History of the town of Leeds, Androscoggin County, Maine, from its settlement June 10, 1780, Part 14

Author: Stinchfield, John Clark, 1843-
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: [Lewiston, Me., Press of Lewiston journal]
Number of Pages: 544


USA > Maine > Androscoggin County > Leeds > History of the town of Leeds, Androscoggin County, Maine, from its settlement June 10, 1780 > Part 14


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37


Their children were four in number, two of whom died in infancy, and another in childhood.


Rolinston F., the remaining child, was graduated from Coburn Classical Institute in 1891.


4. Corilla F. married Silas Harvey and occupies the home- stead of her father and grandfather. Her husband being the only representative of his people, in Leeds, no place is more fitting in this work to present him than in the family of which his wife is a member. He was a native of Winthrop, Me., and a brother of Mrs. Cushman, second wife of Isaac Cushman. When a young man he followed the life of a sailor, first a coaster and later a whaler. In the latter service voyages of three or four years were made and numerous foreign countries visited. The life of a whaler is attended with hardships and dangers, to. which he, like many another, was subjected. While absent on his last voyage he learned of the Civil War at home. On landing on his native soil he repaired to a recruiting office in Saco, Me., and in September, 1862, enlisted in the military service of his country. He went to the front as a recruit to the Fifth Maine Regiment, then in active service on picket line in front of Fred- ericksburg, and took part in the battle that followed. He was one of the men from the Fifth Maine Regiment who volunteered to cross the river in boats, under a hail-storm of rebel bullets which were being fired to prevent the laying of pontoon bridges. Many who started were killed or wounded, but enough there were who reached the shore to put the enemy to flight, and the bridges were laid without further hindrance. History enumer- ates the battles in which the regiment was engaged. After the battle of Gettysburg he was transferred to navy-ship Ino, where he was later made captain of a gun and remained until the close of the war. Returning to his native town, on a visit to his sister in Leeds, he became acquainted with and married Miss Cushman. They reside on the Cushman farm where peace and good-will abound, and where all the kin-folks and many friends are cordially received and shown the old landmarks. They have issue :


I. Ray L., b. in Leeds, Dec. 13, 1869; 2. Wilbert N., b. in Leeds, Jan. 18, 1872.


4. Thirza S., third child of Isaac, early manifested a desire to obtain an education and improved her time and talent in the schools of her native town. To obtain means to defray the expense of furthering her design, she entered the cotton mills in


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Lewiston. After remaining there for a time, she was heard to say, "There is something higher for me." This motto charac- terized her after life financially, morally and spiritually. By her own efforts as a teacher, she obtained the money to pay expenses while in the State Normal School in Farmington, from which she was graduated with a high rank. As a teacher she was of the best. Although years have come and gone since she was a teacher in her native and other Maine towns, words of praise remain on the lips of her pupils, and her memory is dear to many of those who knew her best. In 1871 she went to Nebraska where she continued in her school work. In 1873 she married Professor J. W. Love, of Omaha, and as assistant to him, entered the Institute of which he was Principal. Both Mr. and Mrs. Love recently died-but a few months intervening- leaving two daughters whose residence is in Fremont, Neb.


5. Flavilla A. was graduated from the State Normal School at Farmington and became a successful teacher. She, like her sister, went to Nebraska, where she was several years engaged in school work, and later married Robert O. Fink-a real estate dealer in Omaha. They have three children.


6. Angie D., a graduate of the same school as the older sisters, followed the same vocation; first, in Maine, and later in Nebraska. She, too, was a young lady highly prized by her many friends whom she left in her native State. She married Franklin Tym, of Omaha, in which city they now reside. They have a son whose age is 7 years.


7. Emogene, the youngest daughter of Isaac Cushman, received a good common school education. She remained at home with her mother, to whom she was strongly attached. and ministered to her every want. She married E. Brown, of Wales, Me., where they now reside. The mother is a member of the family in which she has so long received tender care.


