27: The Dr. Leggetts

Grave of Dr. Robert Leggett

Dr. Robert Leggett and Dr. Joseph Leggett had many things in common. To begin with, they were brothers; they were doctors; they were Irish immigrants; and they each married a daughter of Merritt and Elizabeth Kirby Sands (and yes, Merritt Sands is now the third man connected with the cemetery with the first name Merritt. The others are Merritt Brundage and Merritt Hewlett. It's getting a little out of hand). The doctors and their wives are all buried in the cemetery.

The Dr. Leggetts are the second and third doctors I have investigated in this project; the first, of course, being Dr. Enoch Greene, subject of my first post. Robert Leggett was fifteen years older than Dr. Greene, and Joseph was one year older than Dr. Greene. Living and working in New York City and Westchester County, they must have known each other.

Robert Leggett was born in Ireland on March 5, 1805. He married Mary Ann Sands, who was born around 1810. Joseph Leggett, born in Ireland on March 22, 1819, married Mary's younger sister Esther R. Sands, who was born in 1820.

I think I will tackle this chronologically.

1850
In 1850, Robert and Mary Leggett were living in Manhattan with their two sons, James and Leonard. Mary may have married an Irishman, but she wasn't about to abandon the great Westchester County WASP tradition of giving sons names like Leonard, Kirby, or Merritt. Cynthia Sands was Mary and Esther's sister.

1850 US Federal Census

In 1850, Joseph and Esther were also living in Manhattan, but Joseph is listed as a druggist, not a physician. Mary and Esther's mother Elizabeth Kirby Sands was living with them.

1860
I can't find Robert and Mary Ann Leggett in the 1860 census, and I have a theory as to why, which I'll reveal as you read on.

In 1860 Joseph was now a fully-fledged doctor - and a quite successful one, judging by his personal and real estate. Elizabeth Kirby Sands was still living with him and Esther, along with a "Mary Ann Sands" - is this actually Mary Ann Sands Leggett? She's the right age, and, of course, she's Esther's sister, which might lead to the census taker giving her the same surname as their mother, Elizabeth Sands. It's a little bit strange, though - where was Robert? Catharine G. Sands is presumably another one of Elizabeth's daughters.

1860 US Federal Census

Elizabeth Kirby Sands died in 1862, and Mary Ann Sands Leggett in 1863.

1870
I can't find Robert Leggett in the 1870 census either, but I did find Joseph and Esther. Now living in Mount Pleasant, Robert was a farmer. Cynthia Sands had moved to the country along with them.

1870 US Federal Census

Robert Leggett died on August 19, 1873, and Joseph on September 1, 1873. It's my best guess that they died of the same infectious disease.

Searching for more information outside of the census, I found this snippet in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 47:

NYG&B Record Vol. 47

This gave me the name of the third son of Robert and Mary Ann Leggett ... sigh ... Merritt Leggett. This brings the Merritt tally up to four. Mary Elizabeth and Adelaide Elizabeth are the daughters of one of these sons, but which one is not certain. There is a Merritt Leggett buried in the cemetery, but get this: it's Merritt Leggett Junior. If we look at the 1870 census:

1870 US Federal Census

Merritt Leggett Senior here is the son of Robert and Mary Leggett and, like his father, went into the medical field in New York City. Merritt and his wife Charlotte's children are Henrietta and Merritt Junior. It's Merritt Junior who is buried in the cemetery. Total Merritt count: FIVE.

While searching for this information, I also discovered why Robert Leggett had seemingly disappeared from the census, while his wife lived without him.

This is the New York Tribune from 1849:

This is the New York Sun from 1859-1861:

These articles raise a lot of questions that I can't answer, and give a rather sad note to the history of the Leggett family.

Esther died in 1899, and her sister Cynthia in 1900. Mary, Esther, and Cynthia's brother Jesse M. Sands, a Civil War veteran, is also buried in the cemetery. He married Elizabeth Florence; they died in 1867 and 1874 respectively.

Graves of Elizabeth Florence and Jesse M. Sands

Most popular names:
Merritt (3)

Surnames used as first names: Merritt Sands, Leonard Leggett, Merritt Leggett

1. Merritt Sands m. Elizabeth Kirby (1786-1862)
1. Mary Ann Sands (1810-1863) m. Dr. Robert Leggett (1805-1873)
1. James Leggett (1831-)
2. Leonard Leggett (1835-)
3. Merritt S. Leggett (1836-) m. Charlotte (1838-)
1. Merritt Leggett (1857-1890)
2. Henrietta Leggett (1860-)
2. Cynthia Jane Sands (1816-1900)
3. Jesse M. Sands (1818-1867) m. Elizabeth Florence (1826-1874)
4. Esther R. Sands (1820-1899) m. Dr. Joseph Leggett (1819-1873)