The Story Thus Far: Generational Countdown

Generation 7:

Samuel Leavitt was born about 1842 in Back Bay and married Nancy Cook. All that is known about Samuel is the following from a compiled lineage of the Leavitt family: “He left and the family never heard from him. They had reason to think he was drowned.” He was the son of David Leavitt and Christina Waltman.(1) Their only known son was Samuel Leavitt.

Generation 6:

Samuel Leavitt was born 6 September 1862 in Back Bay, Charlotte. He married Rosanna Leslie between 1881 and 1884, when they had their first child. The couple lived in St. George until Rosanna’s death in 1952, and Samuel followed in 1862.(2) He died only a few months before his 100th birthday. Samuel’s father passed away while he was still a very young age, and so is in the 1871 and 1881 censuses with his uncle David Leavitt and aunt Eleanor.(3)

Generation 5: 

Samuel and Rosanna had the following children: 

Samuel Wellington Leavitt was born 31 July 1884 in Back Bay, Charlotte county.(4) He married Ella Cook 9 March 1918 in Charlotte, and they had no children.(5) Samuel crossed the border to the United States 30  June 1924, and spent the rest of his life in Maine.(6) He died 15 November 1962 in Dennysville, Washington County, and was buried in Eastport with his wife.(7) He worked as a fisherman for most of his life.

Herbert Walter Leavitt was born 20 March 1886 in Back Bay and married Laura Palmer 11 April 1908 in Eastport, Washington, Maine.(8) Herbert immigrated to the United States sometime before Laura came with their five living children in 1926.(9) The couple had two more children born in America. Herbert was drafted in 1942, but at the age of 56 never served.(10) He worked for an ice plant company for several decades, and he passed away 27 July 1956 in Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut.(10)

I. Cleveland W. Leavitt born April 1909 in New Brunswick. 

II. Marion Irene Leavitt born 1912 New Brunswick. 

III. Avis R. Leavitt born 1914 in Canada. 

IV. Lloyd Clarence Leavitt born 1917 in Canada. 

V. Edith Leavitt born 1919 in Canada. 

VI. Herbert Orville Leavitt born 1922 in Canada. 

VII. Lillian Leavitt born 1927 in Maine. 

VIII. Lawrence Leavitt born 1934 in Connecticut 

George Webster Leavitt was born 23 November 1888 in Back Bay and married Mabel Cook about 1917 in the same town.(11) George Webster Leavitt enlisted 4 January 1918 and was then discharged 7 December 1918, eleven months later. He did however serve the duration of the war in the 1st Depot Battalion, New Brunswick Regiment, and served as a Corporal under Colonel J. L. McAvity.(12) After the war, George worked as a grinderman in a pulp mill and remained in St. George until is death 21 November 1949.(13) Only one child has been located for the couple. 

I. Gilbert Leavitt born 1920 in New Brunswick. 

Cora Ethel Leavitt was born 25 July 1891 in Back Bay, and married John Calvin Kernighan 26 June 1913 in St. Stephen, Charlotte.(14) The couple had three children before Cora’s death 10 May 1987.

I. Flora Rose Kernighan born 29 March 1915 in St. George. 

II. Vivian Irene Kernighan born 8 December 1916 in St. George. 

III. John Samuel Kernighan born 19 October 1919 in St. George. 

Frederick Leavitt was born about 1892 in New Brunswick. He married Susan Joyce 19 December 1916 in St. John.(15) He passed away 4 August 1977 and was buried in the Saint George Rural Cemetery, Charlotte.(16) No children could be found.

Flora M. Leavitt was born 1 February 1894 in Back Bay, and married Elderado Cook 28 December 1917 in St. George.(17)

I. Cecil Wellington Cook born 15 July 1918 in St. George.

II. Lillian Margaret Cook born 17 January 1922 in St. George.

John Wesley Leavitt was born 1 August 1896 in Back Bay. He married Mildred Bradford and together they had two children. 

I. Norma Leavitt born 1918 in New Brunswick.

II. Wesley Leavitt born 1919 in New Brunswick.

Lollie Gordon Leavitt was born 27 November 1900 in Back Bay, and married Ethel Wilson 30 September 1928 in St. Stephen.(18) Lollie traveled between New Brunswick and Maine several times before and after his marriage, and he settled there before his death in Connecticut, 4 June 1991.(19)

Bertha Leslie is not the biological daughter of Samuel and Rosanna, rather, she is Rosanna’s niece. She was however raised by the family, living with them as early as 8 years old in the 1911 census. She must have considered them to be her parents because she names them as such in her marriage record. Bertha Leslie was born about 1903 in New Brunswick, and grew up in St. George, Charlotte county until her marriage to Charles Norman of Nova Scotia, on 25 April 1918.(20) Charles had been previously married and brought with him three sons and a daughter ranging from six to only one year old. Bertha then had six of her own children, two of whom were little girls who died in infancy. However, she was outlived by her other four, and passed away in 1938, buried in St. Stephen, Charlotte. Charles joined her the next year.(21)

Cecil Leavitt was born 1905 in Back Bay, and married Teresa Hooper 8 October 1925 in St. George.(22) He died 16 March 1964 in St. Stephen,  and was buried in Saint George Rural Cemetery.(23)

I. Cecil Carol Leavitt was born 1926 in New Brunswick.

II. Ida Ethel Leavitt was born 1928 in New Brunswick.

Generation 4: 

Bertha Leslie and Charles Norman had the following children: 

Chester Norman (step-son) born about 1912 in Nova Scotia.

Darrell Norman (step-son) born about 1915 in Nova Scotia.

May Norman (step-daughter) born about 1917 in Nova Scotia.

