Individual Details
Leonard Chester
(15 Jul 1610 - 11 Dec 1648)
Leonard Chester, born July 15, 1610, married, in England, 1634, Mrs. Mary (Sharpe) Wade, born about 1608, daughter of Nicholas Sharpe. "Whittlesey Genealogy" 1 Sep 2010, published in Connecticut Genealogy.
LEONARD CHESTER ORIGIN: Blaby, Leicestershire
MIGRATION: 1633 FIRST RESIDENCE: Watertown REMOVES: Wethersfield 1636
EDUCATION: His inventory included "books" valued at £5.
OFFICES: Appointed one of the two men of Wethersfield to regulate the killing of calves, 29 September 1642 [CCCR 1:75]. Connecticut grand jury, 15 September 1643 [CCCR 1:93]. Petit jury, 6 April 1643, 15 June 1643, 6 June 1644, 1 August 1644, 5 June 1645 (fined 5s.), 9 October 1645 [RPCC 19, 21, 25, 27, 34, 37]. On 1 October 1646 "Mr. Chester is freed from training" [RPCC 44]. ESTATE: Granted sixty acres in Great Dividend at Watertown [WaBOP 5]. (In the holdings of William Paine in the Watertown Composite Inventory is a parcel of thirteen acres of planting ground "bought of William Chester," which is probably meant for Leonard Chester, as there is no other evidence of a William Chester [WaBOP 23].) In his earliest surviving will, written 22 November 1637, "Leonard Chester, of Wethersfield, Gentleman" bequeathed to "my son John all that my house lot with houses, meadows, and other lands whatsoever, together with that Mill ... which I am in building ... in the town ... of Wethersfield" half immediately and half after the death of "Mary, my beloved wife"; should John die without issue before he comes of age, then to "my daughter Mary"; if Mary die without issue, then to the "heirs of my body in general"; for want of issue, then to "the children of my dear uncle Mr. Thomas Hooker, now pastor at Hartford"; to "my daughter Mary £200"; to "my mother Dorothy Chester" £30; to "my wife Mary one half of my house lot ... together with the mill ... which I am now building ... during her natural life" then to "my son John"; "my dear wife Mary" executrix; "Mr. John Plum and Mr. Henry Smith, both of ... Wethersfield" overseers; to "Mr. Plum 10s. to buy a pair of gloves; to "Mr. Smith" 30s. He amended this will to include consideration of "the £300 sent over as part of the portion of his wife since he came to New England, which was to be disposed of for her use with her liking, which being rectified by the two friends above named, then his housing, lands, stock and estate to be disposed of to the benefit of his children"; "Mr. Webster and Mr. Newton of Tonxsis" overseers. He further amended this will 2 August 1648 saying "Whereas, I have some years since drawn up the sum of my thoughts and desires into a writing and committed it to the keeping of my uncle Thomas Hooker, now deceased, which writing for present I cannot well come at, and further because in the writing I have not so far as I remember made any provision for my younger children which have been born since, I do ... declare that whatever provision is therein made for my younger children that were then born, the same provision I do appoint to be made for my younger children born since, so that they shall all have portions alike ... except my eldest son, to whom I have and do still bequeath a double portion"; "in that my will I have entreated Mr. John Webster and my cousin Newton to be my executors, I do hereby make known that my desire is to ease them of that trouble, and do constitute and appoint my loving wife to be my sole ... executrix"; "because I have taken no order in that writing for the dispose of what estate I have remaining still in old England ... I do therefore bequeath all that estate ... in particular one annuity of thirty quarters of barley issuing out of the estate of Nicholas Sharpe, deceased, and by his will bequeathed unto me and mine heirs, for the settling whereof I have sent over a letter of attorney to my father Wade ... all this, with whatever else will be coming to me out of old England, I do give to my wife during her life ... and after her decease ... to my children, viz., to my eldest son a double portion, and to the rest to every one an equal portion." He added a codicil the same day, providing in case the estate in England fell to his eldest son by law, then all that he had given to his eldest son by will, should be given "to my other children to mend their portions." At his