“The Mitchell Papers”
Feb 4th, 2009 | By Leonard Legends & Legacies | Category: How-To, Questions & AncestorsNever neglect the in-laws. That’s the lesson learned from a recent excursion into the much maligned (by me) world of Ancestry.com.
The Mitchell Papers
Because Family Tree Maker connects directly to Ancestry.com and uses any information you’ve added on an individual to go find that individual in other family trees, I occasionally click the “Web Search Resources” button. In this case, I was looking for info on Luzanna Leonard, daughter of Daniel and Lucretia (Jennings) Leonard, who stayed in Pennsylvania with her aging mother while Lucretia’s only son William and most of his family moved to Ohio.
Turns out Luzanna married a David Mitchell after everyone cleared out and that David Mitchell is a distant ancestor of one Jerry Zollars. Yes, that Zollars family, of Zollarsville fame. Jerry had a family tree on Ancestry and the good sense to include an email address where I could reach him. We carried on quite the digital conversation.
To make a long story short… (too late?)… Jerry had recently received four storage containers full of Mitchell family history from a Mitchell widow, including one entire binder on the Leonards. Seems the Mitchells and the Leonards liked each other very much. They intermarried at least four times and probably more. But Jerry had, in turn, delivered the material to a Mitchell family member in Irving, Texas.
Tracking that Mitchell down was easy enough, and he was kind enough to ship the Leonard binder to me, provided I promised to ship it back when I was finished reviewing it. Done deal.
Wow! That’s all I can say about William C. “Bill” Mitchell’s research. It spanned several decades, dozens of families, and he was meticulous about citing his sources. There is some evidence he may have even corresponded with Jennie Leonard Hutchinson before her death. Bill did fall victim to an erroneous biography that said Lot Leonard descended from Henry Leonard rather than Solomon, but over all, the binder spot on.
Among the new leads I picked up for future followup… 1) Caleb Jr. left a will in Washington County Orphan’s Court (none of us had ever thought to look there), 2) Luzanna left a will in Uniontown, Fayette County (who would expect a will, let alone in the “wrong” county?), and 3) Caleb Jr., Silas, and Abner all signed a petition seeking an independent state of Westsylvania.
Oh, and two of the Burt sisters (who married Leonards and Mitchellls respectively) died of typhoid within hours of each other and were buried in the same grave. I know. Macabre.
William inspired me to go out and buy a copy of Lecky’s The Tenmile Country and its Pioneer Families on Ebay… and puzzled me with a reference to source material called the “Horn Papers.” It sounded vaguely familiar, though I had never cited that source, so I did what every good researcher does and Googled it. Turns out the “Horn Papers” were an elaborate genealogical hoax and one that might be the subject of another article somewhere down the road. Needless to say, this revelation did little to change my opinion of undocumented family history.
An-n-n-ywa-a-a-y… I made copies of all 216 pages in that binder, if you’re interested. Fair warning that they’re all in William Mitchell’s not-so-great handwriting and he could write smaller than anyone I’ve ever known. You’ve been warned.
Cheers!
Rick
I found Caleb Jr.’s Will in Jennie Leonard-Hutchinson’s book in the Uniontown, PA Public Library (Pennsylvania Room). She transcribed it and cited the source location. I made a photo copy of the Will from her book if you would like it – just let me know (I guess I thought everyone who wanted it already had it). I also have photo copies of the pages of the Burt Family Bible that record Caleb Jr.’s children’s births (and some deaths) if you would like them (also from Jennie’s folder in the Pennsylvania Room). The Will is somewhat enlightening – with respect to how Caleb Jr. lived his life. The Historian at the Washington County Historical Society has an excellent database of that county’s published history. She will run any name through the database and tell you where it pops up (on documents, in books, etc.). Caleb Jr. and his brothers pop up all over the place – they were very involved in policitics and realestate – not so much in church events (or so it seems). I can’t remember the Historian’s name but she is worth her weight in gold and very nice to deal with. She is the one that helped me find the Leonard link to the Whiskey Rebellion.
Ack! You’re absolutely right, in the sense that Caleb Jr.’s orphan’s court papers are transcribed in Jennie’s files. But they clearly state that he died “intestate” (without a will), so Bill Mitchell misspoke when he called it a “will.” (I’d still like to have a copy of the original papers, however.)
Rick, your thought processes are evidently like the ‘flu bug’….catching! I, too, just invested in The Tenmile Book – also purchased on line….that little red book is a treasure.
I’ve just been pondering the three sisters, Margaret, Mary and Lucinda Mitchell who married three brothers, David Fowler, Washington and Thomas Richey. These three ladies are daughters of James Mitchell and Lois Leonard [b. @1793].
Yes, I’m still the orphan out here wandering in the wilderness [Ohio], but quite determined to tie my Sam Leonard to a respectable Washington/Greene Co., PA Leonard line.
How to I go about reading the Mitchell pages?
Hey Jeanie, I emailed a few and I can mail more if you like. We’ll track Sam down eventually.
is there anyway to get a copy of these Mitchell papers ?? im in southern oklahoma and would pay for any shipping
Hello,
I am a Leonard descendant and have recently been verified as a member of the DAR through my Patriot Caleb Leonard Jr.
I have been trying to find someone to copy the Jennie Leonard Hutchinson archives regarding the Leonard family located in the Pennsylvania Room, Union Town Public Library. I have noticed your :”reply” on Leonard Family Legends and Legacies and am wondering what you can tell me about the archives. Description, volume etc.
I thank you for your reply.
Jody Atha