In This Article
His Story
On December 9, 1782, a young Massachusetts veteran named Leonard Proctor Jr. entered service aboard the armed sloop Winthrop, commanded by Captain George Little. He had already completed two separate periods of Revolutionary War service on land. Now, at eighteen years old, he would experience the conflict from the deck of an American warship.
His decision to serve at sea represented another chapter in a military career that had begun when he was only fourteen.
Leonard was born on October 8, 1764, in Westford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. He belonged to a family already connected to the struggle for American independence. His father, Lieutenant Leonard Proctor, had participated in the Lexington and Concord Alarm of April 19, 1775, when Massachusetts militia companies mobilized in response to the British expedition into the countryside.
The younger Leonard was ten years old when those first shots were fired. He grew into adolescence during a war that transformed the communities surrounding Boston and placed extraordinary demands upon Massachusetts families.
On September 15, 1779, Leonard enlisted as a private in Captain Nathaniel Lakin’s company of Colonel John Jacobs’ Massachusetts regiment. His service took him to Rhode Island, where American forces continued to guard against British operations and maintain military positions after the major campaign of the previous year.
He remained in that service until November 16, 1779.
Less than two years later, he returned to the army. On August 29, 1781, he enlisted in Captain Daniel Bowker’s company of Colonel Webb’s Massachusetts regiment. He served until December 4, 1781, during the same year that American and French forces secured the decisive surrender of a British army at Yorktown.
Although the pension summary confirms his dates of service, it does not place him personally at Yorktown or identify a particular battle during that enlistment.
His third period of service began in December 1782, when he joined the Massachusetts armed sloop Winthrop as a seaman.
The war had entered its final stage. British and American negotiators were working toward peace, but maritime operations continued, and the Atlantic remained a dangerous environment for sailors.
The Winthrop operated under Captain George Little, and Proctor served aboard the vessel until March 17, 1783.
His younger brother Philip Proctor and two cousins, James and Josiah Proctor, also served aboard the vessel, according to a later federal summary of the pension file. Another man, Hezekiah Hildreth, served with them, although his relationship to Leonard’s future wife has not been established.
The presence of several relatives aboard the same vessel illustrates the family and community networks through which military and naval service could develop during the Revolution.
Years later, Leonard’s brother Thomas recalled hearing him speak about his wartime experiences, including naval service and travel to the West Indies. Thomas’s recollection provides an important glimpse of Leonard’s own memories, although it does not independently establish every detail of the voyage.
After the war, Leonard and his father moved from Westford, Massachusetts, to Cavendish in Windsor County, Vermont.
On January 29, 1792, Leonard married Pedee Hildreth in Ludlow, Vermont. Their marriage was recorded in the town clerk’s records.
Leonard died on February 28, 1812, at the age of forty-seven.
His widow later married William Bond, who died in 1838. Decades after Leonard’s death, she sought a pension based upon her first husband’s Revolutionary War service.
Her application, supported by family testimony and Massachusetts military documentation, preserved the details of a young soldier and sailor whose military career might otherwise have remained largely unknown.
Leonard Proctor Jr. never lived to see the federal government formally recognize his service through his widow’s pension. Nevertheless, the surviving records preserve a distinctive Revolutionary War experience: a boy who entered military service in his early teens, served in two Massachusetts regiments, and completed his wartime duty aboard an armed sloop in the final months of the struggle for independence.
Early Life
Birth in Westford, Massachusetts
Leonard Proctor Jr. was born October 8, 1764, in Westford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, according to a federal pension-office summary dated December 20, 1937.
Westford was an agricultural community northwest of Boston. Its residents depended upon farming, local trades, and connections with neighboring Massachusetts towns.
The community was part of a region deeply involved in the political and military events leading to the American Revolution.
His Parents
Leonard was the son of Lieutenant Leonard Proctor and Lydia Proctor.
The federal pension summary does not identify Lydia’s maiden surname.
Both parents died in 1827. Leonard’s father was reportedly ninety-three years old at his death, while his mother was approximately eighty.
Their exact birth and death dates require confirmation through original town, probate, and cemetery records.
His Father’s Revolutionary War Service
Lieutenant Leonard Proctor, the younger Leonard’s father, participated in the Lexington and Concord Alarm of April 19, 1775.
On that morning, British regulars marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military supplies.
Militia companies throughout Middlesex County mobilized in response to the alarm.
Fighting began at Lexington and continued at Concord and along the British retreat toward Boston.
The elder Leonard Proctor’s participation placed the family within the opening military events of the American Revolution.
The younger Leonard was only ten years old and should not be confused with his father in accounts of the 1775 alarm.
