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The Book has 84 pages I well keep posting tell it's all here for you.thats 12 pages
CHAPTER 1 ORIGIN
It is nrobable that the Leake family came to England from Normandy as the name is first spelled de Lec. A Luke de Lee is mentioned in Cathed'ral Charters in 1208 and Robert de Lee is mentioned in the same hook in 1272 as being presented at Levertan Church, Lincolnshire, England. The English Gen,e.alogist, book four, names several Leakes among its Lincolnshire families. Simon de Lake is also mentioned nine generations back of 1562, which would be about 1275 to 1300. It is, therefore, evident that the name was undergoing a gradual evolution and is said to have been derived from the occupa .. tion of physicians of that time, who were called leechs from the use of that animal in drawing blood from their patients. A record of John de Look is also found in the tax collections for Lancaster, England, in 1382.
By 1600, the name was most commonly spelled Leake and the records of many Leakes are to be found in England about that time. Some of the surnames are also given as Leek and Leak. AU three of these forms of spelling are also found in the later Virginia records for the same individual. The most common English given names were Robert, William, John, Frances, Walter, Elizabeth, :Mary, and Susan. These names occur with great frequency in Virginia today in this family.
The family attained its greatest prominence in England during the seventeenth century. Sir Robert Leake is mentioned as living about 1400. Sir Francis Leake, who was born in 1656 and died in 1720, was probably the father of Sir Francis Leake, first Earl of Scarsdale, 1581-1655. He was made Earl in 1645. The elder Sir Francis Leake was also the father of
Richard Leake who lived about 1590-1660. The eldest son of Sir Francis Leake II was Sir Nicholas Leake, 1625-1681, and was the second Earl of Scarsdale. Robert Leake, 1659-1684, son of Sir Nicholas Leake, was the third Earl of Scarsdale. Sir Francis II married Anne Carey. Sir Nicholas married Lady Frances Rich, third daughter of Robert Rich, Earl of '\Var\~lick.
Richard Leake, 1590 .. 1660, younger brother of Sir Francis Leake II, was the father of Calltain Richard Leake who lived 1620-1696. Captain Richard Leake served in the British Navy and was the father of Sir John Leake, the noted English admiral. Sir John Leake, 1656 .. 1720, was knighted by Queen Anne on February 3, 1703, and was made vice-admiral. He defended Gibralter in 1705, defeating the French flee~ for which he was promoted to admiral and later First Lord of the AdmiraUtY. In 1708, he captured Minorca. His only son, Richard Leake, 1682-1720, died a few months before his father and left no heirs.
llany Leakes came to Virginia during the early history of the colony. Among them were John Leake, 1635; Andrew Leake~ 1642; Richard Leake, 1639, Warwick County; Richard Leake, 1636, Accomac County; Richard Leake, 1637, New Norfolk Count)~; Christopher Leake, 1650; l\{ary Leake, 1654, Northampton County; Fra. Leake, 1653, Northampton County. Others came to New York and Massachusetts. The descendants of none of these are traced in this book and but little is known of them.
Howeyer, two families of this name in Virginia have fairly accurate records. One of these is headed by William Leake who settled in Goochland County in 1685, and is said to have been a first cousin of Sir John Leake. He married Mary Bostick and they came directly from England. The other family was headed by Samuel Leake, who with two sons came from
England about 1770, and is said to have settled in the Shenandoah Valley but soon moved to Orange County and Albemarle County. However, most of the Albemarle County Leakes were of the Goochland branch which are so called to distinguish them from the Orange County branch.
Samuel Leake of Orange County married a Miss Raner in England. Their sons William and Robert emigrated with them to Virginia. It is said that another son stayed in England. The authority for this is the traditions of the family and a short sketch of the Orange branch written by Robert Sharp Leake of West Jefferson, Ohio, in 1897.