8. John B. died at the age of 21 years.


LINDSEY FAMILY.


In the early part of the 18th century, there lived in the North part of Ireland a Scotch family, consisting of a widow and two fatherless sons, whose names were James1 and Thomas1 Lindsey. In the year 1725, the family came out to America and settled in Bridgewater, Mass., where the mother had relatives. The sons were but 4 and 2 years old respectively, and although of foreign birth, lived more years in the New World than most native-born inhabitants. When reared to manhood in their forest homes, they married and devoted their energies to subduing the wild lands in the home of their adoption. In 1744, James married


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HISTORY OF LEEDS


Hannah, born in 1719, a daughter of William and Eleanor (Whitman) Turner, who were also the parents of George Tur- ner, a pioneer of Leeds.


No fruit was born of this marriage. Thus the common pro- genitor of the Lindsey family, if not in this country, in this sec- tion of it, was Thomas.


I. Thomas, b. in the North of Ireland, in 1723; m. in Bridgewater, Mass., in 1745, Elizabeth, b. in 1722, a sister of his brother James' wife. To them were born in that town four chil- dren, to wit :


I. William2, b. June 16, 1747.


2. James2, b.


3. Thomas2, Jr., b. 1756.


4. Hannah2, b.


William and James were soldiers in the Revolu- tionary War, and soon after their discharge, in 1785, came to Littleborough where they settled, the former on the farm now occupied by one of his granddaughters, Catherine L. Knapp; and the latter near the buildings now owned and occupied by Greenwood C. Gordon-between them and the lake. Thomas, Jr., their younger brother, remained at home with his parents, for whom he cared until their decease, when in 1797 he, too, came to Littleborough and settled on Bishop Hill, where he took up the farm later occupied by his son, Howard, and now owned by one of his grandsons, Lewis L. Lindsey. On Dec. 25, 1802, returning on the ice from Wayne village on horseback, when nearing the home shore at the south end of Androscoggin Lake, both he and his horse broke through and were drowned. Hannah, their only sister, came to Littleborough in 1788, and made her home with James. In 1790, she was employed in the family of Thomas Stinchfield, whose wife died in 1791, leaving a family of children. In 1792 she married Mr. Stinchfield by whom she had one daughter, Hannah, who married Elizer Carver, Jr., and became the mother of a large family.


, I. William2, the eldest son of Thomas1 and Elizabeth (Tur- ner) Lindsey, m. in Bridgewater, in 1774, Hannah. a daughter of Increase and Catherine (Babcock) Leadbetter, who settled about 1786-7 on the farm now occupied by Samuel P. Francis at the extreme north


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HISTORY OF LEEDS


end of the town. She was b. in Bridgewater Nov. 6, 1752. They had a family of eleven children, namely :


I. John3, b. March 19, 1775 ; d. Feb. 1, 1834.


2. Polly3, b. March 21, 1777 ; d. June 9, 1819.


3. Abigail3, b. Jan. 26, 1779 ; d. July 23, 1813.


4. Azel3, b. Jan. 6, 1781 ; d. July 23, 1802.


5. Hannah3, b. June 17, 1783 ; d. April 13, 1874.


6. Lucy3, b. Aug. 30, 1785; d. April 8, 1816.


7. Catherine3, b. in Leeds April 15, 1787; d. March 27, 1823.


8. James3, b. May 20, 1789; d. Feb. 28, 1870.


9. William3, b. Aug. 26, 1791 ; d. March 31, 1810.


IO. Betsey3, b. July 24, 1793 ; d. July 30, 1796.


II. Archibald3, b. May 22, 1795 ; d. Nov. 15, 1870.


Of the children of William and Hannah (Leadbetter) Lindsey,


I. John3 went to Missouri when a young man where he married and died.


2. Mary (Polly), m. June 5, 1799, Capt. Roger Stinch- field (the first white male child born in Leeds- date, Feb. 9, 1781). She was the mother of nine children. She died in Marion, Iowa, June IO, 1819. Their children were Elizabeth (Mrs. Alpheus Lane) ; Azel (d. young) ; Alice S. ( Mrs. Barnabus Davee) ; Sarah B. (Mrs. Her- bert Libby) ; Ezra (who m. Abigail S. John- son) ; Catherine (who d. young) ; Azel (d. young) ; John R. (who m. Maria L. Foster), and William .(who d. in childhood).


