A-Z Challenge Surname L

LEONARD

LEONARD is a surname that married into our family. One of Hugh Macdonald IV of Boisdale’s daughters, Georgina, married John Charles Leonard on February 28th, 1862 in Liverpool.

A little back history on the Macdonald family, Hugh IV was the last laird of Boisdale but left Scotland when their estates had to all be sold. His father left a lot of debt and a lot of tenants had emigrated off South Uist, Scotland. I feel that Hugh decided to “get otta Dodge” and start afresh in England.

He had 11 children with his wife Mary. One of them was Georgina Macdonald born on the 3rd of September, 1840 in Swansea, Wales. This was where her family was living from about 1839-1844.

Hugh was a big believer in putting notices in the local newspaper announcing each and every death and marriage his children had….except OURS, of course, but that’s a story for tomorrow!

Georgina married John Charles Leonard in St. Peter’s Church in Liverpool. John Charles LEONARD was Catholic!! His family were from Enniskillen, Ireland where his father was as a doctor. This would have been quite the scandal because Hugh and his father and grandfather were staunch Protestants and his grandfather went so far as to boot his crofters off his island for not converting to the faith. (see previous post about the Boisdales)

Happiness was to be short lived for Georgina and John Leonard. They had one son named Hugh John Patrick Leonard born in 1862 and then Mary Flora Teresa Leonard born in 1866. Tragedy struck when both children got sick and died within a week of each other in 1869. Their death records are written in Latin and the burials were in Catholic churchyards. Then, when Georgina is 2 months pregnant with her 3rd child , her husband died suddenly as well, leaving her pregnant and a widow. She had lost 2 children and a husband within 2 1/2 years.

Georgina remarried a Henry Turner and had another 4 children but died young at aged 47 apparently from too much drinking.