NALF - Leavitts in America

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 M. 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.