health for several years.

Capt. Leigh was 81 years of age, having been born in Mecklenburg county, Virginia, in 1844. He was the son of Reverend H. D. Leigh, founder of Randolph-Macon College. His father died while Captain Leigh was but a boy and his mother moved to Mississippi in 1858 to give her family the advantages of the new developing state..

He served in the Confederate army in the 43rd Mississippi regiment. After the war he came back to Columbus and engaged in the cotton business, and in 1873 was married to Miss Mary Beverly Matthews, daughter of Colonel Beverly Matthews, of this city. Mrs. Lee and seven children, four sons and three daughters, survive.

The children are: Professor Richard Leigh, superintendent of the high school at Houston, Texas; Dr. Reverend Leigh, of Meridian; Dr. Robert M Leigh, of Meridian; and Frank M., Jr., Misses. Olivie, Louise and Virginia Leigh, of Columbus.

Slave Owner

See the Slaves of Hezekiah Gilbert Leigh for details of employment agreement (in behalf of his father's estate) enter for 1865 -1866 year.

U.S. Freedmen's Bureau Records

4 Aug 1865 Mississippi, USA ^[1]

Signed Image 415:

Joseph E Leigh

F M Leigh

J C Lockhart

M E Lockhart

1860 Slave Schedule ^[2]

Columbus, Lowndes, Mississippi

Owner	Age	M/F	Born	Tone
R E Leigh	17	Male	1843	Black
	24	Female	1836	Black
	60	Female	1800	Black

Research Notes

• 1920 Census record finds Frank M Leigh (74), head of household, living in owned home at 824 7th Street in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi with wife Mary B Leigh (60), daughters Olivia M Leigh (28), Louise Leigh (23), Virginia Leigh (18),sons Frank M Leigh (27), farmer, Robert Leigh (25), physician.
• 1910 Census record finds Frank M Leigh (64), cotton dealer, head of household, living in owned home at 824 Seventh Street in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi with wife Mary B Leigh (56), daughters Olivia Leigh (28), Louise Leigh (19), Virginia Leigh (14), sons Frank M Leigh Jr. (26), Robert M Leigh (23), servants, Francies Waley (65), Jack William (30), Frank William (12) and Elizabeth Banis (15).
• 1900 Census records finds Frank M Leigh (54), cotton buyer, head of household living in owned home at 427 7th Street, in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi with wife Mary B Leigh (44), sons Richard E Leigh (25), teacher, Beverly M Leigh (22), farmer's asst, Frank M Leigh (16), drug sales man, Robert Leigh (13), daughters Olivia Leigh (18), Louise Leigh (10), Virginia Leigh (4), servants Francis Sykes (60) and Lou Spann (14).
• 1880 Census records finds F. M. Leigh (36), cotton factor, living in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi, with Marry B. Leigh (27), sons Richard E. Leigh (5), Beverly Leigh (2), daughter, Leigh (9/12).
• 1870 Census record finds Julia A Short (35), living in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi with F M Leigh (26), cotton merchant.
• 1860 Census record finds M J Leigh (56), born in Virginia, living in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi with R W Leigh (27), lawyer, Joseph Leigh (21), merchant, Frank Leigh, and Allice Leigh (77)
• 1850 Census record finds Hezekiah G Leigh (54), Methodist minister, living in Mecklenburg, Virginia, with Mary Leigh (44), Richard Leigh (19), Hezekiah Leigh (17), Louisa Leigh (15), Joseph Leigh (12), Mary Leigh (9), Frances Leigh (6) and Edward M Peterson (19), student.

Sources

1. ↑ Employment: "U.S., Freedmen's Bureau Records, 1865-1878"
   The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Records of the Assistant Commissioner For the State of Mississippi, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1869; NARA Series Number: M826; NARA Reel Number: 47; NARA Record Group Number: 105; NARA Record Group Name: Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1861 - 1880; Collection Title: United States Freedmen's Bureau Labor Contracts Indenture and Apprenticeship Records 1865-1872
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62309 #3820042 (accessed 12 February 2024)
   Name: J E Leigh; Record Type: Employment; Employment Date: 4 Aug; Employment Place: Mississippi, USA.
2. ↑ Slave Schedule: "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules"
   The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Eighth Census of the United States 1860; Series Number: M653; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7668 #90412906 (accessed 13 February 2024)
   R E Leigh, slave owner of 3 enslaved people, in 1860 in Columbus, Lowndes, Mississippi, USA.

• Find A Grave: Memorial #13093931
• U.S., School Catalogs, 1765-1935, 1920
• Year: 1920; Census Place: Columbus Ward 5, Lowndes, Mississippi; Roll: T625_885; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 44
• Year: 1910; Census Place: Columbus Ward 5, Lowndes, Mississippi; Roll: T624_750; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 0043
• Year: 1900; Census Place: Columbus, Lowndes, Mississippi; Page: 25; Enumeration District: 0058
• Year: 1880; Census Place: Columbus, Lowndes, Mississippi; Roll: 655; Page: 206B
• Year: 1870; Census Place: Columbus, Lowndes, Mississippi; Roll: M593_738; Page: 258A
• Year: 1860; Census Place: Columbus, Lowndes, Mississippi; Roll: M653_586; Page: 757
• Year: 1850; Census Place: Regiment 22, Mecklenburg, Virginia; Roll: 960; Page: 139b
• Newspapers.com, The Birmingham News (Birmingham, Alabama), 01 Jul 1925, Wed, Page 23. Obituary of Frank M. Leigh.
• National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Mississippi; Series Number: M269; Roll: 402