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Wednesday, June 07, 2017

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2017 WEEK 15: THE QUESTION OF SARAH CONANT

I haven't seen much for  8x great grandfather John Leach. There's actually more about his wife Sarah, because she was the daughter of Roger Conant, one of the founders of Salem Ma. While I haven't found any record of a marriage, it seems to have been accepted by many genealogists. Author Frederick Odell Conant lays out the argument for it in his A History and Genealogy of the Conant Family in England and America, Thirteen Generations, 1520-1887:

4. Sarah" {Roger), born about 1628; married John, son of Lawrence and Elizabeth Leach. Although there is no direct documentary evidence to prove that she married John Leach, the circumstances indicating such a marriage are considered sufficient to warrant the statement; viz.: 1st, John Leach's wife was named Sarah; 2nd, there is no record of the marriage of either of them to anyone else; 3rd, John Leach was a near neighbor of Roger Conant; 4th, John Leach's eldest surviving child was John, and there were at least four daughters, one of wThom was named Mary, who, at the time of Lot and Roger Conant's death, was unmarried; 5th, in Lot Conant's will Mary Leach is called kinswoman; and in Roger Conant's will she is mentioned in connection with his granddaughter, Rebecca; he also mentions his daughter, Sarah, and her son, John, and four daughters. Lawrence Leach came to New England in the fleet with Higginson, in 1629; took the freeman's oath 18 May, 1631, and died June, 1662, aged about 82.

John Leach had a grant of land 1637, and was made freeman 1681 (Savage).
 

Sarah Leach was admitted to the First Church, 1648, and dismissed to the Beverly church, 1667; she died about 1681.

Children of John and Sarah (conant) Leach:
i. John, bapt. 3 Sept., 1648;
ii. John  twins bapt. Nov., 1648 , married and had family.
iii.Sarah twins bapt. Nov., 1648
iv. Rachael, bapt, 6 Apr., 1651.
v. Sarah, bapt. il June, 1652.
vi. Elizabeth, bapt. 27 Nov., 1653.
vii. Mary, bapt. 8 Sep., 1654; m. 2 Mch., 1080, Thos, Field, and probably then received the cow or heifer left her by Lot Conant, 1674, "at her being married or leaving my wife."
viii. Richard, bapt. 15 June, 1656, d. y.

-pp135-136
A History and Genealogy of the Conant Family in England and America, Thirteen Generations, 1520-1887: Containing Also Some Genealogical Notes on the Connet, Connett and Connit Families Private print. [Press of Harris & Williams],  Portland, Me. 1887

The marriage is also listed in the profile for Roger Conant in The Great Migration Begins page 454

I have a double descent from Roger Conant through his son Lot, who is my 8x great grandfather through my Perkins>Packard>Dunham line. My 2x great grandparents Asa Freeman Ellingwood and Florilla Dunham were 6x cousins through their shared descent from Roger Conant.  

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