Augustus Wright Leggett1,2,3,4,5,6,7

M, b. 11 June 1816, d. 12 January 1885
FatherWilliam Haight Leggett b. 15 Apr 1789, d. 23 Dec 1863
MotherMargaret Peck Wright b. 16 Jan 1794, d. 16 Apr 1878
Augustus Wright Leggett
     Augustus Wright Leggett was born on Tuesday, 11 June 1816 the family home at the family home at 27 Rose, Westchester County, New York. He married an unknown person on 23 November 1836 at the bride's family home at 89 Madison Street, Manhattan, New York County, New York, in a Quaker ceremony.8,9 After Augustus & Eliza were first married, they resided in a dear little home, owned by Augustus' father, at 76 Mercer Street in the city. While in New York City, Dr. Isaac Wood, a former student of Eliza's father, attended them. In 1840, they moved for a short time to Peekskill, which was on the Hudson River just 40 miles from the city, where they lived in a pretty cottage. They then moved to their most loved home in Roslyn, Queens County, Long Island, New York. It was a lovely hillside home overlooking the bay and surrounded by trees & flowers. William Cullen Bryant his wife and family resided next to them. While there, their physician was Dr. James Townsend, also a former student of Eliza's father. In 1853, the family along with that of Augustus' brother Samuel's moved to Michigan. They settled for a year in Pontiac and then in Clintonville, Oakland County where they owned a large home & mill. Later, they moved to Detroit where they lived until the death of Augustus. On 1 December 1857, Augustus W. Leggett, of Oakland County, Michigan, purchased from the U.S. Government 320 acres in the southwest quarter of section 24 & the northwest quarter of section 25 in t10n r3e of Oakland County. He and Eliza Seaman lived at "Hillside", Roslyn, Queens County, Long Island, New York. This home was next to the residence of William Cullen Bryant. It was here the families developed a very close & life long friendship. 19 September 1850, Augustus and his wife, Eliza, were listed on the U.S. Federal Census in North Hempstead Town, Queens County, Long Island, New York. Enumerated in this household were Augustus W. Leggett [34 New York], his wife: Eliza L. [34 New York], Mortimer [13 New York], Percival [11 New York], William [9 New York], Margaret [7 New York], Emma [5 New York], Anne [3 New York], Elizabeth [1 New York], servants: Mary O'Leary [35 Ireland], Bridgett O'Connor [20 Ireland]. Augustus Wright Leggett and Eliza Seaman lived in 1853 at Clintonville, Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan. They built their home on the property known as "Mill Farm". The house was a three story 40x40 structure with a two story wing of 20x40. It was this home which was part of the Underground Railroad. 23 July 1860, Augustus and his wife, Eliza, were listed on the U.S. Federal Census in Waterford Township. Enumerated in this household were Augustus W. Leggett [46 New York - farmer], his wife: Elizabeth S. [46 New York], children: Mortimer A. [23 New York], Percival S. [22 New York], William H. [19 New York], Margaret W. [17 New York], Emma [15 New York], Anna S. [13 New York], Elizabeth H. [11 New York], Augusta W. [9 New York] & Blanche I. [3 mos. Michigan]. Property value $2,000.00 & personal property $2,000.00.10 20 June 1870, Augustus listed on the U.S. Federal Census in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. Enumerated in this household were A. W. Leggett [54 New York], Elizabeth [55 New York], Augusta W. [18 Michigan], Blanche I. [10 Michigan]. Anna S. Christian [22 Michigan], William H. Christian [23 Michigan][printer], Elizabeth Christian [2 Michigan], Anna Ryan [19 Canada][servant]. Property value $10.000 personal property $1.000. He was a custom house officer.11 4 June 1880, Augustus and his wife, Eliza, were listed on the U.S. Federal Census in Detroit at 169 Elizabeth Street. Enumerated in this household were Augustus W. Leggett [64 New York], his wife: Eliza S. [65 New York], daughters: Blanche I. [20 Michigan] & Elizabeth A. Snow [married][30 New York].12 Augustus departed this life on Monday, 12 January 1885 in Detroit at the family home at 169 Elizabeth at age 68 years, 7 months and 1 day.

