Charles Russell Leonard was born November 25, 1830, in Union Springs, Cayuga County, New York. He was the son of Russel (or Russell) and Sophronia Leonard. Russel was last seen in 1833 when he went west to Michigan Territory to buy land and never returned, leaving Sophronia with two children that we know of - Charles and Jenette. She married Thomas J. Knapp on September 11, 1837, in Genoa, Cayuga County, with whom she had several more children.
A list of the census records Charles has been identified in are shown below. This page will be updated if and when the missing records are found.
1840 Census - Not found
Charles's mother, Sophronia, was remarried to Thomas Knapp and living in Scipio, Cayuga, New York. (Details) Charles may have lived in the household of Joshua Leonard, Jr., who also lived in Scipio. Joshua had a brother named Russel Leonard, who may have been Charles' father. See more about this theory in my previous article here.
1850 Census - Not found
In 1850, his mother, Sophronia Knapp (age 35) was living in Genoa with her new husband, Thomas Knapp (39) and seven children: Joseph (13), Thomas (12), Mariah (9), Sophia (7), Lydia (4), Dewey (2), and William (0). They were family #217 counted on page 28 of 60. (Details)
Note: The same year (1850), his soon-to-be wife, Polly Brown (age 12) was living with who I believe was her mother and stepfather, Peter and Lydia Shaver, also in Genoa. They were family #381 counted on page 49 of 60. The only other Leonard in Genoa in 1850 was George Leonard, who lived in the home of Otis Carson (age 48) and Polly Carson (age 45) and their children. George was age 50. No sign of Charles.
1855 Genoa, Cayuga County, New York (See full census here)
Charles (23), Mary (17), Joseph (1) - They had been living there only two months
*Notice the middle initial. It is transcribed as Charles B. Leonard.
1860 Census - Not found
1865 Groton, Tompkins County, New York
Charles Leonard and Mary with children: Joseph, Susan, Charles, Sarah g., and Frances Leonard.
1870 Groton, Tompkins County, New York
Charles Leonard and Mary with children: Joseph, Jane, Frankie, and Lewis Leonard.
1875 Locke, Cayuga County, New York
Charles Leonard with wife, Sarah (Mary Polly Brown?) and children: Frances, Lewis & Lydia.
1880 Locke, Cayuga County, New York
Chas. R. Leonard with wife Mary and children: Lewis, Lydia, Arthur and Irvin.
1892 Rose, Wayne, New York
Charles Leonard with his second "wife" Luella and her children fathered by William Knapp.
1900 Lyons, Wayne, New York
Charles Leonard with his second wife, Luella and her mother, Betsy Lumbert, and Malvina Leonard, a daughter, presumably a Knapp as shown above on the 1892 census. Charles's birthdate is given as December 1834 but his first wife's embroidered Family Record says he was born Nov. 23 (or 25?), 1830 (or 1831?). We know he was born before 1833 when his father left for Michigan to buy land, so his birth info here is incorrect.
1905 Groton, Tompkins, New York
Charles Leonard and his wife, Luella. At the age of 72, he was still working as a "Day Laborer".
Photo from Dryer Family Photos is labeled Charles Russell Leonard and Luella Schriver Knapp Wilson Leonard.
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