The Goochland and Orange County branches were rather closely related through their English ancestry and knew their relationship and visited one another in Virginia. Both families claim descent from Richard Leake, 1590-1660, and claimed relationship to Sir John Leake. The Goochland family claimed that William Leake and Sir John Leake were first cousins. The Orange County family claimed close relationship with Dr. John Leake, 1729-1792, who established the Westminister Hospital. The Goochland family also claimed relationship with Dr. John Leake. The Orange family also claimed that Samuel was a grandson of Richard Leake.
Dr. John Leake had, according to the English records, two brothers and one sister. One of these brothers was Dr. William Leake of St. Philip's Hospital, Minorca Island. The other brother was not named but may have been Dr. Samuel Leake, who was a physician and practiced in Virginia.
The father of these brothers was Rev. William Leake, a clergyman of the Church of England, 1705-1775. Rev. William Leake was a son of Richard Leake who in turn was the son of Walter Leake, 1635 to about 1700. This Walter Leake was also the father of William Leake of Goochland County. This William Leake was probably a brother of Richard who stayed
in England. Now, Walter, father of William of Goochland, was a brother of Captain Richard Leake, 1620-96. This would make William of Goochland a first cousin of Sir John Leake, 1656-1720. The probable genealogy would be as follows:
1. Sir Francis Leake, 1550-1611, who had issue:
2. Francis Leake, 1581-1655, Earl of Scarsdale.
Francis Leake, 1581-1655, earl of Scarsdale, married Anne Carey and had:
3 a. Nicholas Leake, 1625-1681, Earl of Scarsdale. 3 b. Richard Leake, 1590-1660.
3 b. Richard Leake, 1590-1660, had two sons:
4 a. Capt. Richard Leake, 1620-1696, father of Admiral Sir John Leake.
4 b. Walter Leake, 1635 to about 1700.
4 b. Walter Leake, 1635 to about 1700, had two sons: 5 a. William Leake of Goochland, 1664-1725.
5 b. Richard Leake.
5 b. Richard Leake, son of Walter Leake (4 a) had issue: 6. Rev. William Leake of England, 1705-1775.
6. Rev. William Leake, 1705-1775, had issue:
7 a. Dr. John Leake of Westminister, England. 7 b. Dr. William Leake of Minoria.
7 c. Dr. Samuel Leake who emigrated to Virginia.
An interesting account of the origin of the Leake family of Virginia is given by the late Hon. Shelton F. Leake of Charlottesville in a letter to his nephew, Dr. Henry K. Leake of Dallas, Texas, written Aug. 14, 1879. It is quoted in part as follows:
"Shelton tells me that you wish a fuller sketch of our family than the one I sent you. I am not much learned in legendary lore and can give you but a meager outline. Our history has not been an eventful one.
"As I told you before, the first Leake that ever came to Virginia (William) is said to have been the son by a first marriage of a very wealthy man on the marches (confines) of Wales in England. His mother having died in his ea.rly infancy, his father married a second wife by whom he had issue. The estates were entailed so that they would have descended to the eldest son. During the absence of the father, the stepmother had the first born kidnapped and sent to Virginia. It so happened that a company of Gypsies were in the neighborhood at the time, and the step-mother persuaded her husband that the gypsies had stolen his son. Immense rewards were offered but, of course, without results.
"This is the legend current in our family. In confirmation of it (undoubtedly authentic), the following incident is given: My uncle, Austin D. Leake, was, about 1795, sent to college at Carlisle, Pa. He was expected home every day, when one day a young man rode up to my grandfather's. My grandmother saw him alight and, supposing him to be her son, ran out and threw her arms around him, and kissed him before she discovered her mistake. He was wonderfully like my uncle Austin and gave his name as Leake from one of the northern states. He was travelling for pleasure and remained for some weeks at my grandfather's. He said that he was descended by a second marriage from a very wealthy Englishman on the Marches of Wales and that the only son by the first marriage was stolen by Gypsies. Up to this time our name had been spelled Leak, but the young man persuaded my grandfather that the true spelling was Leake, and so it has remained ever since."