Obituary - Leggett - At his late residence, 169 Elizabeth St. East, on the evening of January 12, AUGUSTUS W. LEGGETT, in the 69th year of his age. Funeral on Wednesday morning at 9:30 o'clock. Funeral private. Remains will be taken to Pontiac for interment. [Detroit Free Press - Wednesday, 14 January 1885]
Augustus W. Leggett, who for twenty years was a citizen of Detroit died last night at the Leggett homestead, 169 Elizabeth Street East, age 68 years. He was not, perhaps, a very well-known figure in the tustle world, but if ever a good man acts in daily life made him venerable and beloved in those who compound his circle he was that man. He was not one of those who do great deeds that blaise eye of fame, but all that he did was great in the sense that sweetness and serenity and human habit practice are great, and greater than those stormy achievements whereby men rough the heights of glory. He lived very near to the ideal, especially in those tender relations which make the happy home, and in certain companionships which he held for many years in almost as dear regard and from which sprout some of the fairest shouts that man ever blessed and tended.
Mr. Leggett was born at 27 Rose Street, New York City, June 11, 1816. His mother, Margaret Wright died at the age of 85 and his father at 75. November 23, 1835, he married Eliza Seaman at 89 Madison Street, New York, and to them were born three sons and eight daughters. One son perished in the late war and three of the daughters died. In 1841, he moved from New York to Roslyn, L.I., where in the society of congenial men - among then the poet William Cullen Bryant - he passed eleven years in calm and peaceful pleasures. In 1852, having some interests in Pontiac, Michigan, he moved to the village and took possession of the property now known as the Baldwin Place. There the family lived for a year and then moved to Mill Farm at Clintonville, where business occupied Mr. Leggett's attention until 1864, when he came to Detroit. In 1869, he received an appointment as inspector of customs, which office he occupied for six years. Of his father's family four brothers and one sister are still living. The survivors of his own family are Mrs. L. T. Ives, Mrs. C. C. Randall, Mrs. A. A. Barthel, Mrs. E. B. Pease, Mrs. James Whittemore, Mortimer A. & William H. Leggett. Happily he was never gulled by poverity, neither had he extravagent tastes. He was of Quaker descent and found his best enjoyments in the humble things of life. To make a child happy was happiness for himself. To see his family around him; to be in the mist of his books with easy _____ to make their acquaintance and occassional participation in societies of sharper intellectual contact were ...

He was buried on 14 January 1885 at Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan, in the Oak Hill Cemetery.13,14,15

Family

Eliza Seaman b. 9 May 1815, d. 9 Feb 1900
Children

Citations

  1. [S328] Family Bible of Augustus Wright & Eliza Seaman Leggett, Births:
    Augustus Wright Leggett born New York June 11 1816
    His wife Eliza Seaman Leggett born N.Y. May 9th 1815 90 Beekman Street
    Their children:
    Mortimer Allen Leggett born New York October 18th 1837 at 76 Mercer Street at ¼ before 9 pm
    William H. Leggett [crossed out] Percival S. born New York January 8th 1839 16 Mercer Street at ½ past 3 Tuesday morning.
    Percival Seaman [crossed out] Leggett William H. born near Peekskil November 7, 1840 at 25 minutes past 3rd am
    Margaret Wright Leggett born April 27th 1843 at Hillside Hempstead Harbor at 1 o.c. am
    Emma Leggett born September 26th 1845 about 12 o.c. at night at Hillside Roslyn L. I. on Friday
    Anna Leggett born April 19th 1848 at Hillside at 4 o.c. pm
    Elizabeth Hicks Leggett born at Roslyn Hillside October 18th 1849 at 4 o’clock in the afternoon
    Augusta W. Leggett born at Roslyn L.I. November 14th 1861 about 10 pm Friday
    Catherine Maria Allen Leggett born at Mill Farm Michigan Sunday February 5 1854 at 10 pm
    Henrietta Eastman Leggett born at 3 o’clock in the afternoon on Thursday 20th December 1855
    William H., son of Mortimer A. & Jane M. Leggett, March 3rd [Thursday] at 5:15 pm at Mill Cottage Clintonville, Michigan [in margin written grand]
    Blanche Irving Leggett born May 22nd 1860 at 2 o’clock at night at Mill Farm Oakland County, State of Michigan [on Tuesday]