decease, the court judged 21 July 1651 that "the widow should have £300 and the remainder of the estate to be equally divided amongst the children, the eldest to have a double portion ... any estate that may come from England ... if it falls to the eldest son, if that amount to £100, he is to have but a single portion with the other children" [Manwaring 1:105-07]. The inventory of "Mr. Chester lately deceased" totalled £1062 1s. 8d., of which £550 was real estate: "the homelot and the housing on it," £180; "53 acres in the plain," £130; "41 acres in the Great Meadow with the upland of 24 acres," £205; and "the land on the other side of the Great River," £35 [Hartford PD 1:11; Manwaring 1:105]. In his will, dated 29 July 1674 and proved 18 May 1676, Richard Russell of Charlestown included bequests to "wife Mrs. Mary Russell" £800; to "her eldest daughter the wife of Mr. Samuel Whiting of Billerica" £100 and to "her seven children" £10 apiece; to "her second daughter the wife of Mr. Thomas Russell" £160 and to "her two children" £10 apiece and to "her husband Mr. Thomas Russell" £50; to "her third daughter Eunice Chester" £200; and to "her son Mr. Steeven Chester ... in addition to what I have given him" £100 [MPR Case #19688]. In her will, dated 20 November 1688 and proved 1 October 1689, "Mary Russell widow of the late Richard Russell of Charlestowne ... being often weakly in body" bequeathed to "my eldest son Capt. John Chester of Weathersfeild" £30; to "my daughter Mrs. Dorcas Whiting of Billerrica" £30 and moveables, and to "her husband the Reverend Mr. Sam[ue]ll Whiting my son-in-law" £10; to "my granddaughter Elizabeth Whiting" moveables; to "my second son Stephen Chester of the aforesaid Wethersfeild, merchant,' £40 and moveables; to "my daughter Prudence Russell's orphans, viz. my grandson Thomas Russell my brickhouse with four foot front of land on the wharf which I bought of my son Mr. Daniel Russell, also I do give and bequeath to my two grand daughters, vizt. Mary Russell and Prudence Russell" £15 each; to "my granddaughter Mary Russell my silver cup ... and one silver spoon"; to "my granddaughter Prudence Russell ... my silver plate with the Chesters Arms on it"; to "the said orphans all that debt of £32 due to me on the book of accounts"; to "Mary and Prudence Russell" the house where Thomas Rand lives in Charlestown; to "my daughter Mrs. Dorcas Whiting" the little house where John Guppy lives and the leanto and the privilege of the water at the wells; to "my son-in-law, James Russell Esqr." £5; to "my old servant Jno Coultman of Wethersfield if then living" 20s.; "if my estate should fall short of the aforesaid legacies, then that there be a proportionable abatement"; "my well beloved sons Mr. Samll Whiting and Mr. Stephen Chester" executors [MPR 7:6].
BIRTH: Born about 1610, probably at Blaby, Leicestershire, son of John and Dorothy (Hooker) Chester.
DEATH: Wethersfield 1648 [Wethersfield Hist, plate facing 2:208].
MARRIAGE: By about 1634 Mary _____; she married (2) before 9 August 1654 Richard Russell of Charlestown [Wyman 829-30; WP 6:413-14]; she died at Charlestown 30 November 1688 "about 80" [ChVR 1:140]. (The identity of Leonard Chester's wife remains uncertain. Her surname may be Wade, or Sharpe, or Neville [Wethersfield Hist 2:208-10].)
CHILDREN:
i JOHN, b. say 1634 (named in father's 1637 will, "eldest son" in mother's will); m. by 1654 Sarah Welles, daughter of Thomas Welles [Welles Gen 32-33]. ii MARY, b. say 1636 (named in father's 1637 will); no further record (unless she is the same as MERCY below).
iii DORCAS, b. say 1638; m. Charlestown 12 November 1656 Mr. Samuel Whiting [ChVR 1:20].
iv STEPHEN, b. say 1640 ("second son" in mother's will); d. Wethersfield 23 April 1705, unmarried [WetVR Barbour 62]. Distribution of the estate of Stephen Chester of Wethersfield was made 20 March 1706/7, being divided into three equal parts: "the children that are now living of Capt. John Chester, late of Wethersfield, who was brother of the said Stephen Chester, deceased; "Mr. Samuel Whiting, of Billirica, and Dorcas, his wife, one of the sisters of the said Stephen Chester, deceased"; and "the children that are now living of Capt. Thomas Russell, late of Charlestown, deceased, who married one of the sisters of the said Stephen Chester, deceased" [Manwaring 2:40-41].