The arms of the Leake are argent on a saltire engrailed azure, nine amulets or, on a canton gules, a castle of the third. The crest is a cannon mounted on a carriage all proper. The motto is Fix ea nostra voco. Its translation is "I scarcely call these things my own." A more liberal translation is "The
deeds of long descended ancestors are but by the grace of imputation ours."
As can readily be seen, the foregoing is a probable rather than a proven genealogy but it is included as a family tradition that is supported by some English records. It furnishes a basis for further genealogical research and is of too great an interest to omit.
No further attempt has been made to trace the descendants of Dr. Samuel Leake of Orange but the family of William Leake of Goochland has been traced in some of its lines through the medium of well established records. Though the citation of these records may be tedious, it is necessary to prove the various assertions, and to preserve such records in case the originals should ever be destroyed.
EARLY VIRGINIA PERIOD
Fortunately, the family Bible of Mary Bostick, wife of William Leake, who was the immigrant ancestor of the Goochland branch of the family, has been preserved and is in the possession of Miss Sue Howard Leake of Richmond, Virginia. The date of printing of this Bible appears to be 1495 but it is more probably 1595. The title page bears this inscription:
"Imprinted at London by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, Printer to the Queenes most excellent Majestie"
The fly leaf of the Bible has these notations written on it:
"We have been in America one year May 25th 1686" "Mary Bostick her Booke
Given by her grandfather
Mary Bostick"
"William ~ak His Booke March 25th
1705"
"Josiah Leak his Book 1751"
This proves that William Leake married Mary Bostick and that they came to Virginia on May 25, 1685. It is probable that they were married after they came to the colony.
7
William Leake came from Nottingham, England. Their children were born in St. Peter's Parish and are listed in the parish register. Their home in Goochland was named Rocky Spring and remained continously in the family until recently.
William Leake (1), who was born in 1664 and died in 1725, married Mary Bostick and had issue:
Walter Leake (2), born about 1704 and died in 1758, who married Judith Mask.
Mary Leake (2), born about 1706 and died about 1765.
William Leake (2), baptized July 15, 1694 (Reg. of St.
Peter's Parish).
Jane Leake (2), born January 11, 1700/1 (Reg. of St.
Peter's Parish).
Richard Leake (2), baptized December 11 ... (Reg. of St. Peter's Parish).
Walter Leake (2), son of William (1) and Mary Bostick Leake, was born in 1704 and was a vestryman of St. James Parish and lived at Rocky Springs where he died in 1758. He had a large family. His wife was Judith, daughter of John Mask. She was born April 14, 1698.
The register of St. Peter's Parish contains the following entries:
"Judith Daughter of John Mask born ye 14th April and
baptz. ye 19th of July 1698.
"Mary Daughter of John Mask bapt. ye 31st Mae 1700. "William Son of John Mask Borne ye 6th Mae 1701. "Timothy Son of John Mask Borne ye 20th June 1702. "Thomas Mask deceased ye 15th d of February 1687/8."
There was a Thomas Mask who came to James City in 1638. He may have been the father of John Mask.
Walter Leake's will is recorded in Goochland County in Will Book 7 on page 279. A true copy is given below:
WILL OF WALTER LEAK OF GOOCHLAND
"In the Name of God Amen. I Walter Leak, of Goochland County, make this my last will and testament, (being very sick) Revoking all other wills by Me formerly made. And Appoint this my last, Acknowledging myself in my proper senses, I praise God for the Same.
"First: Desire my Body to be buried according to the Discression of my Executors hereafter named, without pomp.
"Secondly: that my Debts may be all paid when due, and as for my Temporal Estate it hath pleased God to bestow upon me, I give as follows, Viz. Impris. I give and bequeath to my son Josiah Leak part of the land whereon I now live, viz. the South Side from the road beginning at Groom's line and thence up the road to the Creek and up the Creek to Coles' Spring branch, thence up the sd. branch to the line, to him and his heirs forever. And the said Josiah Leak is to pay to Samuel Leak five and twenty Pounds Currt. Money.
