Josiah² Leonard and Betsey Briggs (Reynolds) Farrington

The major source for the following information is a document provided to Eva Farrington Cary in July of 1938 by Colonel Robert Arthur titled Farrington Genealogy.

Josiah² Leonard Farrington ( Thomas¹ Sewall), a trader and merchant, b. May 27, 1804 in Kennebec Cty., Me. d. Apr 18, 1851 at Augusta, Me. He m'd June 10, 1827 at Minot, Me., Betsey Briggs Reynolds, dau of Ichabod and Polly (Brett) Reynolds, b. Oct 27, 1801 at Minot (Auburn), Me., d. June 21, 1891 at Augusta, Me.

They had children:

1. Laura³ A. Farrington b. May 19, 1828, m'd (1) Irving Johnson; m'd (2) Capt. James Williams.
2. Vesta³ H. Farrington b. Aug 13, 1829, m'd William Alonzo Swan
3. Martha³ Farrington b. May 28, 1831, m'd James Drummond
4. Franklin³ Leonard Farrington b. July 28, 1832, m'd (1) Sarah Goff; m'd (2) Cordelia Wilson.
5. Julia³ Farrington b. in 1834 and d. 1857, m'd Byron Branch (or Burch)
6. Charles³ Farrington b. Jan 1, 1840, drowned at Sea in 1857
7. George³ H. Farrington b. Aug 7, 1846, drowned May 18, 1871 while boating on the Kennebec River. Was Assistant Postmaster at Augusta, Me.

In all the available official records, Josiah² Leonard Farrington is called simply, Leonard. He first appears in the records on Oct 22, 1825 when he acquired, from his father for $1500, a tract of land in Vassalboro adjoining the property of his brother, Serenus², and immediately leased it to his father for the term of his natural life for $1500. The agreement stipulated that Leonard² would maintain the place, give his father half the produce, and provide physician, nurse, etc., for his parents in their old age, and that his father would pay half the taxes. Three years later he quit-claimed his interests to his father for $1000 and the property was sold to Richard Macy, of Nantucket, Mass., for $2000. In 1828, Leonard2 and his father bought from Barnabas Taber, a small piece of land in Vassalboro, and later in the year Leonard² bought from Benjamin Brown, of Vassalboro, a tract of 60 1/2 acres in Windsor.

By 1835, Leonard² Farrington was called "of Augusta" where he became a trader and merchant, dealing, among other things, in "West India" Dry Goods, and where he was active in land transactions. In 1836, he bought from William J. Farrow, of Windsor, Me., for $200, an interest in a schooner in Bath, Me. In the records, his heirs are given as Laura³ A. Johnson and Vesta³ H. Farrington.

Betsey Briggs (Reynolds) Farrington, wife of Josiah² Leornard Farrington, descended in the eighth generation from John Alden and Priscilla Mullens. She also descended from Nathaniel Reynolds, of Boston, Mass., who owned the building (on the site now [1938] occupied by the Boston Transcript Building) in which Benjamin Franklin was born.

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