EARLY LEIGH GENEALOGY IN WALES

The Descendancy chart gives the known genealogical information for the Leighs in Wales. It contains hot links to associated information.

Organization of the Chart

The Descendancy Chart contains eight sections, and the last four sections that contain our LEIGH lines are color coded to identify the pages that belong to each section. The family tree graphic shown above uses the same color coding.

The following Descendancy Chart shows all of our LEIGHs known so far down to the grandchildren of Rev. EDMUND LEIGH (1736-1819). For later LEIGHs, go to our website for modern families. The earliest three generations we know of had only a single LEIGH male with offspring, but then three male lines appeared in the 4th and 5th generations with two sons and one grandson of RICHARD (II) and DOROTHY OAKLEY. Also a female line appeared with BRIDGETT LEIGH and Sir FRANCIS LLOYD which was quite distinct from the other LEIGH lines. For this reason the Descendancy Chart is divided and these four lines are taken separately as follows.

In the 4th generation 13.BRIDGETT LEIGH's line is taken for the two generations of her known descendants, then we return to pick up the line of her brother 14.RICHARD LEIGH (III). The headings indicate each line, e.g. LINE OF 14.RICHARD LEIGH (III) STARTING IN 4TH GENERATION OF LEIGHs, with changes to indicate the line is CONTINUING and then ENDING in the 7th generation where our data ends. After 14.RICHARD we return to the 4th generation to pick up the line of younger brother 15.OAKLEY LEIGH (I) with its STARTING, CONTINUING, and ENDING in the 8th generation. Then we return to the 5th generation for the line of grandson 64.OAKLEY LEIGH (II), which ends the Chart in the 8th generation again.

Parents of all illegitimate LEIGH children are treated genealogically as spouses. Various other Leighs (from the large Cheshire family and "strays" from the border counties) have appeared at times in Wales, but we include only those we could trace to our family. Roman numerals encased in parenthesis distinguish the many LEIGH figures with identical names. Capital letters are used for the surnames of known LEIGHs and their spouses and also for the first or Christian name of every LEIGH and spouse who had issue, i.e. known LEIGH ancestors. For example, RICHARD LEIGH (I) was the forefather of all other LEIGHs, but we know only the name of his son James LEIGH (I) and his grandson James LEIGH (II). If a LEIGH died young and childless or had no known descendants, we give all our data with his/her listing as a child in the parents' generation, but if descendants were found we link to the descendants in the next generation.

This Chart is documented to the best of our current knowledge, and we hope for corrections and additions! By using small and large fonts, we want to satisfy the kind of genealogists who demand proof, proof, proof as well as those who enjoy names. names, more names.

Hot links move to the spouses' lines and ancestors. Elizabeth NASH, Dorothy OAKLEY, and ?Margaretta PRICHARD lines, and to the BIOGRAPHIES of selected figures whose known lives outgrew the slots of a pedigree.

Suggestion for Using the Descendancy Chart

Many of us are used to using pedigree charts that go from later generations to earlier generations. The Descendancy Chart, however, is organized in the traditional genealogical format of earlier generations to later generations. To make it easy for us to use, the Chart is "double linked", meaning that it has links going both directions, and you can navigate the chart in either direction.