Caleb Leverich (abt. 1638 - abt. 1717)

Born about 1638 in Sandwich, Cape Cod, Mass

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about 1717 at about age 79 in Newtown, Long Island, New York

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Biography

Caleb was born about 1638 at the time that his father was beginning his sojourn at Sandwich on Cape Cod. In 1644 at the age of 6, he was admitted as freeman in Connecticut. He moved to Long Island with his father in 1668 and acquired much land in various sections of the town of Newtown, enjoyed the prestige of the citizens, and was one of the original members of the Presbyterian Church in the town. He was a farmer and a freeholder.

Caleb Leverich, built his home in Trains Meadow about 1670. The home had a great hall through the center, rooms with high ceilings, a kitchen with a huge fireplace occupying nearly on whole side, and an attic. The farm which reached southward to Woodside Avenue in the 19th century, was noted for its marvelous apple crop, the Newtown Pippin. Caleb’s descendants continued to live in the homestead for five generations.

In 1898, at the time of the consolidation of the outlying communities into Greater New York, the area where Jackson Heights now stands was farmland and swampland, with only six or seven houses in the whole section. There were two large farms, the Barclay farm and the Leverich farm in the area, and four or five small truck farms, on which farmers, German and English, grew vegetables for the New York market. The homestead was at the westerly end of what is now known as Jackson Heights. In 1898, there was a narrow winding road leading from Elmhurst to Jackson Avenue and beyond.

Caleb married Martha Cornish (daughter of Thomas Cornish and Mary Stone of Gloucester, Massachusetts) about 1666. An inventory of Thomas Cornish’ estate appears on the next page.

Caleb and Martha had a son John Leverich born 1673.

On 24 April 1694, Caleb granted one half of his purchase right to his son John. After his son John died in 1705, he granted land to his daughter-in-law Hannah Leverich and her children on 4 May 1705.

Caleb died in 1717 in Newtown, Queens Co. N.Y. at the age of 79. His wife Martha lived 78 years from 1640 to 1718.

Sources

• Levering, RM, Rev William Leverich (1603-1607) http://pages.zo om.co.uk/leveridge/leverichl.html

• Family Hist Ctr, LDS Church, PAF Filles