Josiah Leedy1

b. 14 January 1818, d. 25 January 1862
FatherJoseph Leedy1 b. abt 1778, d. bef 25 May 1852
Birth14 Jan 1818 Josiah Leedy was born on 14 Jan 1818 in Virginia.1 
Marriage He married Margaret Doran.2 
Cens-185010 Jul 1850  Like his father Joseph, Josiah was a carpenter, first practicing his craft in Washington County, Virginia.2 
  Following Joseph's death in 1852, Josiah and Margaret migrated to Springfield, Missouri with their 5 children (Elizabeth L., Rowena E., James, Ann and Nancy Jane). Josiah built the courthouse at Springfield and other public buildings in the area.3,4,5 
  Josiah's brother Archibald, also a carpenter, migrated to Springfield with his family as well. The men's sister Eleanor and her husband William Doran settled on farmland outside of Springfield. 
Cens-18606 Aug 1860  The 1860 census enumeration included 3 additional children born after Josiah and Margaret settled in Missouri: Alice, Susan and Catherine. Josiah's occupation that year was listed as "builder". He owned land worth $3,000 and personal property worth $2,000. The household also included a 33 year old carpenter named John Sharp who was also from Virginia and a 26 year old teamster from Wisconsin named James Greene.5 
Jul 1861  Josiah may have been a strong supporter of the Southern cause in the years preceding the Civil War. A newspaper correspondent, who was attached to the First Iowa Infantry, wrote the following from Springfield on July 29, 1861:

"Joseph Leady, a notorious secessionist, was yesterday arrested near here and brought into town. He has been guilty of almost every species of opposition to the Government, except the actual taking up of arms. If discharged by Gen. Lyon, he will probably be assassinated, as I have heard a dozen of his own fellow townsmen swear that he will not leave town alive."6

[The editor of the above volume of letters annotated this entry as referencing Josiah Leedy, "building contractor for the Springfield Courthouse". Although the letter referred to "Joseph" and not "Josiah" it should be noted that Josiah was recorded as Joseph Leedy on the 1850 census] 
Death25 Jan 1862 Josiah died on 25 Jan 1862 in Janesville, Illinois, during the Civil War.7,8 
  Margaret remained in Springfield following Josiah's death where she provided a home for her unmarried daughters. An older daughter, Rowena Emily, married James Waddill who served as a US Congressman from Missouri in the late 1870s.9,3 

Related Links and Images:

The 1850 Washington Co., Virginia census listed Josiah as the head of household number 002. Follow the link to see who lived nearby.
Many Washington County, Virginia families migrated to Missouri. Josiah and Margaret settled in Greene County. See the Missouri map to locate other families from the county (also accessible via the Misc. Locations link in the menu bar at the top of any page).

Family

Margaret Doran b. abt 1823
Children
  • Elizabeth L. Leedy2 (circa 1844 - )
  • Rowena Emily Leedy2 (circa 1845 - )
  • James F. Leedy2 (circa 1847 - )
  • Ann A. Leedy2 (circa 1849 - )
  • Nannie Leedy5 (circa 1852 - )
  • Alice Leedy5 (circa 1854 - )
  • Susan Leedy5 (circa 1856 - )
  • Catherine Leedy5 (circa 1858 - )
Last Edited3 Jan 2013

Citations

  1. [S2377] Gordon M. Connelly, Leedy Family History, p. 98.
  2. [S367] Joseph Leedy household, 1850 U.S. Census, Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., 67th District, p. 68 (stamped), dwelling 2, family 2, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Feb. 2010. Household includes: Joseph Leedy, 32, carpenter; Margaret, 28; Elizabeth 6; Rowena 5; James 3; Ann A 1; all b. VA.
  3. [S2381] Howard Louis Conrad, Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, digitized images, Google Books (http://books.google.com : 308-309).
  4. [S2377] Gordon M. Connelly, Leedy Family History, p. 98 (names of children).
  5. [S2380] Josiah Leedy household, 1860 U.S. census, Greene Co., MO, pop. sched., Campbell township, p. 149 (added script), dwelling 999, family 1052, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Feb. 2010. Household includes: Josiah Leedy, 42, builder, owns land worth $3,000, pers. prop. of $2,000, b. VA; M.A. 33, b. TN; E.L., 17, b. VA; R.E., 15, b. VA; J.F., 13, b. VA; A.N., 10 b. VA; J.N., 8, b. VA; Allice, 6, b. MO; Susan, 4, b. MO; Cathren, 2, b. MO; John Sharp, 33, carpenter, owns pers, prop of $1,500; James Greene, 26, teamster, owns pers, prop of $200, b. Wisconsin.
  6. [S2426] Michael E. Banasik, editor, Missouri In 1861 - The Civil War Letters of Franc B. Wilkie, Newspaper Correspondent, digitized images, Google Books (http://books.google.com : accessed May 2010), p. 129.
  7. [S2377] Gordon M. Connelly, Leedy Family History, p. 98 (provides date and location).
  8. [S2381] Howard Louis Conrad, Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, digitized images, Google Books (http://books.google.com : 308-309), ("his death occurred during the war").
  9. [S1864] Margaret Leedy household, 1870 U.S. census, Greene Co., MO, pop. sched., Springfield-Campbell township, p. 102 (stamped), dwelling 543, family 554, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Feb. 2010. Household includes: Margaret Leedy, 45, keeping house, owns land worth $1,200, b. VA; Annie, 21, b. VA; Nannie, 18, b. VA; Alice, 16, b. MO; Sue, 13, b. MO; Kate, 11, b. MO.