Source Text:

John Leggett, the Mariner.

We may believe him to have been the elder brother of
Gabriel. His home was in Westchester, Province of New York.
He died in the West Indies. His son afterward is registered "of
Barbadoes;" one of the circumstances connecting the family
with the first John Legatt of Barbadoes.

The following transcript of his will furnishes about all the
knowledge we at present have of him.

"Will of John Leggett of Westchester, made at Port Royall,
in the Island of Jamaica, dated Oct. 2nd, 1679.

Letters testamentary granted to Ffredrick Phillips, as Ex-
ecutor by Sir Edmund Andros, Feb. 2d, 1680, reciting: Whereas
John Leggett, late of Westchester, marriner, departed this life
on the Island of Jamaica, and that his last will hath been proved
in the court of the Mayor and Aldermen of New York City, and
security given by the Executor." New York Surrogate's Office,
Wills, Liber. I, pp. 448.

"In the name of God, Amen : I, John Leggett, now of Port
Royall, in the island of Jamaica afores'^ marriner, being very
weake and sick in body but of sound mind and memory (Praise
be therefore given unto Almighty God for the same), do make
this my present last will and Testament, in manner and form
following (that is to say) my body I committ to the Earth to be
decently Buryed, and as touching all such worldly estate God of
his mercy hath been pleased to blesse me with all. I give, will
& dispose of as ffolloweth, ffirst, I will that all my debts and
funerall charges shall be paid and discharged. Item, I give and
bequeath unto my well beloved son John Leggett all that my one
half part of the Ketch Tryall of New York, one negro boy now
on board the sd Ketch, known by the name of 'You-Boy,' one
hogshead of sugar, one Barrell & eleaven gallons of Rum, Two
barrells of Lyme Juice on board the sd Ketch, and all my wear-
ing apparel both linen & woolen, a piece and a remnant of white
linnen : and all the rest and residue of my personal estate what-
soever (not being before bequeathed) I give and bequeath unto
my now wife Anne Leggett, and unto the child she now goes
withall, if it shall live to the age of two years.

I give and bequeath the sum of Thirty pounds Sterling to be
paid out of the porcon or estate before hereby given unto my
said son John to my good friend Mr. Frederick Phillips now of
New York in America, merchant, whom I do hereby make full
and sole executor of this my last will & Testament, in trust to
and for the only uses and intents above menconed, and desire
him to take care of my sd son John Leggett, and bring him up,
or cause him to be bred up to the sea for his livelyhood, and to
pay all the above sd porcon to my sd son John at the age of one
and twenty years together with all such profits and produce as
shall or may be made thereoff and improved. And as touching
the legacy hereby given to my sd wife I will that she shall have



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and receive the same immediately after my interment and Bury-
all and I do hereby revoke, disannuU and make void all former
wills and Testaments w^hatsoever heretofore by me either made
or spoken and will this and no other to be my last will and Tes-
tament. In witness, I, the said John Leggett have hereunto sett
my hand and seal the 2d day of October Anno Domini, 1679.

John Leggett (seal)."
Witnesses :

Antho. Suimmer, Miles Garret,
Chas. Dawson, Tho. Cakewood, Sr.

Codicil orders payment of ";^io, i', 6^ on demand to Mr.
Olfords of N. Y. for 5 barrells of flowr."

Frederick Philipse, the executor of John Leggett's will, was
at this time the wealthiest citizen on the continent, and one of
the most distinguished citizens in the Province of New York.
When, after the Dutch had regained New York and money was
needed for its defence, it was resolved to raise it by a forced loan
from the most affluent inhabitants, Frederick Philips heads the
list of 62 names assessed for 80,000 guilders. He was a member of
Council under the English Governors from Andros to Bellamont.
In 1680 he acquired the Manor, and was first lord of Phillips-
burgh, Westchester County. He died 1702, aged seventy-six
years.

As another link in the evidence connecting the Westchester
Leggetts with John Leggett of Barbadoes, Frederick Philipse,
friend of John Leggett, the mariner, was a large land owner in Bar-
badoes, the "Springhead Estate;" there his son Philip was born
in 1676, resided and married the daughter of Gov. Sparks of Bar-
badoes, and his son, the Hon. Frederick Phillips, was born in that
Island, 1698, and became the second lord of the Manor of Philips-
burgh.

The son of John Leggett, the mariner, is identified by the
following extracts from the records of the Dutch Church of New
York:

"Married Sept. 14, 1688, Jan Leggett y. m. van de Barbadoes,
en Catalina Ten Broeck y. d. N. Albanien, de este wonende alhier
en tuede tot N Albanien."

Translation : John Leggett, a young man of the Barbadoes,
and Catalina Ten Broeck, young maiden of New Albany; the
first living here, and the second at New Albany.

Note:— "Nov. 13, 1688, John Leggett and Joseph Hadley wit-
nesses to deed of gift by Samuel & John Betts to John Barrett,
sister's son." Was it John the mariner, son of the mariner? H
not, who could it have been, John, son of Gabriel, not being of
age?

