A Gilford, NH Family Reorganized

The family of STEPHEN LEAVITT, printed in the Descendants of Samuel Leavitt on pages 98-99, had been found to contain a few errors many years back. The major one involved his son Samuel, listed in the book as being born in 1784 and dying on 7 Mar 1866. According to Stephen's probate, his son Samuel was still a minor in 1814, so this eliminated the one listed in his place. "Sorting out the Samuels" will be a future entry, but the following research about Stephen and Mehitable Leavitt of Gilford, New Hampshire will be shared, with a reorganization of the family. 

Stephen Leavitt was probably born circa 1754 (based on his age during enlistments in Rev. War), a few years off from the 1757 year that Daniel T. Leavitt wrote on 12/17/1877 (and Emily Noyes included in her book). He died on 2 Apr 1812 [D.T.L. letter, 12/17/77] in Gilford (actually still a part of Gilmanton at that time). He was the son of Miles Leavitt, who died at Crown Point on 10 July 1756 while serving during the French & Indian War. He was married to Mehitable Eaton around 1781 (based on birth date of first born child). She died on 15 Jan 1825 [Gilford VR].

Land Deeds
In the will of his grandfather Ephraim Leavitt, Stephen was one of four grandchildren (all children of the deceased Miles Leavitt) to receive all the land Ephraim owned in Gilmanton, to be equally divided among them. This included part of the 40-acre lot #27 in the 1st Division, which was sold on 4 Jun 1776 to Paul Bickford [Strafford County Deed, Vol. 3, pg 320]. At this time, Stephen was in Epping, a yeoman. On 5 Feb 1780 [Vol. 3, pg 514], Martha Thurston (and husb Benjamin) sold all of her right to her grandfather's Gilmanton land to her brothers Jonathan and Stephen (another brother, Samuel, had died by 1771). Martha and Stephen were both living in Chichester, NH when this deed was signed. The next deed would be dated 22 Sep 1784 [Vol. 7, pg 119], when Stephen, now a husbandman of Gilmanton, was highest bidder on Lot #2, 5th Range, 2nd Div (original right of Ephraim), which had been put up for sale due to delinquent taxes. On 6 Dec 1784, he sold this [Vol. 7, pg 117] to Ebenezer Smith of Meredith (himself owning 15 acres in said lot). Brothers Jonathan and Stephen also owned Lot #15, 13th Range, in Gilmanton, and jointly purchased Lot #13, 14th Range [Vol. 8, pg 32]. They would partition these properties between themselves on a later date.  

Some of the lots in Gilmanton/Gilford held by Stephen Leavitt

Revolutionary War service [War Rolls on Fold3.com]
Only one Stephen Leavitt was known to reside in Epping, NH, so the following service records likely belong to him. He did not file for a pension.
- Stephen of Epping, age 21, husbandman, enlisted 26 May 1775 in Capt. James Norris' Co., 9th NH (Poor's) Regiment; paid off on 1 Aug '75, having served 2 months, 11 days 
- Stephen of Epping, age 22, 5 foot, 7 inches tall, black hair and eyes, enlisted 1 Jan 1776 in Norris' Co., Col. Poor's Reg't; listed as deserter on 28 Mar '76​
- Stephen of Epping, private, Capt. Wiggin's Company, Col. Pierce Long's (1st NH) Regiment,  served at Portsmouth, NH from 30 Sept to 7 Dec 1776, 2 months, 7 days in service. Mustered in again on 7 Jan 1777, being part of the company fit for marching to Ticonderoga (receiving advance pay), was at the fort on 27 Feb when muster roll called. Another card in his file lists 7 Aug 1776 to 11 Jun 1777 as his service time.

Signature of Stephen Leavitt on 7 Dec 1776, receiving his pay under Capt. Wiggin

Strafford County Probate
​​Stephen died intestate, having left no will. Administration was granted to son Jacob on 20 Apr 1813 [Vol. 20, pg 184], with son Benjamin and Miles Leavitt Thurston as bondsmen. Jacob would have just turned 21 years of age, and it is interesting that his two elder brothers hadn't been chosen for the task of caring for the estate.