Growing Up During the Revolution
For children in Middlesex County, the Revolution was not a distant political conflict.
Families witnessed militia mobilizations, military movements, shortages, and the departure of relatives and neighbors for service.
Young men grew up in an environment where military obligations were closely connected to community life.
Leonard’s own enlistment in September 1779 occurred shortly before his fifteenth birthday.
His early military service demonstrates the participation of adolescents in the American war effort, although the surviving records do not explain the circumstances surrounding his enlistment.
Revolutionary War Service
First Enlistment: September 1779
Leonard Proctor Jr. enlisted on September 15, 1779, while residing in Westford, Massachusetts.
He served as a private in Captain Nathaniel Lakin’s company of Colonel John Jacobs’ Massachusetts regiment.
The federal pension summary identifies Rhode Island as the location of his service.
His enlistment ended November 16, 1779.
Leonard was fourteen years old when he entered this service and had turned fifteen by the time it ended.
Massachusetts Troops in Rhode Island
Rhode Island had been an important theater of the Revolution since British forces occupied Newport in December 1776.
In August 1778, American forces attempted to recover the island in cooperation with a French fleet.
The campaign culminated in the Battle of Rhode Island, where American troops successfully resisted British attacks before withdrawing.
Leonard’s documented Rhode Island service began more than a year after that battle.
He should therefore not be identified as a participant in the August 1778 battle without separate evidence.
During the autumn of 1779, military operations continued around Rhode Island as the British occupation approached its end.
British forces evacuated Newport in October 1779, during Leonard’s period of service.
The pension summary does not establish his individual location or duties during the evacuation.
Captain Nathaniel Lakin’s Company
Leonard’s first documented commanding captain was Nathaniel Lakin.
The company served within Colonel John Jacobs’ Massachusetts regiment.
As a private, Leonard would have been subject to the routine obligations of enlisted military service, including marching, guard duty, camp labor, and obedience to company officers.
The available pension summary does not identify a promotion or specialized assignment during this enlistment.
Second Enlistment: August 1781
On August 29, 1781, Leonard returned to military service.
He enlisted as a private in Captain Daniel Bowker’s company of Colonel Webb’s Massachusetts regiment.
He remained in service until December 4, 1781.
Leonard was sixteen when he enlisted and seventeen when the service concluded.
The Revolutionary War in 1781
By 1781, the war had become an international conflict involving Britain, France, Spain, and the Netherlands.
American forces continued operations in several regions, while French military assistance became increasingly important.
In October 1781, British General Charles Cornwallis surrendered his army at Yorktown, Virginia.
The surrender was a decisive event in the war, but it did not immediately end all military operations.
Leonard’s service dates overlap with the Yorktown campaign. However, the available pension summary does not identify him as a participant in that campaign.
Third Enlistment: Naval Service
On December 9, 1782, Leonard entered service aboard the Massachusetts armed sloop Winthrop.
The vessel was commanded by Captain George Little.
Leonard served as a seaman until March 17, 1783.
This was his third documented period of Revolutionary War service and his first identified naval assignment.
The Massachusetts Armed Sloop Winthrop
The Winthrop was an armed vessel serving Massachusetts during the Revolutionary War.
State naval forces helped protect maritime commerce, confront enemy vessels, and support American operations at sea.
Service aboard an armed sloop required sailors to manage sails and rigging, maintain the vessel, stand watches, and respond to orders during navigation or combat.
Armed vessels could also face dangerous weather, shortages of supplies, and the possibility of capture.
The pension records establish Leonard’s service aboard the Winthrop but do not provide a complete voyage log or identify every port visited.
Service with Relatives
According to the 1937 pension-office summary, Leonard’s brother Philip Proctor and his cousins James and Josiah Proctor served with him aboard the Winthrop.
Hezekiah Hildreth was also among the men associated with the same service.
These names provide valuable research leads for reconstructing the vessel’s crew and the relationships among its sailors.
Recollections of the West Indies
In 1846, Leonard’s brother Thomas Proctor testified that Leonard had spoken of his naval service and of being in the West Indies.
This statement was based upon Thomas’s recollection of conversations with his deceased brother.
It supports the existence of a family tradition concerning Leonard’s voyage, but the precise itinerary should be verified through naval records.
Completion of Service
Leonard’s naval service ended March 17, 1783.
The preliminary peace agreement between Britain and the United States had been signed in November 1782, but the definitive Treaty of Paris would not be signed until September 1783.
Leonard therefore completed his documented naval service during the final months of the Revolutionary War.
Battles and Campaigns
Rhode Island Military Service
September 15–November 16, 1779
Leonard Proctor served in Rhode Island under Captain Nathaniel Lakin and Colonel John Jacobs.
