William1 LEETE, was the son of John and Ann (Shute) Leete, and was our emigrant ancestor. He was born in Dodington, England in 1612-13. He was bred in the law at Cambridge University, and served for a considerable time as clerk in the Bishop of Ely's Court, at Cambridge. He eventually became a Puritan, gave up his office, and came to America in the company of the Rev. Henry Whitfield, and was one of the signers of the Plantation Covenant on shipboard, 1 Jun 1639. They sailed from England May 20th on the ship "St. John", and arrived in New Haven between July 10th and 15th. Mr. LEETE held various important offices in the colony, and was the town clerk of Guilford for many years. He was an assistant of New Haven colony from 1643 to 1657, and governor from 1661 to 1665. After the union of Connecticut and New-Haven colonies, he was deputy governor from 1669 to 1675; and upon the death of Winthrop, in 1676, was chosen governor, to which office he was annually reelected until his death.
He married at Hail-Weston, 1 Aug 1636, Anne PAYNE, daughter of the Rev. John PAYNE of Southhoe. She was the mother of all his children, and died 1 Sep 1668. He later married widow Sarah Rutherford, and following her death, married widow Mary Street. William LEETE died in Hartford, CT, 16 Apr 1683, while the Governor of Connecticut Colony. He is buried in the ancient burial ground in the rear of the First Church of Hartford.
Children of William and Anne (Payne) LEETE
Mary LEETE, bapt. 18 Nov 1638, Eng., died the following January.
John LEETE, b. 1639 = Mary CHITTENDEN
Andrew LEETE, b. 1643 = Elizabeth JORDAN
William LEETE = Mary FENN
Abigail LEETE = Rev. John WOODBRIDGE
Caleb LEETE, b. 24 Aug 1651, d. um, 13 Jan 1673
Gratiana LEETE, b. 22 Dec 1653, d. um. After 1683
Peregrine LEETE, b. 12 Jan 1658, d. young
Joshua LEETE, b. 1659, d. 20 Feb 1660
Anna LEETE, b. 10 Mar 1661 = John TROWBRIDGE
Generation 2.
Andrew2 LEETE, (William1) married 1 Jun 1669, Elizabeth JORDAN, daughter of Thomas and Dorothy JORDAN. Andrew LEETE succeeded in a good degree to the position of his father, managing the affairs of the town and to some extent of the Colony. In 1677, he was elected to the honorable office of Assistant in the Connecticut Colony, and was annually reelected until his death. It was while holding this office that he became principally instrumental in secreting and preserving the Charter of the Colony during the usurpation of the government by Major Andross. For a season the charter was kept in his house at Guilford. He was a member of the General Court of Connecticut that granted the Charter to Yale College. He died 31 Oct 1702. Elizabeth Jordan Leete died 4 Mar 1701. Their residence was on the northwest corner of Guilford Green.
Children of Andrew2 and Elizabeth (Jordan) LEETE:
William LEETE, b. 24 Mar 1671 = Hannah STONE
Caleb LEETE, b, 10 Dec 1673 = Mary HUBBARD
Samuel LEETE, b. 1677 = Hannah GRAVES
Dorothy LEETE, b. 1680 = John HOPSON
Abigail LEETE, b. 1683 = Abraham BRADLEY
Mercy LEETE, b. 1688 = Samuel HOOKER
Generation 3.
Samuel3 LEETE (Andrew2, William1) married 28 Nov 1723, Hannah GRAVES, daughter of Joseph and Margaret GRAVES. Hannah was born in Guilford, 30 Oct 1699, and died 26 Mar 1770. Samuel LEETE was born in 1677 in Guilford, and died 20 Feb 1751.
Children of Samuel and Hannah (Graves) LEETE:
Sybil LEETE, b. 18 Oct 1724 = Ebenezer STONE
Samuel LEETE, b. 24 Jun 1726 = Jane McNEMOR
Anna LEETE, b. 25 Jly 1728, d. um. 11 Oct 1779
Andrew LEETE, b. 6 Nov 1731 = (1) Esther BLATCHLEY; (2) Submit CROCKETT