Wead/Mead article, American Genealogist 1949

This is a very crinkly old paper, so crinkly I should transcribe it before it’s too late.

            The American Genealogist – January 1949 – Vol. XXV No. 3 July 1948

Page 160

            The Second Wife of Hudson (3) Leverett by Frederick W. Wead, Esq., of Boston, Mass.

Hudson (3) Leverett, son of John (2) Leverett and Hannah (Hudson) Leverett, born at Boston Mass., 3 May 1640, died there between 10 Oct. and 1 Dec. 1692, married first at Boston 20 Aug. 1661, Sarah Payton, dau. Of Capt. Bezaleel and Mary (Greenow) Payton, born at Boston 9 Aug. 1643, d. there 7 June 1679 (Kings Chapel Records). Sometime before 21 Sept. 1681 when he and his wife witnessed the Will of William Cheney (Suffolk Probate, #I 1189) he married a second wife, Elizabeth. That she was the daughter of Matthew and Hannah (Andrews) Gannett of Scituate and the widow of John (2) Tay is proved by the following records:

            The will of Matthew Gannett, dated 23 Aug. 1694, proved 15 Nov. 1694 (Supreme Court files #3042), names his daughter Hannah Adams, Abigail Dodson, and Elizabeth Leverett, and grandchildren Esther Palmer, David Adams, Thomas Leverett and the four children of his son Joseph deceased.

            The will of the widow Hannah Gannett (Plymouth Probate, #8544), dated 18 Oct. 1700 proved 31 July 1701, named Elizabeth Leverett executrix.

            Hudson Leverett’s unproved will (printed in Sewall’s diary 3:31) was dated 10 Oct. 1692 and names wife Elizabeth, sons John and Thomas, daughter Mary, wife’s daughter Elizabeth Myhem, and cousin Esther Palmer.

            Suffolk Registry of Deeds, 16:368: on 16 Sept. 1692, Hudson Leverett set up a trust for the benefit of his wife Elizabeth with David Adams (her brother-in-law) and his brother Abraham Adams as trustees. This included some land in New London, Conn., which Hudson had bought of Thomas  Bell.

            The Boston Vital Records show that Elizabeth Tay married Paul Myhem on 17 Dec. 1689. She was the daughter of John Tay, son of William and Grace (Newell) Tay, who was baptized at Boston 21 Nov. 1647 and died at Weymouth, Mass., 21 Oct. 1678. It will be noted that John Tay’s death occurred at a reasonable time for his widow to marry Hudson Leverett, whose will called Elizabeth (Tay) Myhem his wife’s daughter.

            Elizabeth Leverett died at Roxbury, Mass., 16 Dec. 1714. Administration was granted to “her brother” Joshua Winsor on 5 Mar. 1714-15. Joshua Winsor was the father of Rebecca Winsor who married at Boston, 11 Dec. 1701 Thomas Leverett.

            There is no record of the birth of Thomas Leverett, but that he was the son of Hudson Leverett by his second wife Elizabeth is indicated by the will of her father Matthew Gannett (above) and also by the fat that he was not named in the will of his grandfather, Gov. John Leverett (Supreme Court Files, #1759) which was made 15 Mrch 1678-9 and proved 25 March, 1679, although his brother John was named in it. Hence he was presumably born later than March 1679, and Hudson’s first wife (Sarah Payton) died only three months thereafter.

            Furthermore, on 11 May 1705, John (4) Leverett sold as “lawful heir” land which had belonged to Bezaleel Payton without consideration of his brother (Suffolk Registry, 22:280). Also when John (4) brought suit in May 1707 against his Aunts for his share of his grandfather’s estate, he ignored the rights of the children of Thomas (4) and it was not until 11 July, 1725 (Suffolk Registry 39:41) that John’s two daughters, Sarah (5) Leverett and Mary (Leverett) Dennison, agreed to a division of the land with Knight (5) Leverett, son of Thomas (4).

The Will of Matthew (1) Gannett is printed in the book “Fifty Ancestors of Henry Lincoln Clopp, who came to New England – From 1620 to 1650” p.46

Transcriber’s note: This paper was found in a file of genealogical papers and was very old. The numbers were printed above and the names and without parentheses; I transcribed them as being in parentheses. Having never seen the actual American Genealogist article, I have no idea if this typewritten version is accurate, but it seem authentic based on my knowledge of what Wead said. By the way there is also some uncertainty, in whether the author is called Wead or Mead. I have seen both. –TL, 6-2020.