Levi LEIGHS Bankrupt 1827

[Vicwinann]

Hello,
Wow! A great deal of detailed information which will fill a big, big, gap in my knowledge of the Leighs. I have similar detailed information on Levi's brother, Henry, who was my 2nd great grandfather.  There was also another brother, John.
If you send me a PM I will give you my email address and if you are willing, we can swap some information.
Yes, the Leighs came from Endon, Staffs where they were quite prosperous. Why they moved South to London and Surrey I have still not worked out. Yours
Victoria

[ShaunJ]

Levi Harold Leighs, a widower, ... married Emma Collins at St Mary Islington in 1835

Elizabeth Emma Leigh, daughter of Levi Harold Leigh and Emma was born 21 November 1840 per her baptism in Acton ( St Mary) on July 3 1881. Occupation shown as lecturer

Levi Harold Leigh, straw bonnet maker, resident at 10 Penton Street in 1848 London PO Directory. (Same address as 1851 census)

[ShaunJ]

Levi Harold Leigh, known as Levi Leigh and as Harold Leigh, of Epsom, Surrey. Dyer and Straw Bonnet Maker,previously of No. 10, Penton-street, Pentonville, Middlesex, carrying on the same business, and also a Canvasser in the employ of the City of London Gas Light Company.
(Gazette 4 March 1853)
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/21418/pages/706

[Deeoz]

ShaunJ
Thankyou for the tip on the Straw Hat business. I wasn't aware of this.
The Elizabeth Emma or Emma Elizabeth Leigh daughter of Levi Harold Leigh and Mary Blishen married Bernard Butler on 12 Nov 1865 at St Marys Lambeth. This other Elizabeth Emma is undoubtedly related as the family uses the same names.

[lleigh01]

My connection to Levi Leighs is via Mary Ann Blishen.
Mary Ann Blishen was the daughter of William Blishen & Martha Blishen ( distant cousins)

Levi & Mary Ann married on 30 June 1826 at Sutton Surrey (by License) Minister Charles Gardiner. Present at marriage William Blishen (Mary Ann’s Father) and John White.

Son John Henry Levi Leigh was born on 24 Sep 1829 at Sutton and baptised on 9 Sep 1832 at Sutton Surrey. Levi was listed as a China Dealer.

John Henry Levi also went by the name Henry Leigh(s). In 1841 Henry was living with his grandmother Martha Blishen and Great Aunt Mary Blishen at Chream Road Sutton. The Blishens at Sutton were market gardeners.

After this time Levi went by the name Harold. This may have something to do with the excommunication from the Quakers or the insolvency.

According to Census Levi was born in Stanley Staffordshire in about 1804.

William Blishen became bankrupt in 1806 in London. Somewhere between 1806-1813 William & Martha separated and Martha with daughter Mary Ann returned to Sutton.  William joined the Royal Marines in 1813 and somewhere around 1822 William Blishen began a new relationship with Caroline Glover but never married her. William obviously kept contact with his daughter as he was witness to her marriage to Levi.

Mary Ann Leigh nee Blishen was present at her mother Marthas Death in 1856 as Mary Ann Leigh.
In 1862 Mary Ann was the executor of her aunt Mary Blishen’s estate. Noted as Mary Ann Leigh (wife of Levi Harold Leighs a house agent) niece and sole executor of 80 Waterloo Bridge Road Southwark.

There is a news article in 1852 regarding Martha Malster who claimed she once lived with Levi Leigh and he fathered a child with her. This Levi was a tradesman living at Epsom. The article was about not having made payments to her although the payments were registered. This may relate to son John Henry Levi Leigh but there is an odd gap between the births of John Henry Levi Leigh 1829 and John Bryan or Byron Leigh 1837. Levi and Mary Ann may have been separated and the above news article may relate to Levi. If so Mary Ann & son John Henry Levi may have returned to live at Sutton and John Henry Levi (Henry) had remained with his grandmother Martha & Great Aunt Mary after any reconciliation.

The family were in Liverpool Lancashire in around 1839 when daughter Emma Elizabeth was born and may have been there in 1841.

In 1851 Levi/ Harold was a gas engineer and fitter living at 10 Penton St Finsbury with Mary Ann, children John Bryan, Elizabeth (married as Emma Elizabeth), Ralph Stafford, Mary Jane (married as Amy Amelia Jane).

In 1861 Levi/ Harold was a house & commercial agent living at Waterloo Rd Lambeth with Mary Ann, children John Bryan, Elizabeth, Ralph Stafford, Mary Jane.