It would be another year before guardianship of the youngest children of Stephen was granted. Vol. 19, pgs 197-199 lists the five appointments, which took place 15-18 April 1814: Samuel Leavitt of Gilford, husb., guardian of Stephen, "a minor above the age of 14 years" (so born ca 1793-1800); John Smith of Gilford, guardian of Samuel, minor above 14 years; Miles L. Thurston, grdn of Sally Leavitt, minor above 14 yrs; Ebenezer Smith of Gilford, Esq., grdn of Jonathan, minor under 14 years of age; and the widow Mehitable, granted guardianship over dau. Mehitable, minor under 14 years.

The inventory of the estate of Stephen Leavitt was taken on 28 Apr 1813 [Vol. 16, pg 340-344], which included part of Lot 5, 5th Range, in Gilford (32 acres on west side of road), value $160, and his homestead farm (about 100 acres) in Gilford, valued at $1650. A portion of his land needed to be sold to pay off the debts and, when his widow Mehitable had her dower set off on 19 June 1813 (approved 13 July), she received 12 plus acres of homestead farm, with rooms in the mansion house and part of barn, 108 square rods of orchard, and 1/3 of 70 acres in Lot 3, 14th Range, in Gilford [Vol. 15, pg 325]. 

The children of Stephen and Mehitable (Eaton) Leavitt:
As listed in the Descendants of Samuel Leavitt, on pages 98-99, they were probably all born in the part of Gilmanton, NH which would become Gilford in 1812. Errors have been marked, and their proper order of births numbered, with family record following. There were ten in number, as written by Daniel T. Leavitt, in letter to JPL.