    [Note: written around the outside of page starting upper left]
    Lucile Viola Leggett born February 23, 1885
    Elizabeth Sharon Pease born Detroit, Michigan 636 Second Ave. January 27 1897 - Wednesday - great granddaughter
    Percival Sharon Pease born July 29 1872 at quarter of 5 pm
    Valentine Seaman Leggett born October 13 1861
    John W. Leggett born May 23 1864
    Wilhelmina Leggett July 4 1895
    Eliza Seaman Christian born December 1 1868 daughter of Anna at 2 pm 129 East Elizabeth Detroit, Michigan
    [Note written at bottom of page – The names of the second and third children were altered by request of friends The third receiving the name of the second & the second receiving that of the third. AWL]

    Marriages:
    Augustus Wright Leggett Eliza Seaman November 23rd 1836 at 89 Madison Street New York – Quaker
    Mortimer Allen Leggett and Jane Mais Whitehead at Elizabeth Lake Oakland Co. Waterford, Michigan on the 7th April 8 o’clock 1858 by the Rev. Mr. Dooley – Episcopal
    Lewis T. Ives & Margaret W. Leggett at Mill Farm Waterford, Oakland County, Mich. On June Tuesday June 26 1860 by Rev. A. Taylor at 12:15 pm - Episcopal
    Wm H. Leggett Jr. & Annie Beardslee Nov 7th 1860 at Independence, Oakland Mich. – Quaker
    Anna Seaman Leggett & William H. Christian at no. 115 East Elizabeth Street by Mr. Mellen June 6th 1867 – family present 8 o’clock pm Detroit – Episcopal
    Elizabeth H. Leggett & David S. Snow June 1st 1869 at no. 129 East Elizabeth Street Detroit by M. Mellen, relatives present – Unitarian
    Augusta W. Leggett & E. Brooks Pease September 5th 1871 at 169 East Elizabeth Street Detroit, Mich. By Rev. McLarran at 7:30 pm – Presbyterian
    Percival S. Pease & Grace E. Camp February 4th 1896 Birmingham Mich. By Reed Stuart – Unitarian
    Anna Seaman Leggett married second – Corodon Chandler Randall 1871
    married at 169 Elizabeth St Detroit – June 14th 1882 - Blanche I. Leggett to James Whittemore

    Deathe:
    Catherine Maria Allen Leggett died of scarlet fever March 6th 1855 interred in Sashabaw Burying Groung
    February 5th 1856 Henrietta E. Leggett of Crysipelas at Mill Farm laid in Sashabaw
    Clipping: handwritten above clipping “January 1865” – Death Notice: On the 14th instant, at the residence of her father in Clintonville, town of Waterford, Oakland County, Michigan. Emma Leggett, aged seventeen years, second daughter of Augustus W. and Eliza S. Leggett. Cut off in the very blossom of life, she has left friends and relatives to mourn a full loving, patriotic heart.
    Cliping: Death Notice: Shot on the Banks of the Rappahannock River while reonnoitering within the enemy lines on the evening of September 1st, Lieut. Percival S. Leggett, of Waterford, Oakland County, Michigan, age 24 years. [handwritten below: died in camp of General Kilpatrick and Lieut. of Company I, 5th Michigan Calvary. He was murdered without challenge by the rebels. He is interred at Pontiac.]

