Ensign Ebenezer Phelps was the son of William and Abigail (Mudge) Phelps born on April 2, 1705 in Windsor, Connecticut. William and Abigail had two sons; William Oliver (1702), Ebenezer (1705). Abigail died in 1705. William remarried Ruth Barbar. William and Ruth had four children; Caleb (1708), Samuel (1710), Jacob (1711) and Ruth (1713).
Ebenezer’s parents were among the early settlers of Windsor, Connecticut. He was a farmer. He earned the title of Ensign while serving in the French War of 1755 shortly before his death.
Ebenezer Phelps married Mindwell Eggleston on July 12, 1727 in Windsor, Connecticut. Ebenezer and Mindwell had six children; Mindwell (1728), Abigail (1731), Agnes (1735), Ebenezer (1735/died young), Ebenezer (1741), Sarah (1744), Lucy.
Ensign Ebenezer Phelps died two hundred and sixty six years ago on September 22, 1756 in Windsor, Connecticut. He was buried in the Palisado Cemetery.
This photo was shared on the Canadian Fidagrave site .
William Henry Best was the son of Frederick and Elizabeth (Trowbridge) Best, born on October 6, 1837 in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada. Frederick and Elizabeth had ten children; John (1831), Dorothy Ann (1833), William Henry (1837), Catherine (1838) , Martha (1840), Casper (1842), Frederick (1844), Mary Elizabeth (1845), Sarah Jane (1847), Murphy (1851).
In the 1851 Canadian Census, William Henry is fifteen years old and is listed with his parents and and all nine of his siblings listed above.
In the 1861 Canadian Census, William is listed with his mother, Elizabeth, who is a widow. There are six siblings who remain with Elizabeth. He lists his occupation as farm laborer. He is twenty four years old.
A special Thanks to Doug Smith for sharing this photo on the Canadian Findagrave site.
William Henry married Sarah Neff on September 5, 1869 in Bayham, Ontario.
In the 1871 Canadian Census, William and Sarah are living in Bayham. William is a farmer and they have one infant daughter who is eight months old. Her name is Lilley.
William and Sarah had three children who died short after their birth. They were Margaret Elizabeth Best (1873-1877), William Clarence Best (1877-1877) and John Winsal Best (1878-1879)
By the 1881 Canadian Census, William and Sarah have three living children; Lilley, Cornelius (1872) and Catherine (1876).
One hundred and twenty years ago, William Henry died on September 15, 1900 of paralysis. William Henry Best is buried with the remaining Best Family members in the Best Cemetery in Bayham Township, Elgin County, Ontario.
Rest in peace, William Henry,
Love Jan
William Henry is my first cousin five times removed.
Nancy Leet was the daughter of Jonathan and Deborah (Hendryx) Leete, born on November 24, 1814 in rural New York. Jonathan and Deborah had ten children; David (1808), Victor (1809), Nancy (1814), Daniel (1815), Amy (1819), Lucy (1820), Maynarsia (1820), Lydia (1823), William (1831), Polly (1834). All of the children were born in Caneadea, New York, except the two youngest, William and Polly who were born in Oakland County, Michigan.
While Jonathan and Deborah lived in New York, Jonathan served in the War of 1812. Sometime after the 1830 Federal Census for New York state, the Leete/Leet family left New York and went to Oakland County, Michigan. It appears that this is where Nancy met and married Valentine Boyer.
I do not find either of them in the 1840 Census. I do not find a Michigan Marriage record for them either. They may have married as early as 1834 or 1835. Most records indicate that their first child, Dennison was born in 1835/1836. Valentine purchased land from the Land Management Bureau in 1840 in the area that they were known to have lived in Holly, Michigan. They settled in Rose Township, Oakland County, Michigan.
By the 1840 Federal Census, Nancy parent’s and most of her family moved on to Wabash County, Illinois but Nancy does not appear to be with them. It appears that she remained in Oakland County, Michigan. Her brother, Victor Leet, is found in the 1840 Census in Wabash County, Illinois with his father but some time later he and his family return to the Oakland County area to settle for the remainder of his lives.
