John Leek
Birth
1754
Dudley, Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England
Death
25 Jan 1829 (aged 74–75)
Union County, South Carolina, USA
John Leek married Jane Smith in Botetourt County, Virginia, per their marriage bond dated Feb. 14, 1779. Though he likely never lived there, Leek evidently returned periodically, having purchased 96 acres from Samuel Walker in Botetourt County in 1782 and selling the same prperty to Edward Tummins later that year.
A John Leek is also found in the North Carolina state census records of 1784-1787: 1wm 21-60, 1wm under 21, 1wf all ages. By the 1790 census, his family consisted of a son, his wife and four daughters. He is not known to have had sons that lived to adulthood, but three daughters are known:
1. Mary Leek b. Apr. 5, 1779, wife of Charles Petty
2. Levisa Leek b. 1784, wife of Daniel Peeler
3. Jennie Leek b. c.1792, wife of William Stacy
All are likely children by his first wife. The first two would have been born in Guilford County, North Carolina, while the third was likely born in Union County, South Carolina.
John Leek's neighbor on Broad River and likely father in law to his first wife, Henry Smith (c.1726-1792) was from Botetourt County as well. One possible explanation for Leek's marriage in Botetourt is that he had met Henry Smith after Smith migrated into Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in 1765. Henry's parents and several other family members were still in Botetourt County, Virginia as late as the 1780s, so the Leeks may have had a destination wedding so more of the Smith family could attend. Henry Smith later established Smith's Ford on Broad River, just a mile east of Leek's 1791 grant near Abingdon Creek.
Leek was evidently married three times, Jane Smith (b. Rockingham Co., Virginia c.1757) being his first wife and likely mother to his known children. A Union County court record of Nov. 22, 1794 names John's wife as "Sarah Leek." (Book D, pg. 65-66), whom we know from an aforementioned deed to be Sarah Mills. Some years later he evidently married a third time; "Elizabeth, wife of John Leek", renounced her dower in a land sale on Jan. 5, 1819 and is named in his estate inventory in 1829. She may have been a Petty, according to a tradition in the Peeler family.
John Leek's estate was probated in February 1829, showing that Charles Petty (1775-1844) and Charles's son Stephen Clanton Petty (1799-1842) were his estate administrators. Claiming the right of administration shows that Charles Petty was almost certainly his son-in-law, and Petty family tradition claims Charles was married to Mary, a daughter of John Leek.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/242656845/john-leek