v MERCY, b. say 1647 (adult by 1669 to make her will); d. Charlestown 15 September 1669 ("Mercie Chester, dau. of Mrs. Marie Russell") [ChVR 1:72]. In her will, dated 5 August 1669 and proved 21 December 1669, Mercy Chester of Charlestown, out of her estate in Wethersfield ("in the hands of my brother John Chester") and in Charlestown, bequeathed all to "my three sisters, vizt. Dorcas Whiting of Billerica & Prudence Chester & Eunice Chester both of Charlestowne aforesaid and likewise to my brother Stephen Chester of Charlestowne" to be divided as "my honored & dear mother Mrs. Mary Russell shall be pleased" [MPR Case #4372]. The inventory of her estate, taken 18 December 1669, totalled £147 1s. 2d., including "the housing near the meetinghouse," £105, and "a Bible," 12s. [MPR Case #4372].
vi PRUDENCE, b. say 1649; m. Charlestown 30 December 1669 Thomas Russell [ChVR 1:71]. (See SLR 5:345-46.) vii EUNICE, b. say 1652; m. Charlestown 25 February 1672/3 Richard Sprague [ChVR 1:86], son of RALPH SPRAGUE; "Eunice Sprague, wife of Capt. Richard Sprague," d. Charlestown 27 May 1676 [ChVR 1:94; Wyman 892].
ASSOCIATIONS: Leonard Chester's mother, Dorothy Hooker, was sister of Rev. THOMAS HOOKER. (John Chester and "Darrete Haker" were married at Birstall, Leicestershire, 1 June 1609.) Leonard Chester's uncle Sampson Chester married Frances Tough, who later married as her third husband EDWARD STEBBINS who came to New England in 1633 [TAG 30:193-204]. COMMENTS: Three nineteenth-century writers published pedigrees of the Chester family, showing the illustrious connections of this armigerous family of Leicestershire [Bond 735-40; NEHGR 22:338-39; Wethersfield Hist 2:208-19]. These accounts differ in various details, but agree on the major points. The immigrant was son of John and Dorothy (Hooker) Chester of Blaby, Leicestershire, and was eligible to bear arms, as evidenced by the appearance of the arms on his tombstone and on a silver plate which passed to his wife. All of these pedigrees include many precise dates of birth, marriage and death which are not supported in the New England records. These dates may be from a family Bible or other privately held record, but this is not certain, and they may be a late invention. As a consequence the birth dates of the children of Leonard Chester and the dates of some other events are estimated from other evidence. Pope claims that Leonard Chester was a proprietor of Cambridge in 1634, and that his "wife had grant of land which she sold in 1635." Pope has here appropriated to the son the records of his mother, Dorothy (Hooker) Chester. 1 April 1634: "Mr. Chester hath bound himself in £10 to appear at the next Court, to be held in June, to answer to such things as shall be objected against him" [MBCR 1:115]. The John Chester who married at Charlestown 30 June 1663 Elizabeth Pittman [ChVR 1:44] does not appear to belong to this family.
LEONARD CHESTER ORIGIN: Blaby, Leicestershire
MIGRATION: 1633 FIRST RESIDENCE: Watertown REMOVES: Wethersfield 1636
EDUCATION: His inventory included "books" valued at £5.
