THE LEAVITTS IN AMERICA
CAPTAIN CHRISTOPHER LEVETT
The first of our family to reach America is thought to have been Captain Christopher Levett, sent to New England by the King in 1623 to survey the coast of Maine and Massachusetts and establish new settlements. His grand design was to establish a city at some eligible spot along the New England coast, to be named York after the metropolitan city in England, and to found there, in all pomp and circumstance, a full theocratic establishment with influence over all New England.
Captain Levett, and Robert Gorges, son of the Governor General of New England, started settlements at various places on the coast of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, but were obstinately resisted by the sturdy fishermen along the coast, and they all returned to England in the spring of 1624. His report to the Council for New England was printed in 1628 and recounted the details of his 1623 expedition. It also reflected his growing dissatisfaction with the glowing reports of former explorers, for example he states:
"Nor will the deare come when they are called, or stand still and looke on a man, until he shoots them, nor the fish leape into the kettle". His report told of landing on the Isle of Shoals, his comment being: "Upon these islands I neither could see one good timber tree, or so much good ground as to make a garden." He then crossed to the mainland where one Mr Thompson had built a plantation. He stayed with Thompson about one month while waiting for his men to arrive from England. His party then traveled up the Maine coast, exploring the rivers and harbors, and meeting the inhabitants, mostly Indians who were usually friendly and, much to his surprise, spoke some English, which they had learned from the fishermen.
After building the first house at Casco Bay, Maine he returned to England for his family. No doubt something prevented him from a second voyage until 1629, when he gave deed of his property to a man named Cleaves. Christopher is mentioned as having gone aboard the ship Arabella, to greet Governor Winthrop in 1630. Christopher died at sea in 1631.
The first Leavitts (now spelled with an "a") to settle in America were John, believed to be a nephew of Christopher Levett, who arrived in the Bay Colony about 1628, and Thomas, who arrived in the Exeter-Hampton area of New Hampshire about 1637. The difference in spelling of last names is not relevant. During his time in Massachusetts, Deacon John's last name was variously spelled Levit, Levitt, Leavit, Leavitt, Levyt, Levet and Levett. It seems that clerks only settled on Leavitt after John settled in Hingham.
The relationship between our two progenitors John and Thomas has long been a mystery, thought to be close cousins. It appears John is descended from the Levetts of Yorkshire and Thomas is descended from the Levetts of Melton England. In 2009 we discovered through our Leavitt DNA testing of descendants that there appears to be absolutely no connection between the two families. Our two families have intermingled throughout New England over the centuries and even our founder Emily was descended from both lines. In that way many Leavitt's are descended of both Thomas and John, and so we continue research on both branches.
INTERESTED in reading about the voyage of Capt Christopher Levett? It is available on archive.org, or click on the book below to read it here. Sadly, the fold-out pedigree chart of his family did not come out with the Google books scan.
Captain Levett, and Robert Gorges, son of the Governor General of New England, started settlements at various places on the coast of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, but were obstinately resisted by the sturdy fishermen along the coast, and they all returned to England in the spring of 1624. His report to the Council for New England was printed in 1628 and recounted the details of his 1623 expedition. It also reflected his growing dissatisfaction with the glowing reports of former explorers, for example he states:
"Nor will the deare come when they are called, or stand still and looke on a man, until he shoots them, nor the fish leape into the kettle". His report told of landing on the Isle of Shoals, his comment being: "Upon these islands I neither could see one good timber tree, or so much good ground as to make a garden." He then crossed to the mainland where one Mr Thompson had built a plantation. He stayed with Thompson about one month while waiting for his men to arrive from England. His party then traveled up the Maine coast, exploring the rivers and harbors, and meeting the inhabitants, mostly Indians who were usually friendly and, much to his surprise, spoke some English, which they had learned from the fishermen.
After building the first house at Casco Bay, Maine he returned to England for his family. No doubt something prevented him from a second voyage until 1629, when he gave deed of his property to a man named Cleaves. Christopher is mentioned as having gone aboard the ship Arabella, to greet Governor Winthrop in 1630. Christopher died at sea in 1631.
The first Leavitts (now spelled with an "a") to settle in America were John, believed to be a nephew of Christopher Levett, who arrived in the Bay Colony about 1628, and Thomas, who arrived in the Exeter-Hampton area of New Hampshire about 1637. The difference in spelling of last names is not relevant. During his time in Massachusetts, Deacon John's last name was variously spelled Levit, Levitt, Leavit, Leavitt, Levyt, Levet and Levett. It seems that clerks only settled on Leavitt after John settled in Hingham.
The relationship between our two progenitors John and Thomas has long been a mystery, thought to be close cousins. It appears John is descended from the Levetts of Yorkshire and Thomas is descended from the Levetts of Melton England. In 2009 we discovered through our Leavitt DNA testing of descendants that there appears to be absolutely no connection between the two families. Our two families have intermingled throughout New England over the centuries and even our founder Emily was descended from both lines. In that way many Leavitt's are descended of both Thomas and John, and so we continue research on both branches.
INTERESTED in reading about the voyage of Capt Christopher Levett? It is available on archive.org, or click on the book below to read it here. Sadly, the fold-out pedigree chart of his family did not come out with the Google books scan.