Marriage records. Province of New York, April 19, 1764, John
Leggett and Rachael Lametter. June 30, 1763, Gertrude Leg-
gett and Jacob Vosburgh.



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Compiler's Note: — In comparing the will of Gabriel Leg-gett
as given by the Rev. Mr. Leggett, with the copy filed in the
Surrogate's Office, New York (Liber 1-2, page 335, according to
the last binding of the volumes, or, Liber 2, page 25, according
the index), it appears that Mr. Leggett must have made a mis-
take in copying the will, and was therefore in error in thinking
that Gabriel made no mention of his daughter Mary in the will,
and hence, in his later conjectures as to the date of her birth.
The fourth paragraph of the will should read: "I give and be-
queath unto my daughter Martha Leggatt my little negro boy.
Item. / will and bequeath unto my da^igliter Mary Leggatt twenty
pounds. I will and bequeath unto my daughter Sarah Leggatt
twenty pounds," etc. Also; Mr. Leggett's note that this daughter
Mary was "well married to John Archer" at this time is not
correct, as we find in the will of GabrieP Leggett, 1781, a bequest
to his daughter Mary Archer, who is evidently the Mary, wife of
John Archer, to whom Mr. Leggett refers.

The son of John Leggett, the mariner, is identified by the
following extract from the records of the Dutch Church of New
York: Married, Sept. 14, 1688: "Jan Legget, j. m. van de Bar-
bados, en Catalina Tenbroeck, j. d. van N. Albanien, d'eerste
wonende alhier, entwede tot N. Albanien." Translation: John
Leggett, young man (i. e., unmarried), of the Barbadoes, and
Catalina ten Broeck, young maiden, of New Albany; the first
living here, the second at New Albany.

Their children, baptised in New York, as found in the Dutch
Church records, were:

1689, July 29. Rachel. Sponsors: Hendrick H. ten Broeck
and Gertrude ten Broeck.

1692, Feb. 28. Christina. Sponsors: Capt. Brandt Schuyler
and Lysbeth ten Broeck. (Christina died in infancy.)

1693, April 2. Jan and Christina (twins). Sponsors: Dirck
Wesselszen, Cornelia Schuyler, Jannetje ten Broeck.

The indications are that this family removed to Columbia Co.,
N. Y. From the Rev. W. J. Leggett, now of Nyack, I obtain the
information which enables me to arrange the following pedigree:

John,' the mariner, and wife, Anne.

John,' m. Catalina ten Broeck, Sept. 14, 1688; their son:

John,' bapt. April 2, 1693; m. Oct. 25, 1722, Beta Delemater;
their son:

John,* bapt. at Kinderhook, Feb. 9, 1723-4; d. 1773; m. and
had 3 sons and 3 daughters. The sons were: James;* John;
Tobias, who m. and had son John Tobias," who had 4 sons:
Abram,' Frank, Charles and Willis.

James,' married and had 2 sons and 4 daughters. Their sons
were: John;' James, who m. and had son James,' and 5 other
sons and 3 daughters.

John," m. and had 2 sons and 3 daughters. Sons; James,*
William.'

William,' m. and had 2 sons and 4 daughters. Sons: Charles
F./ who m. and had 2 sons, William F.° and Fred H.; and (Rev.)



24 .

W. Jm' who m. Eva Powell, and had children: Frank,* Paul, Carl
and" Fanny.

Marriage records. Province of New York:

1764, April 19. John Leggett and Rachael Lametter.

1763, June 30. Gertrude Leggett and Jacob Vosburgh.

There is also a New England family, of which I have direct
knowledge by correspondence with Mr. William Morris Legate
of Leominster, Mass., born 1815. He says the first of his family
came from Yarmouth, England, and was:

Capt. Robert,' or Thomas Leggate, born 1700-1710, who
was a captain in the English navy, and was killed at
the battle of Louisburg (whether that of 1747 or 1758
he does not state). His wife was a French woman
named Dupee. They had 2 sons: Thomas;^ Robert,
who m. and had son Thomas,' of Worcester, Mass., who
was city councillor, 1780-82.
Thomas," m. and had 3 sons: William,' a mariner; Thomas,
major at Galina, 111., 1846, who had 2 sons: George and
Bruce, both cadets at West Point; Samuel,' b. 1790.
William,' the mariner, m. and had son William Morris,*
and 2 daughters.

Representatives of this family are now living at Leominster,
Mass.; Stratham, N. H.; Hartford, Conn.; Leavenworth, Kan.;
Denison, Texas; Mineral Point, Wis.; Woodland, Yolo Co., Cal.;
Westerly, R. L

The tradition that the first of the Leggett name living in
America came from Essex County, England, is found among all
branches of the family, and was believed and told, I find, before
anything was written or printed concerning the pedigree. That
the American progenitors came from England is conclusive, and
the evidence seems to show that they came from Essex.