OFFICES: Appointed one of the two men of Wethersfield to regulate the killing of calves, 29 September 1642 [CCCR 1:75]. Connecticut grand jury, 15 September 1643 [CCCR 1:93]. Petit jury, 6 April 1643, 15 June 1643, 6 June 1644, 1 August 1644, 5 June 1645 (fined 5s.), 9 October 1645 [RPCC 19, 21, 25, 27, 34, 37]. On 1 October 1646 "Mr. Chester is freed from training" [RPCC 44]. ESTATE: Granted sixty acres in Great Dividend at Watertown [WaBOP 5]. (In the holdings of William Paine in the Watertown Composite Inventory is a parcel of thirteen acres of planting ground "bought of William Chester," which is probably meant for Leonard Chester, as there is no other evidence of a William Chester [WaBOP 23].) In his earliest surviving will, written 22 November 1637, "Leonard Chester, of Wethersfield, Gentleman" bequeathed to "my son John all that my house lot with houses, meadows, and other lands whatsoever, together with that Mill ... which I am in building ... in the town ... of Wethersfield" half immediately and half after the death of "Mary, my beloved wife"; should John die without issue before he comes of age, then to "my daughter Mary"; if Mary die without issue, then to the "heirs of my body in general"; for want of issue, then to "the children of my dear uncle Mr. Thomas Hooker, now pastor at Hartford"; to "my daughter Mary £200"; to "my mother Dorothy Chester" £30; to "my wife Mary one half of my house lot ... together with the mill ... which I am now building ... during her natural life" then to "my son John"; "my dear wife Mary" executrix; "Mr. John Plum and Mr. Henry Smith, both of ... Wethersfield" overseers; to "Mr. Plum 10s. to buy a pair of gloves; to "Mr. Smith" 30s. He amended this will to include consideration of "the £300 sent over as part of the portion of his wife since he came to New England, which was to be disposed of for her use with her liking, which being rectified by the two friends above named, then his housing, lands, stock and estate to be disposed of to the benefit of his children"; "Mr. Webster and Mr. Newton of Tonxsis" overseers. He further amended this will 2 August 1648 saying "Whereas, I have some years since drawn up the sum of my thoughts and desires into a writing and committed it to the keeping of my uncle Thomas Hooker, now deceased, which writing for present I cannot well come at, and further because in the writing I have not so far as I remember made any provision for my younger children which have been born since, I do ... declare that whatever provision is therein made for my younger children that were then born, the same provision I do appoint to be made for my younger children born since, so that they shall all have portions alike ... except my eldest son, to whom I have and do still bequeath a double portion"; "in that my will I have entreated Mr. John Webster and my cousin Newton to be my executors, I do hereby make known that my desire is to ease them of that trouble, and do constitute and appoint my loving wife to be my sole ... executrix"; "because I have taken no order in that writing for the dispose of what estate I have remaining still in old England ... I do therefore bequeath all that estate ... in particular one annuity of thirty quarters of barley issuing out of the estate of Nicholas Sharpe, deceased, and by his will bequeathed unto me and mine heirs, for the settling whereof I have sent over a letter of attorney to my father Wade ... all this, with whatever else will be coming to me out of old England, I do give to my wife during her life ... and after her decease ... to my children, viz., to my eldest son a double portion, and to the rest to every one an equal portion." He added a codicil the same day, providing in case the estate in England fell to his eldest son by law, then all that he had given to his eldest son by will, should be given "to my other children to mend their portions." At his decease, the court judged 21 July 1651 that "the widow should have £300 and the remainder of the estate to be equally divided amongst the children, the eldest to have a double portion ... any estate that may come from England ... if it falls to the eldest son, if that amount to £100, he is to have but a single portion with the other children" [Manwaring 1:105-07]. The inventory of "Mr. Chester lately deceased" totalled £1062 1s. 8d., of which £550 was real estate: "the homelot and the housing on it," £180; "53 acres in the plain," £130; "41 acres in the Great Meadow with the upland of 24 acres," £205; and "the land on the other side of the Great River," £35 [Hartford PD 1:11; Manwaring 1:105]. In his will, dated 29 July 1674 and proved 18 May 1676, Richard Russell of Charlestown included bequests to "wife Mrs. Mary Russell" £800; to "her eldest daughter the wife of Mr. Samuel Whiting of Billerica" £100 and to "her seven children" £10 apiece; to "her second daughter the wife of Mr. Thomas Russell" £160 and to "her two children" £10 apiece and to "her husband Mr. Thomas Russell" £50; to "her third daughter Eunice Chester" £200; and to "her son Mr. Steeven Chester ... in addition to what I have given him" £100 [MPR Case #19688]. In her will, dated 20 November 1688 and proved 1 October 1689, "Mary Russell widow of the late Richard Russell of Charlestowne ... being often weakly in body" bequeathed to "my eldest son Capt. John Chester of Weathersfeild" £30; to "my daughter Mrs. Dorcas Whiting of Billerrica" £30 and moveables, and to "her husband the Reverend Mr. Sam[ue]ll Whiting my son-in-law" £10; to "my granddaughter Elizabeth Whiting" moveables; to "my second son Stephen Chester of the aforesaid Wethersfeild, merchant,' £40 and moveables; to "my daughter Prudence Russell's orphans, viz. my grandson Thomas Russell my brickhouse with four foot front of land on the wharf which I bought of my son Mr. Daniel Russell, also I do give and bequeath to my two grand daughters, vizt. Mary Russell and Prudence Russell" £15 each; to "my granddaughter Mary Russell my silver cup ... and one silver spoon"; to "my granddaughter Prudence Russell ... my silver plate with the Chesters Arms on it"; to "the said orphans all that debt of £32 due to me on the book of accounts"; to "Mary and Prudence Russell" the house where Thomas Rand lives in Charlestown; to "my daughter Mrs. Dorcas Whiting" the little house where John Guppy lives and the leanto and the privilege of the water at the wells; to "my son-in-law, James Russell Esqr." £5; to "my old servant Jno Coultman of Wethersfield if then living" 20s.; "if my estate should fall short of the aforesaid legacies, then that there be a proportionable abatement"; "my well beloved sons Mr. Samll Whiting and Mr. Stephen Chester" executors [MPR 7:6].
