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Moses LEAVITT and Dorothy DUDLEY

HUSBAND:
[F1888]. Moses LEAVITT. (Levet). [PC T4-1].
Born 12 August 1650 at Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts; son of John LEAVITT [F3776] and Sarah GILMAN [F3777].

His father, John Leavitt, was granted land in Exeter, New Hampshire in 1652, but there is no sign that he took up residence. But Moses and his half brother Samuel moved to Exeter about 1677. They both took 'ye oath of Allegiance to his majestie & fidelitie to ye contrey" at Exeter on November 30, 1677. Moses again appears in New Hampshire records in 1679 when he signed an Act calling for a General Assembly. His signature is recorded on that document as Moses Levet, the more typical English spelling of the surname.

Moses Leavitt was a surveyor by trade, and early became one of Exeter's leading citizens.

New Hampshire records show that "Moses Levett" and "Samuel Levett" received credit in 1676 in Exeter for their service in King Philip's War.

He appears on the tax roll in 1680.

He married Dorothy DUDLEY [F1889] on 26 October 1681.

In 1682 Leavitt first served as an Exeter selectman, an office he held several times during his lifetime.

Moses first served as Deputy to the colony's General Court in 1692, a position he filled several times over subsequent years. For seven years he held the office of Moderator of the province's General Court, and he also served as a State Senator.

Moses was appointed in 1698 to a committee of Exeter's First Church to handle the vexing question of where congregants should be seated in the sanctuary – seating being determined by social rank. Deacon Leavitt and Kinsley Hall were first given the choice pews, allowing other congregants to then be accommodated.

Moses was an early signer of an appeal to the King in England to arbitrate the claims of the Masonian proprietors, who were asserting ownership rights to lands claimed by early settlers.

In 1700 delegate Leavitt brought a vote from the House of Representatives to the Council of New Hampshire concerning Richard Hilton's ferry on the Squamscott River and his proposed charges on passengers – both man and horse.

A subsequent communiqué in July 1708, signed by Leavitt – and on file at London's Whitehall – was addressed to Her Majesty the Queen from the "Justices, Officers of the Militia, Merchants, etc. of New Hampshire" and was directed "in favour of Governor Dudley."

He died on 17 June 1730 at Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire; "being aged and feeble", as he noted in his will:

"I have formerly given to my eldest son Moses, fifty acres lying in Exeter, near the Great Hill,adjoining the land of Samuel Stevens;also forty-five pounds in money. I now bequeath to my said son Moses, 36 acres of my part and proportion of the Common land allowed me by the committee of the town of Exeter, which I design to be his portion of my estate. I give to my son Timothy, 50 acres where his house now stands, upon a part it joins the land of Justice Thing. My son Timothy shall have the full half of that 100 acres I have there be it more or less. I also give to my son Timottiy forty acres of land being part of one hundred acres of land joining upon the Robinson's land my son Timothy's part shall lie next to Robinson's land. My sons Timothy, Stephen, Joseph, John and Dudley.

I give to my son Stephen the one half of four score acres of land on that side where his house now stands be it more or less, lying upon Deer Hill Plain, also the one-half of my 100 acres joining to the land I gave to my son Timothy on that side joining the Little River. I give to my son Joseph 50 acres of land lying near the Great Hill between the land of Theophilus Hardy and the land of Jonathan Smith, also 20 acres of land lying upon the south side of the land I gave to my son Dudley, between my son Dudley's and the land of Justice Thing.

I give to my son John, to whom I have given heretofore half of one hundred acres ofland be it more or less, bounding upon the land of Capt. Theophilus Smith and the land of "William Sanborn, deceased;and so the cove and bounding on the cove. My said son John shall have the whole of said 100 acres, provided he pay or

WIFE:
[F1889]. Dorothy DUDLEY. [PC T4-2].
Born in (1644-S?)(about 1662-S1)(1664-S?) in Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire; daughter of (Rev) Samuel DUDLEY [F3778] and Elizabeth SMITH [F3779]. She married Moses LEAVITT [F1888] on 26 OCT 1681 at Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire. She died before 1730.

CHILDREN of Moses LEAVITT [F1888] and Dorothy DUDLEY [F1889]:
  1. Moses Leavitt
  2. Timothy Leavitt
  3. Stephen Leavitt
  4. Hannah Leavitt
  5. John Leavitt
  6. Dorothy Leavitt
  7. Elizabeth Leavitt
  8. Sarah Leavitt.
  9. [F944]. Joseph LEAVITT. Born 23 March 1699 at Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire. He married Mary WADLEIGH [F945] in 1726-1727 in Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire.. He died 25 August 1792 at Deerfield, Rockingham County, New Hampshire.
  10. Mary Leavitt
  11. Dudley Leavitt
  12. Daniel Leavitt.


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