Bpt ‘Leigh, John, s. of John & Mary Lee’124 Marr ‘of Ottery St Mary’125 Proprietor of Elverway from 1780, or earlier, till death, though John Leigh Jnr's widow was occupier in 1789 & 1790.126 "At present of Elverway [farm in Branscombe] (formerly of Hayn, Ottery St Mary)" according to his 2nd wife Sarah's burial entry 15 June 1792.124,30 ‘Burials A.D 1793. January none. February [Burial for the year #]1 John Leigh - gent - aged 75 - eldest son of John Leigh of Weston - : He was twice married; his first wife died in childbed; by the second he had seven Children, all of whom he survived - and was buried the ---- 1’
Rev Augustus M Toplady, who wrote the hymn “Rock of Ages”, was briefly Vicar of Venn Ottery and Harpford, & wrote in his journal for Christmas Day 1767, “Spent part of the evening at Mr Leigh’s at Hayne. Thence, returned home, to Fen-Ottery. -- A day most intense cold.”127A later Vicar wrote of Toplady “Mr Leigh of Hayne Barton was another with whom he would sometimes take tea on his way home from Harpford. At the end Mr Leigh 'even appeared to relish the doctrine of grace'. Toplady was, no doubt , sincere in what he wrote, but one wonders how much was due to the innate courtesy of the English yeoman.” (‘Harpford’ by Rev. H.R. Evans M.C., M.A. Transactions of the Devonshire Association 101 1969)128
On top of same Branscombe register page as John’s and Sarah’s burials: ‘May 1792 [burial for year #] 7 Elizabeth Birch a Maiden Woman aged 73 years nigh 50 of which she liv’d a servant with Mr John Leigh, late of Hayn, of the parish of St Mary Ottery and Family. She was the third Child of John & Dorothy Birch - and was buried the 29’30 See file entry for William Braddick Ford, whose diary contains these entries:
p. 29. [Monday] November 8 1790. 'Mr J Leigh broke his leg by accident'.
p. 30. November 13 1790. 'Mr S [Stuckey] sent John to enquire after
Mr Leigh !!!!!!!!!!
[yes Mal, I did count them: 10 exclamation marks!]
In 1791 your John Leigh was at Elverway:
p. 49. April 1 1791. 'Went to Elverway to speak with Mr John Leigh - concerning Reference he says he will go to Weston soon'.”10
Devon Record Office: Ottery St Mary Church Corporation: Catalogue Ref. 3327 A
FILE - Apprenticeship Indentures - ref.  3327 A/PO 67  - date: 1756 - 1759
item: Sarah French apprenticed to Mr John Leigh for Mr Mundy's estate at Tipton - ref.  3327 A/PO 67/23  - date: 1756 
item: Thomas Sheppard apprenticed to John Leigh, yeoman - ref.  3327 A/PO 67/57  - date: 1758
FILE - Apprenticeship indentures - ref.  3327 A/PO 68  - date: 1760 - 1769
item: Elizabeth Liddon apprenticed to Mr John Leigh on Mrs Mundys estate at Tipton - ref.  3327 A/PO 68/55  - date: 1769
FILE - Apprenticeship indentures - ref.  3327 A/PO 69  - date: 1780-1789
item: Eleanor Fry, 10, apprenticed to Mr John Leigh for Mr Mundy's estate - ref.  3327 A/PO 69/13  - date: 1781
 item: John Bending, 8, apprenticed to Mr William Leigh for Rill Tything - ref.  3327 A/PO 69/80  - date: 1785
  item: Sarah Richards apprenticed to Mr William Leigh for Mr Richard Salter's abilities - ref.  3327 A/PO 69/115  - date: 178829
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