BIRTH: Born about 1610, probably at Blaby, Leicestershire, son of John and Dorothy (Hooker) Chester.
DEATH: Wethersfield 1648 [Wethersfield Hist, plate facing 2:208].
MARRIAGE: By about 1634 Mary _____; she married (2) before 9 August 1654 Richard Russell of Charlestown [Wyman 829-30; WP 6:413-14]; she died at Charlestown 30 November 1688 "about 80" [ChVR 1:140]. (The identity of Leonard Chester's wife remains uncertain. Her surname may be Wade, or Sharpe, or Neville [Wethersfield Hist 2:208-10].)
CHILDREN:
i JOHN, b. say 1634 (named in father's 1637 will, "eldest son" in mother's will); m. by 1654 Sarah Welles, daughter of Thomas Welles [Welles Gen 32-33]. ii MARY, b. say 1636 (named in father's 1637 will); no further record (unless she is the same as MERCY below).
iii DORCAS, b. say 1638; m. Charlestown 12 November 1656 Mr. Samuel Whiting [ChVR 1:20].
iv STEPHEN, b. say 1640 ("second son" in mother's will); d. Wethersfield 23 April 1705, unmarried [WetVR Barbour 62]. Distribution of the estate of Stephen Chester of Wethersfield was made 20 March 1706/7, being divided into three equal parts: "the children that are now living of Capt. John Chester, late of Wethersfield, who was brother of the said Stephen Chester, deceased; "Mr. Samuel Whiting, of Billirica, and Dorcas, his wife, one of the sisters of the said Stephen Chester, deceased"; and "the children that are now living of Capt. Thomas Russell, late of Charlestown, deceased, who married one of the sisters of the said Stephen Chester, deceased" [Manwaring 2:40-41].
v MERCY, b. say 1647 (adult by 1669 to make her will); d. Charlestown 15 September 1669 ("Mercie Chester, dau. of Mrs. Marie Russell") [ChVR 1:72]. In her will, dated 5 August 1669 and proved 21 December 1669, Mercy Chester of Charlestown, out of her estate in Wethersfield ("in the hands of my brother John Chester") and in Charlestown, bequeathed all to "my three sisters, vizt. Dorcas Whiting of Billerica & Prudence Chester & Eunice Chester both of Charlestowne aforesaid and likewise to my brother Stephen Chester of Charlestowne" to be divided as "my honored & dear mother Mrs. Mary Russell shall be pleased" [MPR Case #4372]. The inventory of her estate, taken 18 December 1669, totalled £147 1s. 2d., including "the housing near the meetinghouse," £105, and "a Bible," 12s. [MPR Case #4372].
vi PRUDENCE, b. say 1649; m. Charlestown 30 December 1669 Thomas Russell [ChVR 1:71]. (See SLR 5:345-46.) vii EUNICE, b. say 1652; m. Charlestown 25 February 1672/3 Richard Sprague [ChVR 1:86], son of RALPH SPRAGUE; "Eunice Sprague, wife of Capt. Richard Sprague," d. Charlestown 27 May 1676 [ChVR 1:94; Wyman 892].