His service coincided with the final months of British occupation at Newport.
The British evacuated Newport in October 1779.
The pension summary does not establish Leonard’s participation in a particular engagement or his exact duties during the evacuation.
Participation classification: Rhode Island service documented; individual battlefield participation not established.
Massachusetts Military Service of 1781
August 29–December 4, 1781
Leonard served as a private in Captain Daniel Bowker’s company of Colonel Webb’s Massachusetts regiment.
This period coincided with the decisive campaign that ended in the British surrender at Yorktown.
However, the pension summary does not identify Leonard’s individual movements or establish his participation at Yorktown.
Participation classification: Military service documented; specific campaign participation unverified.
Naval Service Aboard the Winthrop
December 9, 1782–March 17, 1783
Leonard served as a seaman aboard the Massachusetts armed sloop Winthrop, commanded by Captain George Little.
His brother Thomas later recalled Leonard speaking about naval service and the West Indies.
The available documents do not establish the exact route of the vessel or identify a particular naval engagement involving Leonard.
Participation classification: Naval service documented; voyage details and combat participation require further research.
Military Honors and Recognition
Three Periods of Revolutionary War Service
Leonard Proctor Jr. completed three documented periods of Revolutionary War service.
He served in Massachusetts land forces in 1779 and 1781 and in the Massachusetts naval establishment during 1782–1783.
Military Service as a Young Soldier
Leonard’s first documented enlistment began when he was fourteen years old.
His service illustrates the contribution of young enlisted men to the Revolutionary War.
Land and Naval Service
Leonard’s record is distinctive because it includes both military and naval assignments.
His naval service aboard the Winthrop was recognized in the later pension proceedings.
Federal Recognition Through His Widow
Leonard died before the federal pension application submitted by his widow in 1846.
Her claim was allowed based upon his Revolutionary War service.
Military Decorations
No individual battlefield decoration, formal commendation, or officer’s commission has been established for Leonard Proctor Jr.
His father, also named Leonard Proctor, held the rank of lieutenant; that rank should not be attributed to the son.
Original Military Records
Leonard Proctor Jr.’s service is documented through his widow’s federal pension file, Massachusetts military evidence, and supporting testimony from relatives and witnesses.
Pension File Cover — W.18631
The federal pension file identifies Leonard Proctor and Pedee Bond, his former widow.
It associates his Revolutionary War service with Massachusetts land and sea forces.
Original image: 4161953_00519.jpg.
National Archives Identifier: 196444987.
September 1779 — Rhode Island Service
The federal pension summary identifies Leonard as a private in Captain Nathaniel Lakin’s company of Colonel John Jacobs’ Massachusetts regiment.
He served from September 15 through November 16, 1779.
Evidence: Federal pension-office summary dated December 20, 1937.
August 1781 — Second Military Enlistment
Leonard served from August 29 through December 4, 1781, in Captain Daniel Bowker’s company of Colonel Webb’s Massachusetts regiment.
Evidence: Federal pension-office summary dated December 20, 1937.
December 1782 — Naval Enlistment
Leonard entered service aboard the state armed sloop Winthrop on December 9, 1782.
He served under Captain George Little until March 17, 1783.
Evidence: Federal pension-office summary dated December 20, 1937.
July 22, 1846 — Widow’s Declaration
Pedee Bond appeared before the Probate Court for the District of Windsor, Vermont, and submitted a sworn pension declaration.
She identified Leonard Proctor as her first husband and described his Revolutionary War service.
Original image: 4161953_00525.jpg.
October 1846 — Thomas Proctor’s Testimony
Thomas Proctor of Cavendish, Vermont, testified that he was Leonard’s brother.
He recalled hearing Leonard discuss his Revolutionary War service, including service at sea and travel to the West Indies.
Original image: 4161953_00528.jpg.
July 22, 1846 — Marriage Record Certification
Artemas Spafford, Ludlow town clerk, certified a marriage record identifying Leonard Proctor Jr. and Pede Hildreth.
The marriage was recorded as January 29, 1792.
Original image: 4161953_00530.jpg.
December 20, 1937 — Federal Pension Summary
A federal pension-office letter to Albert E. Saxey summarized Leonard’s birth, parents, military service, marriage, death, and surviving family evidence.
The summary also documented his widow’s later pension claim.
Original images: 4161953_00521.jpg and 4161953_00522.jpg.
View Leonard Proctor’s pension file in the National Archives Catalog.
Revolutionary War Pension
A Pension Claim After Leonard’s Death
Leonard Proctor Jr. died on February 28, 1812, before the later federal pension proceedings associated with his Revolutionary War service.
