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[[This family history was scrawled on pages from a long journal of some kind. The writing style is pretty antiquated, so I'm unsure of some of the material. My apologies for any errors in transcription.
This was updated with material found in an article "Sara, First Wife of Edmund Greenleaf" by Dorothy Greenleaf Boynton, which was forwarded to me by Ronald Ray Carlton. I also found his Greenleaf page to very very interesting and helpful.
Dennis J. Cunniff provided a wealth of useful Greenleaf (and Trask) information, some of which I will integrate someday.]]
Oulde Newbury as it was anciently called, was settled, incorporated and paid its first tax in the spring of 1635. It derived its name from Newbury, a town in Berkshire, England, about fifty miles from London.
Until its incorporation, it was called by its Indian name Quascocunquen and was one of the largest towns in the county, having an areas of about 36,000 acres. Grants for this township were issued by the King of England to the adventurers who would come to America and take up a claim.
In the division of the land a list of the wealthier grantees was given and among them Captain Edmund Greenleaf. Said Edmund Geenleaf, being the common ancestor of the Greenleafs of America. Edmund's parents' names were John and Margaret. Edmund was born on January 2, 1573(4), and was baptized in St. Mary's la Tour in Ipswich, Suffolk County,
Enoch and Catherine More were married on November 23, 1585 at St. Peter's Church in Maldon, Essex, England. Their daughter, Sarah More, was born on September 17, 1588. She married Edmund Greenleaf in July 1611 in St. Giles Church, Maldon. They had many children together.
One of their sons, Stephen, was baptized on September 29, 1628. Came to American with his family and resided in Newbury, MA until he died on December 1, 1690 (drowned off Cape Breton).
In 1651, he married Elizabeth Coffin (1631-1678). Stephen Greenleaf was one of a party of 24 persons who purchased the island of Nantucket from the Indians for 30 pounds. The company was formed by one Thomas Macy who had been persecuted by his own people for entertaining Quakers and desiring a greater freedom of conscience than he had hitherto been permitted to enjoy.
More details on Nantucket in The Coffin Family, edited by Louis Coffin with an introduction by Will Gardner, Nantucket Historical Association, 1962, LC: 62-18214. Thomas Mayhew was another person who helped to settle Nantucket.
Stephen, son of Stephen and Elizabeth Coffin, was born in Newbury on May 11, 1652. He was a prominent man in public affairs and famed for his services in the Indian Wars. He was known as "the Great Indian Fighter" and was instrumental in the preservation of the towns of Salsbury and Amesbury against the assaults of the enemy. He was known as Capt. Stephen Greenleaf and he died in 1743.
Capt. Stephen Greenleaf married Elizabeth Gerrish (1654-1712) on October 23, 1676. One of their children was Rev. Daniel Greenleaf. He was born in Newbury MA on February 10, 1679 and graduated from Harvard College in 1699. He practicied medicine in Cambridge MA for six years, where he married Elizabeth Gookin (1681-1762) on November 18, 1701.
About the year 1706, Rev. Daniel commenced preaching and was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church where he remained for nearly 20 years. Some difficulty arising, he resigned and moved to Boston. It was said the reason for the differences was that he talked of worldly matters on the Sabbath Day. Tradition says the worldly matters were that his eldest son, who lived in Boston, was dangerously ill and had come to him on Sunday and he made preparations for him there, leaving at midnight or soon after. His twelve children all settled in Boston, and he spent a happy later life, mingling with them, until, on one occasion, he fell and injured his spine and was never able to walk again. He died on August 26, 1763.
An extended account of the background of Elizabeth Gookin is in the Greenleaf Genealogy. She seems to have come from distinguished stock in both New England and England.
Dr. Daniel Greenleaf, born Nov 7, 1702, son of Rev. Daniel and Elizabeth Gookin was for a number of years a practicing physician in Hingham, MA and removed with his family to Boston. He married Silence Nichols (1702-1762) on July 18, 1726 in Hingham, MA. He died in July 1795.
Stephen, fifth child of Dr. Daniel and Silence Nichols Greenleaf, was born on October 15, 1735. He married Eunice Fairbanks of Boston, MA on January 11, 1758 and they lived in Boston until 1771. In 1771, he moved to Brattleboro, Vermont. He'd purchased a tract of land of about 800 acres, there known as "The Governor's Farm" which is now the whole of East Brattleboro. Here he built mills and is supposed to have opened the first store in Vermont. He built the first sawmill and the first gristmill in the valley. He was a deeply religious person. He died in 1802.
[[Last link supplied by Thomas St. John - lots of Brattleboro info at his site!]]
[[While it's unclear how she fits in to this Greenleaf family tree, a woman named Rebecca Greenleaf married the dictionarist Noah Webster in 1789. My mother had always said we were related to Webster, but it looks like a distant cousin/uncle sort of relation.]]
James, child of Stephen and Eunice (Fairbanks) Greenleaf, born December 9, 1770, married Sarah Bullock (born December 1, 1776-died June 17, 1844) on April 15, 1791. He died on November 5, 1845 in Derby, VT.
One of the children of James and Sarah Bullock Greenleaf was Squire Stephen Greenleaf, born June 29, 1802 and died on March 22, 1871. He married Bethiah Church (?-1865) in about 1828 and they had ten children. They lived in Magog, Quebec, Canada.
[[Obituary for Susan Greenleaf Shonyo, 1900, Local Newspaper]]
Mrs. Lewis F. Shonyo died at her home near this village last Friday after an illness, which, with intervals of improvement, had lasted over three years. She had been a great sufferer all this time, but bore her suffering with an amazing fortitude and determination to live which were the admiration of all who knew her. The immediate cause of her death was heart disease, caused by the condition of her blood [[most likely diabetes, which also killed her grandson in 1979]].
Mrs. Shonyo's maiden name was Susan Greenleaf. She was born in Magog, P. Q. 55 years ago last February, and spent her girlhood there, in Derby and Charleston. She married L. F. Shonyo Sept. 10 1866 at Barton Landing. Mr. and Mrs. Shonyo moved to Lyndon about 30 years ago. In 1876, Mr. Shonyo built the Union house, where he was landlord for several years. The past few years have been spent by them on the farm east of the village, where they have a pleasant home and flourishing property. Two children were born to them, Dennie L., who died in 1872 in childhood, and Fred, born in 1876, who lives at home. The marriage of this son brought to this mother a daughter who has cared for her as faithrully and tenderly as an own daughter could. The last few years of her life have been happily spent in this pleasant home with her children and grandchildren.
In personal appearance, Mrs. Shonyo was a very large woman, tall and weighing over 300 pounds. Physical conditions made it impossible for her to get about as she might otherwise have done and make many acquaintances. But she was dearly loved by her family and intimate friends, and regarded by every one who knew her as a woman of noble Christian character, charitable, generous and kind. Many of her friends have enjoyed the drives she was always so glad to give them. No one will forget her bravery three years ago when first attacked by gangrene in the foot and the doctors all said "death or amputation" must be the result. Seemingly nothing but sheer will power enabled her to conquer and get up again. But in the last sickness, she seemed to feel that the time had come and resigned herself to death. Funeral services were held at her late home on Sunday.
[[Random notes from one page...]]
Edmund
Crauch
Stephen, 8th child of Edmund and
Stephen 3
Rev. Daniel - Elizabeth Grokin * page 205
Dr. Daniel 207
Squire married Bethiah Church He was born in June 1802 died March 1871, Had ten children.
The sons of Sara Greenleaf Johnson
[[End of page with random notes]]