Griffith James (abt. 1725? – 1795): Washington County, Maryland, Years, 1763-1793

July 19, 2026

Or, Subtitled: “A True Copy of the Free Male Taxibils of Sharpsburgh and Lower Antietam Hundred” In the first posting in this series tracking the history of Griffith James (abt. 1725? – 1795), I focused on the first documentation I’ve found for him in the place in which he lived near Sharpsburg, Maryland, from at … More Griffith James (abt. 1725? – 1795): Washington County, Maryland, Years, 1763-1793

Griffith James (abt. 1725? – 1795): Sharpsburg, Maryland, Beginnings

July 17, 2026

Or, Subtitled: “I have no tradition of her parents, except their nationality, they were Welch, but Hannah was born and reared in Maryland” “Don’t know much about history”: Sam Cooke’s song “Wonderful World” is scrolling through my head as I launch a new series of postings, this one about Griffith James (abt. 1725? – 1795). … More Griffith James (abt. 1725? – 1795): Sharpsburg, Maryland, Beginnings

Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780) and Honor Pritchard: Children William, Thomas, Mary Ann, and Robert

June 16, 2026

Or, Subtitled: “Robert was the oldest child, then Thos., then Samuel, then Mary” As a previous posting notes, the manuscript entitled “Biography of the Leonards” composed in 1883 by Robert Leonard’s great-grandson Thomas Dunlap Leonard[1] states the following about the children of Robert and his wife Honor Pritchard: When the war took place between England … More Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780) and Honor Pritchard: Children William, Thomas, Mary Ann, and Robert

Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780): Revolutionary Service in 7th Maryland Regiment and Death at Battle of Camden, South Carolina

June 10, 2026

Or, Subtitled: “In the Late American war with Britain in the Maryland Ridgiment as Sergeant till killd. in Genl. Gatises Defiat” As previous postings have shown, there’s good documentation showing Robert Leonard serving during the French and Indian War as a sergeant under the command of John Dagworthy and Alexander Beall in Frederick County, Maryland, … More Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780): Revolutionary Service in 7th Maryland Regiment and Death at Battle of Camden, South Carolina

Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780): Documenting His French and Indian War Service in Maryland

June 8, 2026

Or, Subtitled: “I Robert Lineard now Soldier in Captain Dagurthey’s Company” In this posting, I want to take a closer look at the documented history of Robert Leonard’s military service in Frederick County, Maryland, in the 1750s. We have a document placing him with Captain John Dagworthy at Fort Cumberland by February 1755, and after … More Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780): Documenting His French and Indian War Service in Maryland

Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780): Discharge Document from British 35th Regiment of Foot (1762)

June 6, 2026

Or, Subtitled: “Lennard Serjt in Capt Allen’s Company has served honestly and faithfully” And now the military discharge document: As my initial posting in this series about Robert Leonard notes, Thomas D. Leonard states in his “Biography of the Leonards,” “His discharge as a soldier of the English Army is yet in existence. It is … More Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780): Discharge Document from British 35th Regiment of Foot (1762)

Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780): Bible Printed by Alexander Kincaid, Edinburgh, in 1766

June 5, 2026

Or, Subtitled: “Robert Leieard his book” and “Thomas Leneard, his Bible, 1784” As the previous posting states, a bible that originally belonged to Robert Leonard and wife Honor passed down in the family of their son Thomas Leonard in Marshall County, Tennessee. This fragile old bible — to be specific, it’s a New Testament and … More Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780): Bible Printed by Alexander Kincaid, Edinburgh, in 1766

Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780): Testimony of Thomas Dunlap Leonard’s “Biography of the Leonards” (1883)

June 5, 2026

Or, Subtitled: “He was at the Battle of Quebec. His discharge as a soldier of the English Army is yet in existence” Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780) is one of the more problematic of my ancestors to sort out. There’s actually a goodly selection of documents providing first-hand information about his life. These include … More Robert Leonard (bef. 1730 – 1780): Testimony of Thomas Dunlap Leonard’s “Biography of the Leonards” (1883)

Challenge of Tracing the Ancestry of James Brooks (bef. 1720 – 1779) of Frederick County, Virginia: A Thought-Provoking New Clue

May 24, 2026

Or, Subtitled: “The chain carriers were often kin to the person for whom the land was being surveyed” (Judy G. Russell, “A Matter of Measure,“ Legal Genealogy) I have posted previously about an elusive ancestor named James Brooks, who died prior to 2 November 1779 in Frederick County, Virginia, when his widow Mary and son … More Challenge of Tracing the Ancestry of James Brooks (bef. 1720 – 1779) of Frederick County, Virginia: A Thought-Provoking New Clue

Thomas Leonard (1752-1832) and Hannah James (1752-1842): Children Robert, Thomas, John, Hezekiah, Samuel, Griffith, Colin, and Hannah

May 16, 2026

Or, Subtitled: “Saw Lincoln County when it was a cane brake infested with bear, wolves, deer and many other wild animals” In three previous postings, I discussed the life of Thomas Leonard (1752-1832), son of Robert Leonard and Honor Pritchard. I began with a look at the documents that chronicle his early years in Maryland, … More Thomas Leonard (1752-1832) and Hannah James (1752-1842): Children Robert, Thomas, John, Hezekiah, Samuel, Griffith, Colin, and Hannah