Leonard Tillotson was the son of Samuel Tillotson and Sarah Partridge. Leonard was born on March 11, 1802 in Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Sometimes his name appears spelled as "Learned." Both were pronounced the same way at that time. Leonard was the brother of my great-great-great-grandfather Daniel Tillotson. Leonard's farm land in Brunswick adjoined that owned by Daniel.
Leonard married Mary Cossitt Thomas (see photo above) in Liverpool, Medina County, Ohio on February 27, 1825. Mary was born on August 14, 1805 in New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut. She was the daughter of Cornelius Thomas, originally a sea captain from West Haven, Connecticut, and his wife Susan (Susanna) Cossitt. Cornelius Thomas was a descendant of John Thomas (1615-1671) and his wife Tabitha of New Haven, Connecticut. Susan Cossitt was the half-sister of Orpha Cossitt, mother of Roxa Adams, mother of my great-great-grandmother Jane Ann Sexton. Susan and Orpha were descendants of French immigrant René Cossitt of Simsbury (Granby), Connecticut and his wife Ruth Porter.
Some references give Seth Thomas as the father of Mary Cossitt Thomas.
This isn't correct. Seth was the name of Cornelius's father.
Cornelius also named a son Seth as well. Cornelius's
father Seth Thomas was a sea captain who married Mary Kimberly (1753-1834).
Seth died at a relatively young age in 1782. A few years later Mary married
James Blakeslee Reynolds. A pair of matching portraits of
Mary and James, attributed to artist Reuben Moulthrop, date to
shortly after the marriage. These portraits currently reside in the collection
of the Folk Art Museum
in New York City.
The ring Mary is wearing in her portrait is adorned with Masonic
devices. Apparently she lost the ring in a cornfield. It was found
twenty years later.
Mary Kimberly Thomas Reynolds,
grandmother of Mary Cossitt Thomas.
Attributed to Reuben Moulthrop.
Women of the Western Reserve (p. 716) says this about Mary Cossitt Thomas:
Mary C. Thomas was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and moved with her parents to the Western Reserve in 1816. She became the wife of Leonard Tillotson. She possessed a genial, social disposition and was called "Aunt Mary" by everyone.
Leonard and Mary had six children, all born in Brunswick, Medina County, Ohio:
William Thomas Tillotson was born on November 28, 1826. He married Mary Elizabeth "Betsy" Wooll on September 26, 1855 in Duplain, Clinton County, Michigan. They had five children, all born in Elsie/Duplain, Clinton County, Michigan:
See William's page for more information about these children.
William Thomas Tillotson died on May 30, 1901 in Elsie, Clinton County, Michigan. Betsy Wooll died March 5, 1921.
Mary Eliza Tillotson was born January 19, 1829. She married Charles Gurley Wait on May 29, 1850 in Medina County, Ohio. Mary and Charles had three children:
See Mary and Charles's page for more information about these children.
Mary Eliza Tillotson died March 13, 1885 in Fairfield, Shiawassee County, Michigan. She is buried in Elsie, Clinton County, Michigan. Charles Gurley Wait died on January 4, 1895 in Ovid, Clinton County, Michigan. He is also buried in Elsie.
Charlotte married Oscar Wales Darling on October 15, 1852 in Brunswick, Medina County, Ohio. The Reverend Jacob A. Brown presided at the wedding. Oscar was born on April 27, 1826 in Louisville, St. Lawrence County, New York to Orren Darling and Sophia Wood. (Elsie cemetery records give 1829 as his year of birth.)
Charlotte and Oscar had six children:
See Charlotte's page for more information about these children.
Oscar Wales Darling died on August 6, 1876 in Elsie, Clinton County, Michigan. Charlotte died on October 25, 1909 in Fairfield, Shiawassee County, Michigan. She is buried next to Oscar in Elsie, Clinton County, Michigan.
Jane Minerva Tillotson was born August 14, 1834. She married first Daniel H. Francis on November 2, 1852. He died on July 25, 1854. Jane and Daniel had no children. Jane later married Belden Colton Linzee on September 17, 1862 in Nelson, Portage County, Ohio. Jane and Belden had one child:
Henrietta Irene "Etta" Linzee was born in Ovid, Clinton County, Michigan on March 7, 1865. She married Emory Albert Fuller on May 7, 1884 in Ovid. They had one daughter:
Emory Albert Fuller died on May 16, 1943 in Berkeley, Alameda County, California. He is buried in Ovid, Clinton County, Michigan. Etta Linzee died in Berkeley in December, 1952. She is also buried in Ovid.
Jane Minerva Tillotson died on July 10, 1913 in Ovid, Clinton County, Michigan. Belden Colton Linzee died in 1918. He is also buried in Ovid.
Elizabeth Ann Tillotson was born November 25, 1837. She married Charles Green Munson on April 3, 1863. Elizabeth and Charles had four children:
See Elizabeth and Charles's page for more information about these children.
Elizabeth Ann Tillotson died on February 18, 1899 in Elsie, Clinton County, Michigan. Charles Green Munson died on January 3, 1907.
Leonard Tillotson Jr. was born March 19, 1844. (The Elsie cemetery records give 1845 as his year of birth.) Leonard married Julia Ann Brainard on January 14, 1865 in Fairfield, Shiawassee County, Michigan. Ebenezer Nethaway presided at the wedding. Julia was the daughter of Lyman Brainard and Cornelia Sophia Kelly. Julia was born on November 10, 1845 in Brooklyn, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Leonard and Julia had two children:
Leonard Jr. was a farmer. Politically he was a Republican and Prohibitionist. He owned a farm on the state line five miles south of Bristol, The local post office was located in his farmhouse.
Leonard Tillotson Jr. died on January 27, 1870 in Elsie, Clinton County, Michigan.
All of Leonard and Mary's children eventually moved to Michigan.
Leonard Tillotson died December 1, 1862 in Brunswick, Medina County, Ohio. He is buried in Westview Cemetery. An extract from his will reads as follows:
- that my wife shall have the dower in all my property both real and personal.
- that all debts owing by me financial expenses to be paid.
- I give to my daughters the following sums. To Eliza Fifty-Dollars. To charlotte Fifty-Dollars. To Jane Twenty-five Dollars & To Elizabeth twenty-five dollars to be paid one year after my decease.
- All the property left after the above shall be paid is to be divided between my two sons William and Leonard. William to have one-third and Leonard two-thirds provided that Leonard shall remain upon the farm and attend to things for two years. I authorize my son William if it become necessary to my debts to sell my Michigan land at private sale upon such terms of credit or otherwise as he may think proper and apply the proceeds of said sale to the payments of my debts or the amounts bequested to my daughters.
signed 23 Oct 1862
witnessed by Ella Wilmot and James A. Root
Proved 9 March 1863, 2 May 1863
Mary Cossitt Thomas Tillotson died January 18, 1890 in Elsie, Clinton County, Michigan (see her obituary). See William Kidder's Leonard Tillotson Family for more information about Leonard and his children.
Children of Leonard and Mary Tillotson.
Left to right: Charlotte Maria Tillotson, Elizabeth Ann Tillotson, William Thomas Tillotson, Jane Minerva Tillotson, Mary Eliza Tillotson.
Photos and portions of the biographical information courtesy William L. Kidder. Biographical information about James Wait courtesy Greg Wait.
Back to Samuel Tillotson and Sarah Partridge.
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Last modified by pib on February 6, 2010.