Colonel Manasseh Leech (also spelled Leach) (September 30, 1776 – March 16, 1828) was a pioneer and early settler of Western New York, War of 1812 veteran, and town supervisor of Lima, New York, USA.
History In 1797, Manasseh Leech, along with his brothers Clement, Ebenezer, Payne and a cousin, Richard Leech, moved from their hometown of, Waterford, New London County, Connecticut to the Western New York frontier and settled in the Town of Charleston, Ontario County, New York (now Lima, Livingston County, New York)., Smith, James H., History of Livingston County, New York, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Syracuse, 1881, p. 471, Retrieved from http://www.mocavo.com/
Around 1799, Manasseh purchased land from Palmer Peck of Bloomfield, New York and built his home, The Leech-Lloyd Farmhouse and Barn Complex., Lima Recorder, Lima, NY, April 21, 1988, p. 11, Retrieved from Smith, http://www.fultonhistory.com/ Manasseh lived at the homestead with his wife, Esther Gates, and raised two children, Josiah and Rachel.
Manasseh became a prominent citizen in Lima as a farmer, NY militia officer, and town official. He was the first town clerk (1809), Doty, Lockwood R (ed.), History of Livingston County New-York From Its Earliest Traditions to the Present, Jackson, Michigan, 1905, p. 724, Retrieved from http://www.mocavo.com/ and he served as the town supervisor from 1818–1822 and again from 1825–1827., Doty, Lockwood R (ed.), History of Livingston County New-York From Its Earliest Traditions to the Present, Jackson, Michigan, 1905, p. 725, Retrieved from http://www.mocavo.com/ Colonel Leech is buried along with his wife and children in the Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Lima., Harrington, Susan J., Cemeteries of Livingston and Ontario Counties, New York, 2015.
Genealogy Manasseh is a five-greats grandson of colonist and New England diarist Thomas Minor., Descendants of Clement Minor (son of Thomas Minor), Fifth Generation, Retrieved from http://tmsociety.org/ Other distant relatives include Ulysses S. Grant and John D. Rockefeller.
Military service In 1806, New York State military records indicate that Leech was promoted to lieutenant in the Ontario County NY militia commanded by Brig. Gen. Amos Hall., Military Minutes of the Council of Appointment of the State of New York, 1783–1821, Volume 1, Lyon, J.B., New York, 1901, p. 823, Retrieved from https://books.google.com/ Leech was subsequently promoted to Captain in 1809., Military Minutes of the Council of Appointment of the State of New York, 1783–1821, Volume 2, Lyon, J.B., New York, 1901, p. 1108, Retrieved from https://books.google.com/
He was active in the War of 1812 as a Captain, Service Pension, War of 1812, Widow's Brief, dated May 28, 1879, stating Moses Jackman was a musician in Capt. Manasseh Leach's Company, N.Y. Militia and served 18 days from December 23, 1813 to January 9, 1814, Retrieved from https://www.fold3.com and as a First Major serving with Lt. Col. Micah Brooks and paymaster Jonathan Child in the Ontario County NY Militia's 4th Regiment., Military Minutes of the Council of Appointment of the State of New York, 1783–1821, Volume 2, Lyon, J.B., New York, 1901, p. 1476, Retrieved from https://books.google.com/ Micah Brooks’ regiment arrived as reinforcements in Williamsville, New York on August 11, 1814 during the Siege of Fort Erie., Latimer, Jon, Niagara 1814: The Final Invasion, Oxford, 2009, p. 23, Retrieved from https://books.google.com/ Major Leech was promoted to Colonel sometime after the war and was listed as Colonel of the Ontario County NY Militia's 4th Regiment of Infantry in 1817., Documents of the Senate of the State of New York, Volume 11, New York, 1902, p. 1852, Retrieved from https://books.google.com/
References
External links National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form, Lima Town Multiple Resource Area, July 19, 1989.