I have supporting documents, BDM, including the marriage of Levi and Mary Ann and the marriages of their children. Census, Newspaper, Probate.

Levi appears to have died in 1865 death registered in 1st Qtr and Mary Ann 1867. Although I haven’t obtained the deaths records yet to confirm. On the marriages of 2 chidren in 1868 he is listed as deceased.

Hope this helps.

GG Grandaughter-in-law of William Blishen & Caroline Glover

[lleigh01]

I researched the Leigh side of my family more than a decade ago. My GGG Grandfather was Harold Leigh born in Stanley in 1804. His son, my GG Grandfather was John Byron Leigh and he was born in 1837 at 12 King Street, Hammersmith Middlesex. He married Mary Griffin at St. Mary's at Lambeth. After Harold died, they moved to London, Canada. My G Grandfather, Bernard, was born in England and he made his way to the United States which is where I was born and live (New York). My Aunt told me that my G Grandfather said Lord Byron, the poet was a Great Uncle. This is the reason that I started researching. There were too many coincidences and I believe this story. Byron's half sister was Augusta Leigh. Byron lived not far from Stanley in 1804. Does anyone know of this connection? A geneologist that I hired in England tracked down the information about Harolds wife (Mary Ann Blishin) and his oldest son living in Sutton. PLEASE send me any information that you can. I also wanted to connect with a relative in England as I don't know of any. I have a copy of a daguerreotype of Harold. My Aunt has the original.

[Valda]

Hi

Augusta Byron married George Leigh (born circa 1771) her cousin (issue from her paternal aunt Frances Byrons' marriage in 1770 to Charles Leigh). Since the family name was Leigh any connection would be with the Leigh family. Augusta and George had 7 children between 1808-1821.
From 1801-1805 Lord Byron was at Harrow public school which is in north west London (then Middlesex) around 150 miles away from Stanley in Staffordshire. From Harrow Byron went to Trinity College Cambridge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrow_School
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Byron


Families had a tendency to emphasise any connections they thought they had with well placed families, whether they actually had them or not, through the naming of their children in the hope that that would improve their life chances.


Stanley looks to have been a hamlet in Endon Staffordshire but nearby was also the parish of Bucknall cum Bagnall

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/STS/EndonLongsdonandStanley/index.html
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/STS/BucknallcumBagnall/index.html


LEVI LEIGHS    
born 21 SEP 1803          
baptism 23 OCT 1803 Bagnall, Stafford
Father:     JOHN LEIGHS    
Mother:     MARY




Regards

Valda   

[Vicwinann]

Hello
The Leighs are my family. Levi was son of John and Mary as you have it, Valda. Brothers were John and Henry, and a sister who died age 18 called Elizabeth. Parents were John Leighs 1771-1848 and  Mary unknown 1772-1824, grandparents were, John Leighs 1729-1814 and Elizabeth nee Hobson.

Levi seems to have been a bit of a bad boy and his history is confusing as he did appear to change his name to Harold.

The Lord Byron so-called link is a red herring, I think, as I have never found any such connection and the dates, places and social levels do not add up in any way. I would be happy to be proved wrong, however.

Lord Byron's family is well documented. Wikipedia has a lot on him, as well as there are numerous published biographies. In 1804 he was still at school at Harrow after attending Dulwich and Aberdeen Grammar School.

I would need a great deal of convincing that there is any link with him and the Quaker family of the Leighs of Staffordshire who moved to Lambeth and then to Guildford and Surrey.
My 2nd great grandfather was Levi Leigh's brother, Henry Leighs 1809.
Vicwinann

[lleigh01]

A decade ago, when I last explored my Leigh family, I read "August Leigh-Byron's Half-Sister" written by Michael and Melissa Bakewell. It's an excellent book. I communicated with Melissa Bakewell and the conclusion with respect to my Leigh family was that the connection is possible but probably illegitimate. If anyone would like copies of her letters I can send them. Another good book about the poet is "Byron Life and Legend" by Fiona MacCarthy. Byron was officially living at Burgage Manor, Southwell from 1803-1809. Because he demonstrated during his lifetime that distance was no issue and because he had upwards of 2000 relationships of all sorts, anything is possible from the perspective of Byron. The apparent fact that our Harold/Levi was born about 70 miles from Southwell in 1803 is not necessarily an obstacle. Ten years ago when I looked into this connection my real hope was to find a Leigh presently living in England with some information passed down through the family.
My connection is Harold Leigh/John Byron Leigh/Oliver Leigh/Bernard Leigh/Ardis Leigh/Laura-me.