"Item. I give and bequeath to my two sons John Leak and William Leak the remainder of the aforesaid land on the North Side of the aforesaid road that is to say anyone of them is to have the whole Paying the other for his part of it. and he that will give to the other the most for his part of it, shall take the whole to him and his heirs forever.
"Item. I give and bequeath to my two sons Mask Leak and Elisha Leak my Piece of Land in Albemarle which I bought of Paul Michaux to be equally divided between them in quantity and quality to them and their heirs forever.
"Item. I give and bequeath to my three daughters, Mary Christian, Christian Johnston and Judith Leak twenty Pounds apiece after their Mother's decease.
"Item. I lend to my Daughter Elizabeth Coleman my negro girl Agge to wait on her and to work for her, her lifetime and after her decease the said Agge and her increase if she has any shall be Equally divided amongst her children.
"Item. I lend to m~- loving wife and desire that she may have the use of all my Estate indu:i."ing her lifetime and widowhood, both land negroes, cattle, etc., and after her decease or marriage then these legacies to be paid, and the remainder of my Estate to be equally divided amongst all my children. I also desire that those of my children which have not been helped towards housekeeping with Bed, Pot, and Stock, etc. as the others, may be helped with such necessaries equally to what the others have been. I also appoint my loving wife Judith Leak and my son Josiah Leak Executors of this my last will and Testament, desiring my estate may not be appraised nor give security.
"Whereunto I set my hand and seal this 31st day of October Anno Dom. 1757. Published in Presence of us."
John Humber
Charles Christian Junr Walter Leak (seal)
Elizabeth Humber
At a court held for Goochland County May 16th, 1758. This writing was proved by the Oaths of John Humber and Charles Christian Junr. to be the Last Will and Testament of Walter Leak deed. which was admitted to record.
Teste,
Va. Wood Cl. Cur.
From this will and the family records we find that Walter (2) and Judith Mask Leake had the following children:
Josiah Leake, Sr. (3), who inherited Rocky Spring. He was born in 1730 and died in 1789 and his will is on file in Goochland County, in Will Book 16, page 475. The family records show that he was married three times
(1) to Ann Fenton, (2) to Ann Minter, (3) to Ann Foster.
William Leake (3) who married Judith Moseley and moved to North Carolina.
Mask Leake (3) born in 1735; died in 1813; married Patience Morriss of Hanover November 22, 1758, (Douglas Register, page 4).
Samuel Leake (3) who married Elizabeth Morriss of Hanover. He was a Presbyterian minister and a graduate of Princeton (see Foote's history). He died in 1776 in Albemarle County and left his widow and three daughters.
Elisha Leake (3) who married (1) Joyce Thomson April 20, 1760, (see Douglas Register, p. 5) and had at least one son, George Thomson Leake, who was born April 8, 1781, (see Douglas Register, p. 103). Elisha Leake married (2) Fanny Curd by whom he had two sons, Co1. Samuel Leake and Richard Leake of Shelby Co., Tenn.
John Leake (3), probably John M. Leake of Amherst County who served in the Revolution.
Elizabeth Leake (3) who married James Coleman in 1751, (see Douglas Register, p. 26-32).
14. Judith Leake (3) who married John Christian in Goochland on May 9, 1771, (see Do1iplas Register, p. -;
12). ~~:
Mary Leake (3) who is said to have married a Mr. Christian.
Christian Leake (3) married William Johnson before April 13, 1751, (see Douglas Register, p 41) and had issue:
Judith Johnson, born April 13, 1751.
William Johnson, born June 18, 1753.
Walter Johnson, born September 23, 1755.
Samuel Johnson, born November 17, 1757.
Manoah Johnson, born July 13, 1759.
Jeremiah Johnson, born February 14, 1762.
Stephen Johnson, born September 20, 1763.
Christian Johnson (daughter), born February 15, 1767.
Josiah Johnson, born April 24, 1769.
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