i. LYDIA LEAVITT, b. 23 Dec 1781, d. 26 Mar 1855; married ca 1806, DANIEL MOULTON THURSTON of Gilford, b. 27 Apr 1784, d. 26 Feb 1842, Adrian, MI. Moved to Michigan in 1829; had three children, b. 1807-09 [Thurston Genealogies, pg 347]. Their dau, Mrs. Eliza Gouldsborough of Grand Rapids, MI, wrote to JPL in 1878, providing mother's birth date.
ii. BENJAMIN LEAVITT, b. 8 Nov 1783 [grave], d. 7 Oct 1873 [grave]; marr. JEMIMA AMES, d. 28 Nov 1856, AE 71 yrs. Six children listed in Desc. of Samuel Leavitt, pg 104
iii. MILES LEAVITT, b. 8 Feb 1788, d. 27 Jan 1870; Marr. 3 Sep 1815, SARAH BROWN, b. 19 Jun 1797, d. 7 Sep 1871 [Gilford Town Rec]. They had twelve children [Desc. of Samuel Leavitt, pg 122]. JPL corresponded with son Edward S. Leavitt, as well as Ida and John Hatch, ch of dau Eleanor (Leavitt) Hatch. He also wrote to son John P.
iv. ESTHER LEAVITT, b. 15 Feb 1790 [Ida Hatch letter, 2/9/1879], d. 1 Mar 1886, Gilford, aged 96 yrs, 10 das [NH VR]; married 26 Oct 1815, DANIEL FROHOCK, b. ca 1797, d. 25 Oct 1873. She was erroneously listed as having died young, and listed as a child of Stephen's brother Jonathan [Desc of Samuel, pg 90]. Both buried in Lamphrey Cem, Gilford, listed on monument with several of their children [Find a Grave]. In 1878, she was living with son Richard Frohock, Esq., in Gilford Village (JPL wrote to him in 1878).
v. JACOB E. LEAVITT, b. 1792, d. 10 Jan 1862 in Moultonborough, aged 70 [NH VR; grave, McCoy Cem]; marr. SALLY FLANDERS, b. , d. Campton, NH, 25 Jun 1881, AE 84 [grave, McCoy Cem]. Numbers listed for Jacob's household in the 1820-40 Gilford, NH censuses would suggest only three children. Moved to Moultonborough, NH prior to 1850 census.
   1. Hannah D. Leavitt, b. ca 1816, d. Campton, NH, 29 Jul 1891, aged 74 yrs, 7 mos; marr Benjamin Adams. Several ch, listed on Find a Grave (Blair Cem, Campton).
   2. Jacob E. Leavitt, b. 25 Sep 1820, d. 15 Jan 1863; marr. 1 Jan 1846, Sarah A. Conner, b. 14 Aug 1824, d. 20 Apr 1898. Five children (and wife) were listed under his father in Desc of Samuel, pg 98 (Caroline B is error; only four ch in probate - a 5th, Ai Hanson Leavitt, d. young).
   3. Elizabeth F. Leavitt, b. ca 1824, d. 3 Sep 1864, AE 40. Marr. Enoch Flanders Jr, 5 Jan 1848.
vi. SAMUEL T. LEAVITT, (Samuel Jr until 1817) b. ca 1793-4 (age 56 in Aug. 1850 census), d. 5 Nov 1852, aged 60 [NH VR]; marr 1st, 17 Nov 1814, to HANNAH DUDLEY SANBORN, b. 26 Jan 1796, d. 9 May 1817 [Genealogy of the family of Samborne or Sanborn in England and America, 1194-1898, pg 195], the dau of Joseph and Sally (Thing) Sanborn.; 2ndly marr, 24 Dec 1817, DOROTHY J. STEVENS, b. ca 1797, d. 1875 [grave]. Buried in Laconia's Union Cemetery. Attempts were made by JPL, in 1878, to make contact with his son Alvah E. Leavitt in Detroit, MI for family history. He was erroneously placed in the Desc. of Nehemiah book, pg 27/44.
vii. STEPHEN LEAVITT, b. 10 Mar 1796 [per Dan'l T letter, 12/17/77], d. 24 Feb 1870; Marr. 20 Nov 1822, CHARLOTTE SARGENT, b. 4 Dec 1799, d. 7 Jun 1857. They had three children [Desc. of Samuel, pg 129], including Daniel T. Leavitt, who corresponded with JPL.
viii. SALLY/SARAH LEAVITT, b. 1798, d. aft 1870 census; marr. (as his 2nd wife), HENRY MALLARD, b. 1787, d. 16 Jun 1844, AE 56 yrs.
   1. Clarissa "Clara" A. Mallard, b. 3 Aug 1838, Gilford; marr John A. Davis. Her name given to JPL by Daniel T. Leavitt in 1878, as contact for further info from this family.
   2. William H. Mallard, b. ca 1842, Gilford, NH
ix. JONATHAN LEAVITT, b. 1800, d. 18 Sep 1883, Laconia, NH, aged 83; Marr. 6 May 1822 [New Hampton, NH VR, v.1 pg338] SUSANNA SLEEPER, b. 1795-97. Lived in Alton, NH, 1840-50 censuses; Gilmanton, NH, 1860; Pittsfield, 1870. Two known ch, listed on pg 99 of Samuel gen.
   1. Susan T. Leavitt, b. ca 1821-25 (aged 15-19 in 1840)
   2. Joseph A. Leavitt, b. ca 1833-4, d. 1 Aug 1885 
x. MEHITABLE LEAVITT, b. 23 Sep 1804, d. 31 Aug 1851, Gilford; Marr. 15 Feb 1827 [NH VR - rep from Gilford], JOHN F. COLEMAN, b. 1 Aug 1805, Dover, NH; d. 23 Nov 1864. Information on family came from dau Laura in 1878 (JPL).
   1. Laura Ann Coleman, b. 5 Aug 1831, d.  ; marr. David H. Rice, 9 Apr 1851, Lowell, MA. Living in Bristol, NH in 1878 when she replied to JPL's letter for family info.
   2. Henrietta Addams(sic?) Coleman, b. 31 Oct 1837, d. 15 Feb 1848
   3. John Woodman Coleman, b. 30 Dec 1833, d. 7 Dec 1854

NOTES
1. William S. Leavitt - no descendants of Stephen Leavitt made any mention of there being a son with this name, nor has he been found in any records to support his placement here. Also, the marriage to Anna Leavitt in 1806 belongs to a Tuftonboro and Moultonborough NH line. Based on his placement in the above list of children, directly below Samuel's name,  I believe one of the letters to JPL (this one not yet found) made mention of Samuel T.'s son William S. Leavitt as a contact, which was misinterpreted as a son of Stephen. This William S. Leavitt (1820-1903) lived in East Milton, MASS in 1878.     

2. Eliza b. 1809 - she was not a child of Stephen Leavitt, but a daughter of Lydia (Leavitt) Thurston. In the 8 Jan 1878 Daniel T. Leavitt letter to JPL, he listed all of Stephen's offspring, and the contact info for each of them. It looks like Emily may have misread this letter, and thought Eliza was listed as one of the children.