3. Abigail was a maiden lady.


' Azel died in Martinique.


4.


5. Hannah was the second wife of Charles Knapp, a son of Joseph, a pioneer of Leeds. She will receive further mention with her family.


6. Lucy m. Simeon Knapp, another son of Joseph. She had a family of children, and two of her grandsons, Charles K. Hutchins and Charles B. Knapp, were captains in the late Civil War.


7. Catherine was the first wife of the afore- said Charles Knapp and further mention will be made of her with her family.


8. James m. Lydia Lane in 1813, and some years later removed to Milo, Me., where he died. He raised a family of smart children, one of whom, John, was a captain in the Civil War.


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HISTORY OF LEEDS


9. William d. at the age of 19 years.


IO. Betsey was a maiden lady.


II. Archibald m. first, Susanna Turner; second, a Mrs. Davis, by whom he had a daughter. He was a prominent man, a colonel in the militia, a thirty- second degree F. A. M. He d. in Milo, Me. His father, William, d. in Leeds March 31, 1831 ; and his mother, Elizabeth Turner, May 7, 1831. II. James, second son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Turner) Lindsey, was born in Bridgewater, Mass., July 22, 1755. He m. Phebe, a sister to William and Obadiah Pettingill, early settlers of Leeds. She was born in Bridgewater Oct. 25, 1755. James d. Jan. 9, 1849, and Phebe, his wife, Oct. 13, 1843. They had eight children, namely :


I. Betsey, b. March 18, 1780; m. Welcome Bishop; settled in Lagrange, Me .; issue, James, Wel- come, Thomas, Persia, Phebe and Job. d .-


2. Ann, a maiden lady ; b. July 29, 1781 ; d. April 12, 1864.


3. Mary, b. Feb. 9, 1783 ; d. young.


4. Daniel, b. Feb. II, 1784; m. in October, 1808, Jane Gilbert, and settled on the farm now owned by Rev. G. C. Gordon, where he remained until February, 1835, when, on account of poor titles to the real estate in that section of the town, with several others who had once paid for their farms, removed to Carroll, Me., where most of ยท his family settled, and where he d. May 27, 1863. Issue :


I. William Henry, b. Feb. 1, 1809; d. Oct. 18, 1850. Caroline, b. May I, 1810; d. Dec. 15, 1895.


2.


3. James Greenleaf, b. Oct. 19, 1811; d. March 7, 1894.


4. Charles Frederic, b. Dec. 13, 1813; d. in Minnesota.


5. Julia Ann, b. Aug. 25, 1815 ; d. Nov. 28, 1858.


6. Silas Augustus, b. Dec. 30, 1817 ; d. Oct. 9, 1845.


7. Betsey, b. Oct. 16, 1819; d.


8. Alvin H., b. Nov. 13, 1821 ; d. April 20, 1896.


9. Josephine B., b. Aug. 14, 1823 ; d. March 18, 1901.


IO Clarinda F., b. July 19, 1825 ; d.


II. Everett Howard, b. Sept. 3, 1827; d. -, 1830.


I2. Wallace B., b. May 2, 1830; d. March 27, 1861.


13. Daniel Webster, b. Aug. 5, 1832.


The above named children of Daniel were b. in Leeds. It is said by some that the youngest


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HISTORY OF LEEDS


child was b. in Carroll. The date of his birth compared with the date of his father's removal from Leeds to that town is strong evidence against it.


William H. m. Sophronia Stevens; settled in Car- roll ; no issue.


Caroline m. Howard Lindsey ; settled in Leeds ; had issue; receives further mention in family of Howard.