Rosie Exzelia Norman was born 23 February 1919 in St. George and married 20 November 1937 to Neil Seeley in the same town. She died about 1990 in New Brunswick.(24)

Myrtle Irene Norman was born 11 July 1921 in St. George and died at three months in 14 October 1921.(25)

Loretta J. Norman was born 7 January 1923 in St. George and died at five months on 19 June 1923.(26)

Arnold Norman was born 1924 in St. George, married 31 December 1946 to Helen Randles in Rothsay, Kings county, and died in 1990.(27)

Eva Arnella Norman was born 1927 in St. George and married Percy Morton 7 March 1947 in the same place.(28)

Dorothy Ruth Norman was born 1 August 1927 in New Brunswick and married Horace Chatterton 15 October 1943.(29) She died 17 November 2001 in Dartmouth, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Their son David is my grandfather.

Generation 3: My grandparents David Chatterton and Gayle Harris

Generation 2: My parents Bill Minns and Charlene Chatterton.

Generation 1: Me, Racheal Minns Kay

1. Noyes, Emily Leavitt, N.H., comp. Descendants of John Leavitt, the Immigrant Through His Son, Israel and Lydia Jackson. Vol. II. National Association of Leavitt Families, 1948. p. 30.
2. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," database with images, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (archives.gnb.org: accessed 1 October 2018), death certificate for "Samuel Leavitt (1962)," #002699 St. George, Charlotte. New Brunswick.
3. “1871 Census of Canada,” database with images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com: accessed 10 December 2018), David and Elenor household, St. George, Charlotte, New Brunswick, SD D, p. 36.; “1881 Census of Canada,” database with images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com: accessed 10 December 2018), David and Elenor Leavitt household, St. George, Charlotte, New Brunswick, SD D, p. 55.
4. "1901 Census of Canada," database and images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com: accessed 24 September 2018), Samuel and Rosanna Leavitt household, St. George, Charlotte, New Brunswick, SD L-2, p. 14.
5. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," marriage return for S. Wellington Leavitt and Ella Cook (1918), #002273 Charlotte County, New Brunswick.
6. “U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1960,” database with images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com: accessed 11 December 2018), for "Wellington S Leavitt (1924), Eastport, Washington, Maine.
7. "Find A Grave," database, FindaGrave (www.findagrave.com: accessed 28 November 2018), memorial 77777396 "Samuel W. Leavitt (1884-1962)," Eastport, Washington, Maine.
8. “Maine, Marriage Records, 1713-1922,” database with images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com: accessed 10 September 2018), for Herbert Walter Leavitt and Laura Palmer (1908), Eastport, Washington, Maine.
9. “U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1960,” for "Laura Leavitt (1926)," Eastport, Washinton, Maine.
10. “Connecticut Death Index, 1949-2012,” index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com: accessed 3 October 2018), for "Herbe W. Leavitt (1956)," #12174 Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut.
11. "Acadia, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1757-1946," images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com: accessed 26 November 2018), marriage of George Webster Leavitt and Mabel Cook (cal. 1917), Back Bay, Charlotte, New Brunswick.
12. "Personnel Records of the First World War," database and images, Library and Archives Canada (www.bac-lac.gc.ca: accessed 10 December 2018), personal file for "George Webster Leavitt," regimental #3255112.
13. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," death certificate for "Webster Leavitt Sr. (1949)," #005184 St. George, Charlotte, New Brunswick.
14. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," marriage of John Calvin Kernighan and Cora Ethel Leavitt (1913), St. Stephen, Charlotte, New Brunswick.
15. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," marriage record for Frederick Carol Lovitt and Susan Joyce (1916), St. John, Saint John, New Brunswick
16. "BillionGraves," database, BillionGraves (billiongraves.com: accessed 29 November 2018), memorial 24821579 "Fred C. Leavitt (1893-1977)," St. George, Charlotte, New Brunswick.
17. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," marriage return for Elderado Cook and Flora Leavitt (1917), St. George, Charlotte, New Brunswick.
18. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," marriage certificate for Lollie Gordon and Ethel Wilson (1928), St. Stephen, Charlotte, New Brunswick.
19. "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org: accessed 15 December 2018), for "Lollie Leavitt (1991)," Connecticut. Citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database.
20."Vital Statistics from Government Records," marriage return for Charles Norman and Bertha Leavitt (1918), #002763 Charlotte, New Brunswick.
21. "Billiongraves," memorial 25127315 "Bertha Leslie Norman (1901-1938)," St. George, Charlotte, New Brunswick.
22. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," marriage certificate for Cecil Leavitt and Teresa Hooper (1925), # 001366 St. George, Charlotte, New Brunswick
23. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," death certificate for "Cecil Leavitt (1964)," #001852 St. Stephen, Charlotte, New Brunswick.
24. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," birth registration for "Rosie Exzelia Norman (1919)," #802582 St. George, Charlotte, New Brusnwick; marriage of Rosie Norman and Neill Seelye (1937), St. George, Charlotte. New Brunswick
25. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," death certificate for "Myrtle Irene Norman (1921)," #04449 St. George, Charlotte, New Brunswick.
26. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," death certificate for "Loritta J. Norman (1923)," #065495 St. George, Charlotte, New Brunswick.
27. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," marriage of Arnold Norman and Helen Edith Randles (1946), Rothesay, Kings, New Brunswick.
28. "Vital Statistics from Government Records," marriage of Eva Arnella Norman and Percy Arnold Morton (1947), St. George, Charlotte, New Brunswick.
29."Vital Statistics from Government Records," marriage of Dorothy Ruth Norman and Horace Chatterton (1943), St. George, Charlotte, New Brunswick.