ASSOCIATIONS: Leonard Chester's mother, Dorothy Hooker, was sister of Rev. THOMAS HOOKER. (John Chester and "Darrete Haker" were married at Birstall, Leicestershire, 1 June 1609.) Leonard Chester's uncle Sampson Chester married Frances Tough, who later married as her third husband EDWARD STEBBINS who came to New England in 1633 [TAG 30:193-204]. COMMENTS: Three nineteenth-century writers published pedigrees of the Chester family, showing the illustrious connections of this armigerous family of Leicestershire [Bond 735-40; NEHGR 22:338-39; Wethersfield Hist 2:208-19]. These accounts differ in various details, but agree on the major points. The immigrant was son of John and Dorothy (Hooker) Chester of Blaby, Leicestershire, and was eligible to bear arms, as evidenced by the appearance of the arms on his tombstone and on a silver plate which passed to his wife. All of these pedigrees include many precise dates of birth, marriage and death which are not supported in the New England records. These dates may be from a family Bible or other privately held record, but this is not certain, and they may be a late invention. As a consequence the birth dates of the children of Leonard Chester and the dates of some other events are estimated from other evidence. Pope claims that Leonard Chester was a proprietor of Cambridge in 1634, and that his "wife had grant of land which she sold in 1635." Pope has here appropriated to the son the records of his mother, Dorothy (Hooker) Chester. 1 April 1634: "Mr. Chester hath bound himself in £10 to appear at the next Court, to be held in June, to answer to such things as shall be objected against him" [MBCR 1:115]. The John Chester who married at Charlestown 30 June 1663 Elizabeth Pittman [ChVR 1:44] does not appear to belong to this family.
Events
| Birth | 15 Jul 1610 | Blaby Parish, Leicestershire, England | |||
| Christen | 15 Jul 1610 | Blaby Parish, Leicestershire, England | |||
| Marriage | 1634 | Mary Wade |  | ||
| Death | 11 Dec 1648 | Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut | |  | |
| Burial | Wethersfield Village Cemetery, Hartford County, Connecticut | | |
Families
| Spouse | Mary Wade (1608 - 1688) |
| Child | Dorcas Chester (1637 - 1713) |
| Father | John Chester (1588 - 1628) |
| Mother | Dorothy Hooker (1589 - 1662) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth Chester ( - 1628) |
Notes
Marriage
Leonard Chester (1610-1648) married by about 1634, Mary _____. They came from Blaby, Leicestershire to Massachusetts Bay in 1633. First settled in Watertown; moved to Wethersfield in 1636.They had 7 children: John, Mary, Dorcas Whiting, Stephen, Mercy, Prudence Russell, & Eunice Sprague.
She married (2) before 9 August 1654, Richard Russell of Charlestown; she died at Charlestown 30 November 1688 "about 80." (The identity of Leonard Chester's wife remains uncertain. Her surname may be Wade, or Sharpe, or Neville.)
Death
Leonard Armiger ChesterGender: Male
Burial Place: Connecticut
Death Date: 1648
Age: 39
Birth Date: 1609
Burial
PLOT: section A, row 15, stone hInscription:
Here lyes the body of Leonard Chester, Armiger, late of the Town of Blaby and Severall other Lordships in Leistersheire deceased in Wethersfield Anno Domini 1648, etatis 39.
Armiger: [In heraldry, an armiger is a person entitled to use a heraldic achievement either by hereditary right, grant, matriculation, or assumption of arms. Such a person is said to be armigerous. A family or a clan likewise.]
Missing church records and no surviving gravestones prior to 1670 means that historians cannot confirm when the earliest burial in the Ancient Burying Ground occurred. One such stone is a memorial stone crafted in the 1670s or 1680s in remembrance of Leonard Chester who died in 1648. His stone is one of the only stones that remain from the seventeenth century. Although he died in 1648 his tombstone was crafted in the 1670s or 1680s in remembrance.
This is the 3rd oldest tombstone in the state of Connecticut.
A flat freestone tablet in the old graveyard at Wethersfield, the head of which was adorned with an elaborate coat of arms of the Chester family.
Other children of Leonard Chester and his wife Mary were: Mary, Eunice who married Capt. Richard Sprague, Stephen, Mercy, and Prudence.
Endnotes
1. Connecticut Deaths and Burials, 1772-1934 https://www.familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F7KQ-NL3.
2. Find A Grave Memorial 16926683.