NALF - Founding Fathers

THE FOUNDING FATHERS

JOHN LEAVITT

John Leavitt of Hingham, Massachusetts was certainly the first by this name to settle in America and to bequeath American soil to his progeny. Authors disagree as to the year of his arrival and the name of the ship he sailed on. Names of four different ships are given by as many authors. The most likely account

is provided by "The History of Ancient Woodbury, Conn." which states: "John Leavitt came to New England and settled in Dorchester in 1628." This information was very likely given to the author by immediate descendants of John who were early settlers in this part of the State. The Dudley genealogy states: "John ran away from an apprenticeship at the age of 19." All early authors and family tradition agree on this fact. If still an apprentice he would have to be under the age of 21 as apprentices were freed of their commitment at age 21. So being born in 1608, he would not have reached the age of 21 until 1629. This reinforces the statement that 1628 was the year he arrived in America.

As an apprentice John learned the trade of tailoring and went into business in Dorchester. Family tradition, carried on in "The Dudley Genealogy", "The History of Hingham, MA" and "History of Rockingham County", state

that after he became possessed of some property in Dorchester his Master learned of his whereabouts, came overseas and took from him his possessions, as by law he was entitled to do. It is known that a man of great wealth, Thomas Makepeace, came to Dorchester and purchased John Leavitt's property prior to his moving to Hingham, but whether this coincides with the apprentice story remains to be seen. "History of Rockingham County, N.H." states: "His master came from England and took away his little property in Dorchester so Deacon John went to Hampton and Exeter N.H. for a time". This statement has possibilities. It may be the reason of five of his sons settling in and near Exeter. It may be where he found his first wife, supposed to be a Mary "Lovet", whom he married in 1637. Perhaps Mary was not a

Lovet until after her marriage to John and an error was simply repeated time after time. It is also possible she was the sister of Thomas who lived in Exeter before moving to Hampton. The Thomas branch early on spelled their last name in various ways, mostly Lovet, but also Lovatt, Levett and Leuit. In early days the letters "o" and "e" were similar and often confused.

Mary died in July 1646 and John married second, Sarah Gilman, daughter of Edward and Mary Gilman, in December 1646. She was born in Caston, England in 1622 and lived with her parents in Hingham. In 1636 and 1637 and again in 1647, 1648 and 1665 a number of lots were granted to John Leavitt at Hingham, Mass.

John was declared a freeman on Dec. 15, 1636, meaning a church member. Only freemen could hold office or vote for rulers. He was a representative to the General Court in 1656 and again in 1664, He was a Selectman for several years and frequently engaged in town business. He was a Magistrate, which meant a member of the Governor’s Council.

John had 13 children; three sons and two daughters with Mary and four sons and four daughters with Sarah. Five of his seven sons married and had children. These were Israel and Josiah, who remained in Hingham and brought up their families there, and Samuel, Moses and Nehemiah, who all moved to and settled in the Exeter, New Hampshire area. The six girls all married, four of them twice. Only one had no offspring. The other five all had children and the Leavitt bloodline quickly passed into other families.

THOMAS LEAVITT

Thomas arrived in New Hampshire from England about 1637, living first in Exeter and then in Hampton. He married Elizabeth, about whom little is known, and then, in 1644 he married Isabella Bland, widow of Francis Asten and daughter of Joshua and Joanna Bland. An article by Thomas’ great great grandson in the Granite Monthly, vol. 25 states that Thomas came from Lincolnshire, England. Thomas’ name is first found in public papers of Exeter where histories state that he signed the so-called "Combination" in

1639. The society called "The Combination" disintegrated soon after Thomas moved to Hampton.

Thomas moved to Hampton in 1643 and was a soldier at Oyster River in 1695. N.H.P.P. vol. 1 states "Thomas Leavitt signed with others a petition for the Province of N.H. to the Governor" (note spelling).

Thomas and Isabella had four children, all boys. The eldest, Hezron, married Martha Taylor in 1667 and had eight children. The second son, Aretas, married Ruth Sleeper in 1679 and had six children that survived to maturity. The two younger sons, John and James, also married but left no male heirs.

There is no record of burial of Thomas or his wife but it is presumed they lie in the old Pine Grove Cemetery in Hampton. A boulder with a bronze tablet was erected for Thomas in this cemetery by the National Association of Leavitt Families in 1937.

Second Generation

Leavitt Publications