James G. m. Ann Graffam, of Leeds, Sept. 13, 1842; settled in Carroll; had issue Charles F., b. Nov. 13, 1845; George S. and Silas (twins) b. Feb. 28, 1850; Rose Jane, b. March 3, 1855; James W., b. Feb. 13, 1857 ; Anna Ann, b. Oct. 28, 1859.


Charles F. m. Mary Bishop, of Leeds, had one son, Ernest, who came to Leeds, lived with his grand- father, Abial Bishop, and died when a young man. His father was two years in the Mexican War, participated in nearly every battle and wit- nessed the surrender of the city. He died in Minnesota.


Julia Ann was a maiden lady.


Silas D. m. Matilda Dunham; no issue.


Betsey m. John Douglass, of Lee; had issue Charles, Olive J., Frank, Herbert, Julia A., and Daniel W.


Alvin H. m. first, Eliza Muzzy, of Carroll; issue, Lorinda B. and Ernest ; m. second, Augusta E. Gates, of Lincoln; issue, Daniel and Jennie.


Josephine B.m. Henry Douglass of Lee, Me. ; issue, William, John L., Ellen, Isabelle, James, Wal- lace B., Abbie A., Carrie, Jefferson, and Forest. Clarinda F., m. Ransom B. Austin, of Upper Still- water ; no issue.


Everett H. died in early boyhood.


Wallace B. m. Martha Brown, of Carroll ; no issue. Daniel Webster m. Abbie Gilpatrick, of Weston, Me .; issue Thomas, b. July 21, 1854; Elisha G., b. April 27, 1856; Mary E., b. Jan. 15. 1858; Martha E., b. Jan. 3, 1851 ; Josephine B., b. Nov. 18, 1867; Wallace B., b. Oct. 30, 1869.


5. Persis, fifth child of James and Phebe (Pettingill) Lindsey, b. March 10, 1786; m. in 1830, Elezer Carver ; no issue.


Thomas, sixth child of James, b. in Easton. Sept. 6. I, 1789; m. in Leeds March 30, 1816, Olive


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HISTORY OF LEEDS


Creach, b. in Barnstable Aug. 9, 1784; settled in Leeds where Wallace Gordon now lives; later, in 1834, moved with his family to Carroll; issue, Elvira, Emeline, Orrin L., Nancy, Celia, Naomi, Ruth, Miranda, and Edward. Seven of the above children of Thomas were born in Leeds. Elvira, Oct. 14, 1817; m. July 14, 1836, Moses Larrabee, of Carroll; issue, seven children, namely: Henry, Melvin, Elvira, Lovina, Lucia, Everett B. and Freeman H. Eveline, b. Feb. 17, 1821 ; m. July 2, 1837, John A. Larrabee, of Carroll; issue, I daughter, Eveline. Orrin L., b. July 26, 1822 ; m. April 11, 1837, Abbie Lewis, of Lee; issue, five children, namely : Viola C., Evelyn F., Orrin H., Berton B., and Daisy. Nancy, b. Dec. 4, 1824; m. July 6, 1851, Eli H. Lamb, of Carroll; issue, Leonie, Frederic, Leonie. Celia, b. Aug. 16, 1826; m. Sept. 20, 1846, Joseph W. Staples; issue, Willis T., Rose E., Alma, Charles, Frank B., Myra B., and Roland H. Naomi, b. April 17, 1829; m. Nov. 17, 1850, William A. Farrar, of Carroll; issue, Olive B. and Daniel S. Ruth, b. Oct. 2, 1830; m. March 29, 1854, Elisha Rome, of Oldtown, Me .; issue, Minnie and Tena. Marinda, b. in Carroll Feb. 1, 1836 ; m. Nov. 21, 1858, Stillman H. Lothrop ; issue, Elmina, Frederic and Harry. Edward, b. in Carroll Jan. 27, 1838; d. in Car- roll July 22, 1838.


Thomas, parent and grandparent of the above, d. in Carroll April 21, 1864.