    William H. Leggett died December 23 1863 age 74 interred at Greenwood, New York
    Elijah Brook Pease died at 424 Second Ave. Detroit, Mich. Aug. 16, 1895

    Family Records:-
    Mortimer Allen Leggerr innoculated January 1837.
    Percival S. Leggett innoc. with Kinepox 1839, d. 1851.
    William H. Leggett innoc. with Kinepox 1840.
    Margaret W. Leggett innoc. Kinepox 1844.
    Mortimer A., Percival S., William H. and Margaret W. had measles during later part of April and first part of May 1845,
    Emma Leggett innoc. Kinepox 1845.
    Mortimer, Percival, William, Margaret, Emma had chicken pox in June 1847 and whooping cough in summer 1847.
    Anna vaccinated in May 18, 1848.
    Mortimer, Percival, William H. & Margaret all had mumps in April 1849.
    Elizabeth vaccinated in 1849.
    Augusta vaccinated April 1852.
    Anna, Elizabeth, Catherine Maria & Augusta W. had whooping cough in August 1854. . [note: I am very nearly certain that Augusta had the whooping cough with the last children although her name was not put down at the time – I have therefore – amended that she did]
    Margaret W., Anna, Elizabeth, Catherine Maria, and Augusta W. L. scarlet fever March 1855.
    Augustus W. L. & Eliza L. vaccinated March 1855.
    Augustus, Mortimer, Percival & William vaccinated April 1860.
    William H., Minnie, Emma, Annie, Gussie, Lizzie, and Eliza vaccinated 1860.
    Blanche & Gussie had whooping cough in 1866. [Personal Note: these records were transcribed by us from photo copies of the bible pages. These copies are in our possession. Kathy & Larry McCurdy]
  2. [S349] Roeser, & Storck Ferriss, Petition & Order To Show Cause In The Matter Of The Application For The Appointment Of A Trustee To Execute The Power Of Sale Remaining Unexecuted Conferred By The Last Will & Testament Of Thomas Leggett, Deceased, SEVENTH: A son, AUGUSTUS W. LEGGETT, who died January 12th, 1885, without exercising the power of appointment given to him and by the said will of his said father, leaving seven children him surviving, to wit:
    Mortimer A. Leggett, who is a widower, and resides at Pontiac, Michigan.
    William H. Leggett, who is married to Annie B. Leggett, and who both reside at Number 212 North Grand Boulevard East, Detroit, Michigan.
    Margaret L. Ives, widow of Louis T. Ives, who resides at Number 22 West Montcalm Street, Detroit, Michigan.
    Anna S. Randall, widow of C. C. Randall, who resides at Drayton Plains, Michigan.
    Elizabeth Barthel, widow of Adolph Barthel, who resides at Number 196 24th Street, Detroit Michigan.
    Augusta Pease, who died on the 27th day of December, 1903, leaving a last will and testament, which was duly admitted to probate in the Probate Court of Wayne County, Michigan, on the 3rd day of February, 1904, under the terms of which her son, Percival S. Pease, who survived her and who now resides with his wife Edna M. Pease, at 928 Chelan Avenue, Spokane, Washington, receives the income during his life of all her residuary estate with remainder on his death, to his children, if any and in default thereof, to Blanche I. Whittemore hereinafter mentioned as sister of the testatrix, and under the terms of the said will, the executors are named as trustees of the said estate upon the death of said Percival S. Pease leaving children him surviving and until the youngest child shall become twenty-one years of age; that Orville Wood Ranney, who resides at Smithville, Jefferson County, New York, and James Whittemore, who resides at No. 67 Garfield Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, are the executors and trustees named in the said will; and Blanche I. Whittemore, who resides at Number 67 Garfield Avenue, Detroit, Michigan.