The 1850 Federal Census is the first record which shows Valentine and Nancy together as a family and they already have four children; Dennison (1835), Amy (1843), Austin (1847) and David (1850). Valentine is a Farmer.
By the time of the 1860 Federal Census, Valentine and Nancy have six living children; Dennis, Amy, Austin, David, Sarah Ann (1853) and Elizabeth (1855)
In the 1870 Federal Census, Valentine and Nancy have six children who remain at home; Dennis, Amy, Austin, David, Sarah Ann and Elizabeth. Dennis (or Dennison) and Austin have recently returned from serving in the Civil War for the North.
In the 1880 Federal Census, Austin and his son Lennie and David and his family are living with Valentine and Nancy in Holly, Michigan.
One hundred and twenty years ago, at the age of 86 years old, on September 8, 1900, Nancy died in Holly, Michigan. She is buried in Beebe Cemetery in Rose township.
Rest in peace, Nancy!
Love, Jan
Nancy Leete / Leet Boyer is my three time Great Grandmother.
Anne Payne was the daughter of Reverend John Payne(Paine) and Anna Underhill on July 31, 1621 in Huntingdonshire, England. Baptised in the Hail Weston parish where she would also wed William Leete at the age of fifteen on August 1, 1636. They had ten children; Mary (1638), John (1639), Andrew (1643), William (), Abigail (), Caleb (1651), Grataine (1653), Peregrine (1658), Joshua (1659), Anna (1661).
The William Leete Family came to America in on July 13, 1639 landing in New Haven Connecticut members of the Rev. Whitfield’s Company. William Leete was one of the signers of the Plantation Covenant signed while abroad the ship. They settled in Guilford and will was the clerk for the plantation from 1639-1662. William was very prominent in colonial government in Guilford eventually becoming governor of Connecticut in 1678.
Three hundred and fifty two years ago, Anne died on September 1, 1668 in Guilford, Connecticut. She is listed in Findagrave as possibly buried in the Ancient Burial Ground in Hartford Connecticut with her husband , the Governor, William Leete but that seems unlikely to me. He became Governor long after she had died.
She is more than likely buried in the cemetery which was known as the The Village Green Cemetery in Guilford. The cemetery was located at the Village Green on Broad Street located in the center of town at the site of the Guilford Congrational Church which was organized in 1643.
It is in this cemetery where most of her children and their spouses were buried. Joshua Leete ,an infant son who was born in 1659 and died in 1660, is buried there and so was Caleb Leete who died and was buried there in 1673, five years after his mother. Fifteen other Leete family members are known to have been buried here.
It was the town’s cemetery until 1800 when it was decided to obliterate this cemetery and remove the stones. Some of gravestones were removed by families and other have just disappeared through the passage of time. There is no way to know for sure where she is buried. There are no pictures either.
Rest in Peace Anne. I am proud to descend from this family who play such an integral role in the founding of our nation.
Love, Jan
Anne was my ninth Great Grandmother on the paternal side of the family.
As usual my September has roared in like a lion with a garden’s abundance that needs to be canned; green beans, tomatoes, peaches and pears. Before I know it, October will be here and along with it the frost that will end the garden for another year.
We have an abundance of butternut squash this year and lots of tomatoes. There is enough green beans for another winter. Canned a half bushel of peaches and made a batch of pear sauce from the pears. The second round of raspberries are in full swing. They will be frozen and I’ll make fresh batches of Jam all winter long. We will eat well again this winter from our small backyard garden.
The peaches as they ripened… and wait to be canned….
A ferry ride across Lake Michigan…..
A visit with our friends ….
a visit and dinner with family…..
And a 60th Anniversary to celebrate…..
All this and more has kept me pretty busy. One day soon, I’ll get back to Genealogy and will get caught up… until then…remember how special this time of the year can be.
Tombstone Tuesday 