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- During the Revolutionary War he served as a private in the Sussex Co. , N.J., Militia in 1777. On May 14, 1778 he was a member of Class 7, 5th battalion, Northampton Co., PA.
Militia, and in 1781 was a member in Capt. John Franklin's Company of Wyoming Valley troops 5th. Reg. Connecticut Militia, 1782. On Feb. 5, 1787, he signed a petition during the Wyoming controversy. He had Lot No. 10 in the original grant of Standing stone, June 1788, and was a settler there under the Connecticut susquehanna Company, in or before 1790. He is listed as an inhabitant of Luzerne Co. in the 1790 census, which was not returned by townships. And once again we find him performing military duty. In Sept. 1792 he was a lieutenant, Second Co., Luzerne Militia, and Aug. 17, 1793, he was Captain, Sixth Co., First Rgt. of Luzerne Co. Militia. He moved from Standing Stone to Ulster, locating down next to the narrows. Both Leonard and his brother Cherick were taxables in Tioga Twp. Luzerne Co., in list bearing date 1795. It included all of what is now Bradford county above an east- and - west line that passed thru Standing Stone Rock. After living at Ulster for some years, he moved to New York Stae. On Oct. 7, 1803 he purchased land in Ontario Co., N.Y., from Richard Westbrook and Anne his wife, Ezra Towner, husband of his dau. Jane Westbrook, was a witness. He is listed in the 1810 census of Gorham, Ontario Co. He was a resident of Canada during the war of 1812, having resided at Westminster, Ontario, from 1811-1816. By 1820 he had found his way to Ohio, as in that year he was in Bennington, Delaware Co. In 1826 he paid taxes, both real and personal, once again in Bennington Twp., Delaware Co., Ohio. The following year July 5, 1827, was on the Delaware Co. list of Delinquent tax due. The Westbrooks had 7 children. While in Bradford County, Mr. Westbrook had also been an early settler in the Towner Hill area of Rome Twp. for a while.
He married the aunt of Pheobe Brink McNames
2nd cousin of Andrew Westbrook.
His daughter married Amos McNames, brother of Peter, who deserted from UC militia and fled to Ohio
His son married Nancy McNames, sister of Peter.
His son James joined the militia and deserted.
"A middle aged settler from New York State by the name of Leonard Westbrook was place by [Simon Zelotes] Watson on the south part of lot 36. Later, about the end of April 1811, after Watson learned he was restricted in bringing to Westminster only Lower Canadians, he took the completely illegal action of going to Westbrook and declaring that he would evict him unless his fee was paid. He also apparently tried to extract his fees from a number of others in a similar manner. By these bullying tactics, which he accelerated and intensified during the War of 1812, Watson was trying to recoup some of his losses. Through intimidation Westbrook complied and gave Watson $62.50. By giving in Westbrook, who was well aware that he did not fit the "description for whom Land in Westminster was pprpriated," hoped he would later receive his grant through Watson's recommendation. Obviously he was ignorant of Watson's reduced authority over the settlement as Talbot, and not Watson, was now responsible for passing on applicants for land.
When [Lt. Governor] Gore, before leaving for England, learned of the incident he wrote to Talbot suggesting that Westbrook was entitled to a certain amount of governmental indulgence, and also cautioned him regarding the delicacy of the situation. Gore was concerned that Watson would complain to him if he saw the government settling his Americans in Westminster where he was restricted from settling them himself, but Westbrook, considered by Talbot to be an honest and industrious man, was allowed to remain on his land. Unlike some of his fellow Americans, he stayed in Westminster during the war. On March 26, 1815, however, before he received that patent for the lot, he sold his claim to Thomas Dowlin for $200 and returned to the United States......Shortly after this transaction took place Dowlin sold Westbrook's improvements to Nun Moe, one of Watson's Lower Canadians." [Byron: Pioneer Days in Westminster Township - Guy St-Denis]
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1759 - 1827 (68 years)
[natural] [related]