7. Alvin, b. Aug. 29, 1792 ; single ; d. in New Bruns- wick.


8. James, the youngest child of James and Phebe Pet- tingill, b. June 12, 1795 ; d. July 8, 1795.


The foregoing comprises the children and most of the grandchildren of James Lindsey, one of the three pioneer brothers of Leeds.


III. Thomas, third and youngest son of Thomas1, who came to this country in 1725, m. in Bridgewater, Mass., Thankful, a daughter of Jonathan Bailey. She was a sister to Desire Bailey, the wife of Capt. Seth Howard, who was an early settler of Leeds. Their children were:


I. Mary, m. in 1811, Alexander Jennings, of Leeds, and settled near the center of the town where they reared a large family and lived the remain-


9


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HISTORY OF LEEDS


der of their years. Her children receive men- tion in a sketch of the Jennings family.


2. Ira, m. Joanna Merrill, of Turner, by whom he had a daughter and son, Silvia, who married Lewis J. Pollard, and Levi, who was brought up in the family of his Uncle Howard, and later went west.


3. Roland went west with his brother, Ira, where he married and reared a family of which the writer knows little.


4. Hannah, m. Charles Bates, and settled on the Bates Hill, another name of which is Quaker Ridge. She was the mother of several chil- dren, whom we hope to present in a sketch of the Bates family.


5. Robert, b. Oct. 5, 1798; m. Vesta Merrill, of Tur- ner in 1821, who was b. in that town in Decem- ber, 1802; and d. Jan. I, 1853. He d. Jan. 3, 1876. Both were taken to Massachusetts, where they were buried. They had issue :


I. Forest4, b. Jan. 16, 1822; d. in Illinois.


2. Tiley Merrill4, b. Oct. 24, 1823 ; m. Oren S. Bates in August, 1857; settled in Leeds; d. Aug. I, 1889.


3. Ira L.4, b. July 29, 1825; killed at Battle of Cold Harbor.


4. Maria Theresa4, b. March 17, 1827 ; d. in Worces- ter, Mass.


5. Franklin Jennings4, b. April 16, 1837; m. Hulda L. Richmond in April, 1871 ; now living in Tur- ner, Me.


6. Converse Lowell4, b. Aug. 21, 1842; disappeared from his hotel in New York several years ago and nothing of him has been learned since.


6. Howard, b. in Leeds Jan. 25, 1800, was the young- est son of Thomas and Thankful ( Bailey) Lind- sey. After attaining to manhood he assumed the care of his mother, and the farm on which his parents settled passed into his hands. There he spent his life. In October, 1829, he married Caroline, the eldest daughter of Daniel and Jane (Gilbert) Lindsey, who was born in Leeds May I, 1810. They had issue ten children : Roland, Everett, Roscoe Greene, Rossa Jane, Frederick Shaw, Julia Ann, Thomas Jennings, George Albert, Lewis Leavitt, and Robert.


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HISTORY OF LEEDS


I. Roland, b. April 6, 1830; d. Aug. 6, 1855.


2. Everett, b. May 20, 1831, was a soldier in the Civil War. On the eleventh of November he enlisted in the Sixth Maine Battery to serve three years, or during the war; was injured in the battle of Cedar Mountain, and by reason of disability was discharged Feb. 18, 1863. On the 7th of Septem- ber, 1864, he re-enlisted in the navy and attached to the United States war vessel Monadnock, took part in the capture of Fort Fisher. He was discharged June 26, 1865. March II, 1866, he married Mary Jane, a daughter of Deacon War- ren Howard, by whom he had one child who died at birth. Soon after, the mother died, in 1868. October 31, 1869, he married his brother's widow, Mrs. Eliza Ann (Berry) Lindsey. They had issue :


I. Mary Howard, b. Sept. 30, 1870.


2. Josephine A., b. Oct. 15, 1872.


3. Roscoe E., b. July 31, 1874.


4. Charles Frederic, b. Dec. 30, 1876; d. May 9, 1883.


George Albert, b. June 23, 1880.


