In a previous post, I detailed the life of my great-grandfather George Leonard. This post is about his equally mysterious mother, Ann Amelia. It had always been thought that George's mother's name was Amelia so that gave me something to work with. Upon researching George's life I was able to come up with the names of Amelia Leonard and William Brust. This helped me to begin my research on Amelia.
Ann Amelia was born in approximately 1862 in Suffolk, New York to John and Winifred Leonard, who immigrated from Ireland in 1830. Amelia's father worked as a farm laborer and her mother stayed home to raise the children. Ann Amelia is one of eight, and in looking at other Ancestry member's trees with this Leonard family on it, she is highly forgotten or unknown. This made me more determined to uncover her history; no one should ever be forgotten.
I discovered that Ann Amelia had a very difficult life. I first found Ann Amelia as an adult working as a servant in the home of Charles Brush, a prominent man in Suffolk County at the time. While we do not know the circumstances surrounding the conception, we do know that Ann Amelia gives birth to George Leonard in 1884. Based on the information provided by Amelia at a later point and confirmed by DNA we know that George's father is Warren Brush, brother of her employer Charles.
Due to the fact that Amelia is unmarried & impoverished, she is admitted to the Yaphank Almshouse due to "destitution and pregnancy on January 11, 1884 - her son, George, is born a little over two months later. Sadly, this will not be Ann's only admittance to the Almshouse. There is no discharge date listed for this time in the Almshouse.
We next find Amelia entering the Almshouse in 1887 as she is again pregnant and destitute. The child that she is pregnant with is not fathered by Warren Brush. Ann Amelia gives birth to a little girl named Agnes on October 5, 1887. Sadly, there is a horrible accident and Ann Amelia loses her baby girl on November 16, 1887. While sleeping in the Almshouse with Agnes, Amelia rolled over onto her infant and smothered her as she slept. It was a terrible accident that she never got over. I am sure the wording on the attached article on Agnes' death did not help assuage her feelings of guilt.
Agnes is buried in the Potter's Field at the Yaphank Almshouse. Knowing she is alone breaks my heart and if I could I would relocate her to be with her mother. This is her headstone in the Almshouse Cemetery.
It is after Agnes' death that Amelia makes another hard decision. She places George, now her only child, in St. John's Residence, he has officially become a ward of the state. It is unknown if Amelia sees George at any time during the 11 years he spends at St. John's.
We do not know what happens to Amelia between 1887 and 1912. Ann Amelia's last admittance into the Yaphank Almshouse was on July 10, 1912, after suffering a fall and requiring constant care. Ann Amelia Leonard dies of her injuries on August 9, 1912, while in the care of the Almshouse staff.
Ann Amelia was buried at the Catholic Cemetery in West Neck. It is known that her mother is buried at Saint Patrick's Cemetery. I do not know if Ann Amelia has any family buried with her at the Catholic Cemetery.
I am so happy that I was able to give Ann Amelia a name and discover her history. I would hate to be forgotten and will make sure that none of my family is ever unknown.