Fifth Generation

358. Dr. George LEONARD³⁹⁴ was born on 4 Jul 1729 in Norton, Bristol, MA.⁵⁰ He died on 26 Jul 1819 in Norton, Bristol, MA.³⁹⁵ George held many offices: Register of Probate, a Royal Councillor, Judgeof Probate, Chief Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Representative tothe first, third, and fourth US Congress, Speaker of the MA House ofRepresentatives, Colonel of militia, Presidential elector in 1804. Ownedan estate of 1500 acres. He was a graduate of Harvard 1748. He lived tobe 90. "He was a man of strict integrity, mild disposition, and asociable companion." (NEHGS 1851 p. 408).

From the Diary of John Adams: "June 8, 1762. Went to Taunton Court, theland of the Leonard; three Judges of the Common Pleas. Of that name eachof them has a son who was or at college. The Hon. George, the lstJustice, seems to be arbitrary. He committed two old gentlemen who werenearly 80 years old to the custody of an officer for only speaking loud.A check, a reproof, an admonition would have been enough. He wasunwilling that the Sessions should adjourn for an hour to take theverdict of the jury upon a presentment for riot but would have the jurykept together all night till the Court should sit again the nextmorning. No other Court in the Province superior or inferior would havethought of keeping the jury up. He broke in abruptly on Bob Paine. Hedid not think it right to run out against the King's witnesses. "For hispart he did not like to hear it 3 or 4 times over. Thus the haughtytyrant rules the country." The three Judges referred to above wereGeorge, brother Ephraim, and cousin Zephaniah.

See also History of Attleboro by John Daggett, 1894, for more aboutGeorge Leonard.

Dr. George LEONARD and Experience WHITE were married on 27 Nov 1759. Experience WHITE (daughter of Samuel WHITE) was born on 8 Oct 1738 in Norton, Bristol, MA.⁵⁰ She died on 30 May 1827 in Norton, Bristol, MA.³⁹⁶ Dr. George LEONARD and Experience WHITE had the following children:

+852	i.	Peddy LEONARD.
853	ii.	Fanny LEONARD was born on 15 Jul 1762 in Norton, Bristol, MA.50 She died on 30 Oct 1779 in Norton, MA.397
854	iii.	George LEONARD died about 27 Nov 1818 in New Brunswick, Canada. According to the American of November 27, 1818, George, Jr., son of HonGeorge, formerly of Massachusetts, in New Brunswick, was out gaming, incrossing a creek on a log he fell in and was drowned. Doublecheck: was George the son of this George or another?