Mr. Lindsey and family reside in North Mon- mouth.


3. Roscoe Greene, b. Feb. 5, 1833; m. in Leeds Jan. 17, 1856, Eliza Ann Berry. Their children were :


I. Clara J., b. in Leeds Nov. 29, 1856.


2. Howard E., b. March 2: 1858; m. Alice A. Crockett Nov. 6, 1880; is a merchant at North Mon- mouth.


3. Roland B., b. in Monmouth June 22, 1860; m. Maria L. Nutting, of Norridgewock, June IO, 1884. Residence, Lawrence, Mass.


4. Roscoe, Jr., b. in Presque Isle, March 20, 1862; d. in Leeds July 23, 1864. Roscoe G. enlisted in the Second Maine Cavalry Regiment, Co. I; d. at Barrancas, Fla., Sept. 9, 1864.


4. Rossa Jane, b. Sept. 8, 1834; m. Charles Warren Foster Nov. 2, 1854; have one son; reside in Lawrence.


5. Frederic Shaw, b. Sept. 29, 1837; enlisted with his brother, Everett, on the IIth of November, 1861, in the 6th Maine Battery. After a few months' service was discharged on account of disability. He died in Bangor Nov. 6, 1874.


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HISTORY OF LEEDS


6. Julia Ann, b. Oct 6, 1839; m. William Benson Sum- ner Jan. 24, 1864. They had issue three chil- dren-Caroline Howard, Sophia Benson and Robert Lindsey.


7. Thomas Jennings, b. March 12, 1844; enlisted in Co. I, 23d Me. Vol. Reg't service three months. Nov. 26, 1869, he m. in Lawrence, Mass., Grace Adelia Ladd, by whom he had one daughter. His residence is Lawrence, Mass.


8. George Albert, b. Dec. 17, 1845; m. Nov. 14, 1871, Mary Elizabeth Culver, of Groton, Mass. Their residence was Lawrence, Mass. He was a man of prominence in that city and none were held in higher esteem. His popularity was the reward of merit. He was in the city govern- ment, a member of the board of Aldermen. The several orders in which he held membership were Tuscan Lodge of F. A. M .; B. P. O. Elks, No. 65; Mt. Sinai R. A. C .; May-Flower Colony ; Pilgrim Fathers. He was beloved, and when his death occurred, Feb. 9, 1893, the floral tributes, so bountifully bestowed, and the mul- titude of people who assembled to pay their last respects to the honored dead, best bespoke his true worth. He left no issue.


9. Lewis Leavitt, b. Dec. 8, 1847, when a young man, like most of his brothers, spent several years in Massachusetts. Later, he returned to the farm where he was born-where his father was born and on which his grandfather settled. He mar- ried in November, 1872, Flora E., a daughter of Abner and Mary H. Curtis, who was born in Leeds, June 2, 1852. They assumed the care of his parents, and when their last duty to them in life had been done, tenderly laid them to rest in the cemetery in the valley, westerly of where they died ; the father, Jan. 21, 1880; the mother, Dec. 15, 1895. No words of the writer are necessary to present Mr. Lindsey and his fam- ily to the readers, and especially to the people of their native town, who know them best. Theirs is, and ever has been, a pleasant and hos- pitable home for all relatives and friends, who are many. They have two sons and three daughters :


I. Arthur L., b. July 15, 1874.


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HISTORY OF LEEDS


2. Bertha M., b. Nov. 30, 1875.


3. Alice B., b. June 3, 1880.


4. Annie L., b. April 10, 1885.


5. Harry C., b. Nov. 6, 1892.


IO. Robert, b. Nov. 27, 1851 ; m. Annie Etta Smallidge, of Mt. Desert, in Lawrence, Mass., May 31, 1882. Their residence is Lawrence; have no issue. Robert was the youngest child of How- ard and Caroline Lindsey, and went to Lawrence when a very young man. He is said to be a man of means and held in high esteem in that city.


