Leedham, Thomas

LEEDHAM, NISSON, MESSMER, WELCH, GATES, PIPPING, JORDAN

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 10/11/2003 at 20:09:45

(From the Clinton County History 1886 pg 564. This is kind of blurry and squished but most of the important details are there. There is also a bio in the 1879 History of Clinton County on Thomas and William.)

THOMAS LEEDHAM. Among the active business-men of Lyons who has accumulated what he has of this world's goods by his own energy and perseverance, is the gentleman whose name heads this notice. He is at present engaged in the meat business, his market being located on Main street, west of Fourth, and in the prosecution of which he is meeting with far more than ordinary success.
Thomas Leedham was born in England, July 21, 1828, and is the son of Thomas and Martha (Nisson) Leedham, natives of England. His father was a farmer and the owner of some 600 acres of land, and in addition to the raising of cereals was engaged to no inconsiderable extent in the breeding of sheep. The parents had a family of nine children, three of whom are still living -- William, Thomas and Mary, the latter the wife of Joseph Messmer.
The subject of this notice commenced attending school when five years of age and prosecuted his studies uninterruptedly until he was fifteen years old. He was then apprenticed to learn his present trade, at which he served three and one-half years and worked as a "jour" in London seven year. In 1853 he left his native land and sought a ???? in free America. Landing in New York he came almost directly to Lyons, this State and on arriving here engaged to work in a sawmill for a short time. He then began the butchering business and opened a shop on Fourth street, and has followed the same continuously until the present time. His building on Main street cost him in the neighborhood of $4,000, and his residence, which is at Sunnyside, was erected at a cost of about $9,000. He has sixty-seven acres of land where his residence stands and on the tract he has two houses, his eldest daughter, Mrs. Julia Welch, occupying one of them. He also has a house on Fourth street, where he lived for fifteen years, and which he now rents, and is also the owner of two other lots in the city. He is a self-made man in every respect the word implies and is indebted to his own energy and perse????? for his present possessions.
Mr. Leedham was married to Miss Ann Welch in 1819. She is a native of England, county of Buckinghamshire, and a daughter of Thomas and Martha Welch. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Leedham has been blest by the birth of seven children: Delia married George Welch, and they have two children -- Thomas and Nettie; I. George married Miss Florence Gates of Lyons Emeline R. married Frank Pipping of Clinton, and they have three children -- Florence, Hazel and Fay; Lillie married ??? Jordan, a resident of Pennsylvania, and they have one child -- an infant unnamed; the remainder are Annie, Frank and Victoria. Mr. Leedham is ???? party man, but in politics votes for the candidate whom he considers most worthy and mompetent to fill the office, regardless of the party to which he may belong. He and his wife are members of the Episcopal Church and he has been one of the Vestrymen of his congregation for a number of years. Socially he is a member of the United Workmen of America. He is one of the stockholders in the Lyons City Water-works, and a gentleman closely identified with the growth and development of this community.