  3. [S77] Copied from the manuscript record of the late Rev. Theodore A. Leggett by A. Hatfield Jr., Early Settlers of West Farms, Westchester County, New York [Copied from the manuscript record of the late Rev, Theodore A. Leggett], no. 338 - Augustus W. b. --- at West Farms d. --, s/o William Haight & Margaret [Wright] Leggett married Eliza Seaman b. 9 May 1815, d/o Dr. Valentine & Anna Seaman of Westbury, Long Island. Children: Mortimer A., William H., Margaret m. ___Ives, Elizabeth m. ___ Barthel, Anne m. ___ Randall, Blanche m. ___ Whittemore, Augusta m. ___ Pease.
  4. [S3] Detroit Genealogical Society, Persons at Leggett-Seaman marriage 1836.
  5. [S106] Howland Delano Perrine, The Wright Family of Oysterbay, L.I. with the ancestry of and descent from Peter Wright and Nicholas Wright, 1423-1923, page 188 - Augustus Wright [6/11/1816-1/12/1884] m. 11/23/1836 Eliza [5/09/1815-2/--/1900], d/o Dr. Valentine & Anna [Ferris] Seaman of NYC - issue: Mortimer Allen [10/18/1837- ] m. 4/07/1858 Jane Mais Whitehead [8/08/1839-7/12/1874], of Elizabeth Lake, MI; Percival Seaman [1/08/1839-9/01/1864 killed in Battle of Rappahannock River, VA] sp; William Haight [11/07/1840-2/--/1921] m. 11/07/1860 Anna Beardslee [ -3/--1910]; Margaret Wright [4/27/1843- ] m. 6/26/1860 Lewis T. Ives [8/04/1833-12/13/1894], of Rochester, NY; Emma [9/26/1845-6/14/1863] sp; Anna Seaman [4/19/1848- ] m. 1st 6/06/1867 William Henry Christian [12/02/1845-5/11/1911], of Detroit, MI, m. 2nd 5/09/1874 Corrydon C. Randall [6/14/1846-8/--/1907]. of Hamilton, Canada; Elizabeth Hicks [10/18/1849-10/21/1912] m. 10/07/1882 Adolph Baarthel [9/17/1844- ], of Augsburg, Bavaria no issue; Augusta Wright [11/14/1851-12/30/1903] m. 9/05/1871 Elisha Brooks Pease [12/24/1848-8/16/1895], of Detroit, MI; Caatharine Maria [2/05/1854-3/06/1855]; Henrietta Eastman [12/20/1855-2/15/1856]; Blanche Irving [5/22/1860-8/08/1922] m. 6/14/1882 James Wittemore [10/31/1860- ], of Detroit MI.
  6. [S79] William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume 3: page 281.
  7. [S367] J. W. Weeks & Company, Detroit City Directory for 1884, page 770 - Augustus W. Leggett, home: 169 Elizabeth East.
  8. [S91] Michigan Daughters of the American Revolution, Old Bible and Other Genealogical Records, Volume III : page 38 - William Haight Leggett's Bible - "Augustus W. Leggett, Rose Bank, married 23 Nov. 2836 to Elizabeth Seaman, 69 Madison Street."
    Volume V [compiled & indexed by Ferne Fleming Savage, State Consulting Registrar, 1931]: pages 102, 103, 108, 109;
    Volume XIII: pages 89, 90.
  9. [S79] William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume III: page 281 - Eliza, d/o Dr. Valentine & Anna Seaman, b. 5/9/1815, m. ___ Leggett, dismissed 7/5/1837.
  10. [S675] 1860 United States Federal Census: Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan - pageg 395-396 - transcribed by Larry & Kathy McCurdy.
  11. [S676] 1870 United States Federal Census: Wayne County, New York - 6th Ward, page 1, line, 35 - transcribed by Larry & Kathy McCurdy.
  12. [S677] 1880 United States Federal Census: Wayne County, Michigan - 6th Ward, Enumeration District 285, sheet 16, line 47 - transcribed by Larry & Kathy McCurdy.
  13. [S8] Daughters of the American Revolution. Ponitac, Michigan - present to the Michigan Historical Commission - 1938 Richardson Chapter, Cemetery Records of Oakland County, Michigan, Volume V: page 51 - Oakhill Cemetery, Pontiac - Leggett, Mary Louise, 6 May 1857-18 Dec 1857; Augustus Wright 11 June 1816-12 Jan 1885; Eliza S. 1816-1900.
  14. [S252] Beverly Lancaster & Russel Reed, Oakland County, Michigan - Oak Hill Cemetery [older sections] 1822-1991, pages 152-153.
  15. [S401] Burial Record: Oak Hill Cemetery: Augustus Wright Leggett in Plot 4-447. The records also indicate an infant burial in this same plot but no further information is given.