7. Dorcas, who m. Abial Bishop in 1826, settled near her parental home and reared a family which is further mentioned in a sketch of the Bishop family.


KNAPP FAMILY.


. The Knapp family trace their origin to Saxony, a province in Germany. Their early history in England leads many of the descendants to fix their nationality as Anglo-Saxon or English. The name is derived from a Saxon word, the root of which is spelled Cnoep; signifying a hill-top or summit. Of several of the same name who lived on the same hill, John occupied the top or knob, and thus was called John of the cnoep or knob. Subse- quently, the preposition was eliminated, for convenience, and he was called John Cnoep; the German formation being Knopp, and the English Knapp.


The family Arms, together with a full description, may be found in the Herald's College, in London. They were granted to Roger de Knapp by Henry VIII, to commemorate his skill and success at a tournament held at Norfolk, England, in 1540, in which he is said to have unseated three knights of great skill and bravery. By the descendants of his son John, these Arms are still preserved as a precious memento of worthy ancestry. The Arms of a family are what a trade mark is to a merchant-his own private property. It is generally expressive of some important principle. The origin of the Arms of the Knapp fam- ily is given in English Heraldry. It describes them as used by John Knapp and his son John in 1600. They are expressive and full of meaning. The Shield and Helmet, clad in mail, denotes a preparation for war. The Shield on which the Arms are dis- played is of gold, expressive of worth and dignity; the Arms in sable or black, denote authority ; the three helmets on the shield are acknowledgments from high authorities for victories gained.


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HISTORY OF LEEDS


The helmet, which is placed between the shield and the crest and rests upon the former, is an esquire in profile of steel, with visor closed and turned to the right side of the shield. The wreath borne away by the victor, as represented on the sword, is positive proof of laurels won and honors bestowed. The Lion passant, on the shield, denotes courage, or consciousness of strength, and yet, walking quietly when not provoked or forced to defence. The Arm that bears the broken sword, indicates the character of the family. Though having fought in defence until the sword was broken, his courage does not fail; his arm is still uplifted; grasping the broken sword, and in the heat of battle he exclaims, "In God we Trust," which is the family motto. In the 15th cen- tury, the Knapp family was one of wealth and position in Sussex County, England.


In 1630, a large colony of well-to-do farmers left England under the command of Winthrop and Salstansall and landed on the coast of Massachusetts. Of the number were three brothers, namely: William, Nicholas and Roger Knapp.


William, who was born in England, in 1570, settled in Water- town, Mass. His children were William, Mary, Elizabeth, Ann, Judith, John and James. They and their children settled later in Taunton, Roxbury, Newton, Boston and Spencer, Mass.


Nicholas settled in Watertown, and his children by his first wife, Eleanor, were Jonathan, Timothy, Joshua, Caleb, Sarah, Ruth and Hannah. In 1648, he removed to Stamford, Conn., where by his second wife, Unity, his children were Moses and Lydia. His children settled in Norwalk, Greenwich, Rye, Peek- skill, Danbury and other neighboring towns.


Roger settled in New Haven, and later in Fairfield, where by his will he mentions his wife, Elizabeth, and children, Jonathan, Josiah, Lydia, Roger, John, Nathan, Eliza and Mary. They set- tled in the towns of Fairfield County. In that century, and even as late as 1800 many spelled the name with one p, thus: Knap. One of the original proprietors of the town of Turner, Me., was Joseph Knap; to whom, with other Revolutionary soldiers, the grant was made for meritorious services rendered in that war. Although a proprietor, he was not a settler in that town. He was born in Scituate, Mass., and when a child, his mother moved to Bridgewater, where he was reared to manhood, and where he married Susan Packard. They had issue Joseph, Matilda, Elijah, Ziba and Rhoda. The father, and son Joseph, espoused the cause of liberty and independence, and although the son was but a mere boy, he accomparied the father and fought by his side through the war. This son,




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