Percival Levett (abt. 1590 - abt. 1654)

Born about 1590 in Yorkshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Jane (Unknown) Levett — married before 1648 in York, Yorkshire, England

Died about 13 Sep 1654 at about age 64 in York, Yorkshire, England

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Robert Haack [send private message]

Biography

Percival Levett was born about 1590, based on the date of becoming a Freeman of the City of York, which he did in 1611. His older siblings had all been baptized in York, so it would seem likely that he too was born and or baptized there. His father was Pervical Levett and his mother is said to be Elizabeth Rotherford. Percival, the father, had risen from the rank of yeoman to that of a gentleman. Percival (2) and his brother Christoper were both Mercers by trade. Percival is said to have married Margaret Linkley, I have not found a source for this marriage or her name. The commonly accepted children and birthdates comes from Emily Leavett Noyes. She does not give any clue to where she got the information. A search of the parish registers in York reveal a different list of children, (most of the same names but different birth dates). Here is a comparison of the two lists. Noyes:

1. John - 1608
2. Joseph 1609;
3. Sara 1611;
4. Elizabeth 1612;
5. Benjamin 1614;
6. Samuel 1615;
7. Abigail 1616;
8. Martha 1620.

New research:

1. Abigail 1614;
2. Sara 1616;
3. Anna 1624;
4. John 1625;
5. Joseph 1628;
6. Martha 1630;
7. Benjamin 1631;
8. William 1634;
9. Grace 1640;
10. Samuel 1649.

All of these baptisms are easily found and each one is said to be the child of Percival Levett. The spacing of the births between Sara and Anna seem to indicate two wives, and there may have been three. In 1648 Percival Levitt, Gentleman was married to the widow Jane Wade and he was given administration of his estate. Jane is the most likely candidate to be the mother of Samuel, born 1649.

Freemanship gave a man the right to work at his trade. An apprentice became a Freeman on completion of his apprenticeship. If Percival was 21 in 1611, would be be married and having children without having completed an apprenticeship or without "coming of age". In 1608 he would have been 18. There other obstacle here is a son, born in 1625 named John. Would Percival have two sons named John.

Emily Noyes, admits in her book that there is no proof that the Massachusetts immigrant, John, was the son of Percival. I think these new findings go a long way to proving that he was not. Anderson, of the Great Migration Series, states that the origins of John Leavett are unknown and I concur.

Percival Levett, Sr. did not immigrate to Massachusetts, he died in York in 1654 and was interred in St. Michael cum Gregory in York. For more information on Percival see[1] . ^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]}

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.jeaniesgenealogy.com/2015/12/percival-levett-of-york-england.html
2. ↑ Francis Collins, The Registers of St. Michael le Belfry, York, Part 1 1565-1653, (Leeds: Knight and Forster, 1899), digital images, Archive (https://www.archive.org : accessed 31 December 2015).
3. ↑ Francis Collins, Register of the Freeman of the City of York 1272-1759, (Durham: Andrews and Co., 1900), digital images, Archive (https://www.archive.org : accessed 31 December 2015).
4. ↑ Edward Bulmer, The Parish Records of St. Martin cum Gregory, York, (York: DeLittle and Sons, 1897), digital images, Archive (https:www.archive.org: accessed 31 December 2015).
5. ↑ "England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, Family Search (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J98D-BMC : accessed 31 December 2015), John Levitt, 27 December 1625, citing York, Yorkshire, England, reference - 2:2GZGNPQ; FHL microfilm 1,068,431.
6. ↑ Emily Leavitt Noyes, Leavitt, Descendants of John the Immigrant Through His Son Moses, (Concord, New Hampshire: Evans Printing Co., 1941), digital images, Archive (https://www.archive.org).
7. ↑ "Sheriff of York," Geni (www.geni.com/projects/sheriff of york/4815 : accessed 31 December 2015), 1597, Percival Levett.
8. ↑ "53: Thomas Leavitt of New England," Lincolnshire Notes & Queries, Vol 3, (1 January 1904 to 1 October 1905), 245, digital image, Google Play (https://books.google.com : accessed 31 December 2015).
9. ↑ J. J. Sheahan, T. Green, History and Topography of the City of York, (Beverely: John Green, 1856) 110, digital image, Google Play (https://book.google.com : accessed 31 December 2015).

Percival LEVETT (LEAVITT) (Percival LEVETT (LEAVITT), William LEVETT, Richard LEVETT OF LEAVITT, John, Wm.) was born in 1580 in Beverly, Yorkshire, England, England. He died on 16 Dec 1646/1647 in Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Colonies. Percival married (1) Margaret LINKLEY in England. Margaret was born in 1589 in Beverly, Yorkshire, England, England. They had the following children: + 54 M i. John LEAVITT [DEACON] was born in 1608. He died on 20 Nov 1691. 55 M ii. Joseph LEVETT (LEAVITT) was born in 1609 in Beverly, York, Eng. 56 F iii. Sarah LEVETT (LEAVITT) was born in 1611 in Yorkshire, England, , England. She was christened on 29 Nov 1616 in All Saints Pavement, York, York, England. She died on 20 Nov 1691. Sarah married Moses LEAVITT in 1709 in , Rockingham, NH. 57 F iv. Elizabeth LEVETT (LEAVITT) was born in 1612 in Beverly, York, Eng. 58 M v. Benjamin LEVETT (LEAVITT) was born in 1614 in Beverly, York, Eng. He was christened on 12 Jul 1632 in St.Mchl-Le-Belf, York, England. 59 M vi. Samuel LEVETT (LEAVITT) was born in 1615 in Beverly, York, Eng. 60 F vii. Abigail LEVETT (LEAVITT) was born in 1616 in Beverly, York, Eng. She was christened on 27 Sep 1614 in All Saints Pavement, York, York, England. 61 F viii. Mary LEVETT (LEAVITT) was born in 1617 in Of Hingham, Plymouth, MA. She was christened on 26 Sep 1615 in All Saints Pavement, York, York, England. She died on 4 Jul 1646 in Hingham, Plymouth, MA. She was buried on 4 Jul 1646.

Thank you to Robert Haack for creating WikiTree profile Leavitt-511 through the import of mallory.ged on Jul 23, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Robert and others.