His widow, Pedee Hildreth Proctor, subsequently married William Bond.
After Bond’s death in 1838, she sought a pension based upon Leonard’s military service.
Pedee Bond’s Application
On July 22, 1846, Pedee Bond appeared before the Probate Court in Windsor County, Vermont.
She was seventy-five years old and living in Ludlow.
Her declaration identified Leonard Proctor as her first husband and described his military service during the Revolution.
She relied upon federal legislation providing pension benefits to qualifying widows of Revolutionary War veterans.
Supporting Military Evidence
Pedee referred to a certificate prepared by John G. Palfrey, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, dated July 1, 1846.
The certificate concerned Leonard’s Revolutionary War service, including his land enlistments and service aboard the Winthrop.
Additional evidence came from relatives and witnesses familiar with Leonard’s military history and marriage.
Marriage Documentation
The Ludlow town clerk certified the marriage of Leonard Proctor Jr. and Pede Hildreth on January 29, 1792.
This record was important because widow’s pension applications required proof of a qualifying marriage.
Testimony of Thomas Proctor
Leonard’s brother Thomas provided testimony in October 1846.
He confirmed their relationship and recalled Leonard discussing his military and naval service.
Thomas’s testimony supported the family account of Leonard’s participation in the Revolution.
Approval of the Claim
The federal pension-office summary states that Pedee Bond’s claim was allowed.
A pension roll transcription records an annual allowance of $32.54, beginning March 4, 1848.
The original pension certificate should be consulted to confirm all administrative dates and payment details.
Death of Pedee Bond
Pedee remained in Windsor County, Vermont, in 1848.
The federal summary records her death on July 24, 1849.
Her pension proceedings preserved the military history of her first husband more than three decades after his death.
From His Account
Leonard Proctor Jr. died in 1812. The surviving documents examined here do not contain a firsthand pension declaration written or sworn by Leonard himself.
The following excerpts come from later testimony and federal pension correspondence. They preserve what his relatives and the pension office reported about his service.
His Early Military Service
“he engaged in service when quite young”
Source: Thomas Proctor’s sworn testimony, October 1846.
His Brother’s Recollection
“I have often heard him speak of his Revolutionary services”
Source: Thomas Proctor’s sworn testimony, October 1846.
His Naval Service
“I well recollect to have heard him speak of his Naval service”
Source: Thomas Proctor’s sworn testimony, October 1846.
The West Indies
Thomas Proctor stated that Leonard had spoken about being in the West Indies during his naval service.
Source: Thomas Proctor’s sworn testimony, paraphrased.
His Marriage
The Ludlow town clerk certified a marriage record dated January 29, 1792, for Leonard Proctor Jr. and Pede Hildreth.
Source: Artemas Spafford’s certification, July 22, 1846; paraphrased.
His Widow’s Claim
Pedee Bond declared that Leonard had served in the Revolutionary War and identified his service on land and aboard a public armed vessel.
Source: Pedee Bond’s sworn pension declaration, July 22, 1846; paraphrased.
Military Service Record
| Date or Period | Service or Event | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| October 8, 1764 | Born in Westford, Massachusetts | Federal pension summary |
| April 19, 1775 | Father served in Lexington and Concord Alarm | Federal pension summary |
| September 15, 1779 | Enlisted as private under Captain Nathaniel Lakin | Federal pension summary |
| November 16, 1779 | Completed Rhode Island service | Federal pension summary |
| August 29, 1781 | Enlisted under Captain Daniel Bowker | Federal pension summary |
| December 4, 1781 | Completed second land enlistment | Federal pension summary |
| December 9, 1782 | Entered naval service aboard the Winthrop | Federal pension summary |
| March 17, 1783 | Completed naval service | Federal pension summary |
| January 29, 1792 | Married Pedee Hildreth in Ludlow, Vermont | Certified town marriage record |
| February 28, 1812 | Died at age forty-seven | Federal pension summary |
| July 22, 1846 | Pedee Bond submitted widow’s pension declaration | Probate Court declaration |
| 1848 | Widow’s pension recorded at $32.54 annually | Pension roll transcription |
| July 24, 1849 | Death of Pedee Bond | Federal pension summary |
Later Life and Burial
Leaving Massachusetts
After the Revolutionary War, Leonard Proctor Jr. and his father moved from Westford, Massachusetts, to Cavendish, Vermont.
Cavendish was located in Windsor County, a region that attracted settlers from Massachusetts and other New England communities.
Vermont’s farms, forests, and developing towns offered opportunities for families seeking land and new beginnings.
Life in Vermont
Leonard’s precise occupation after the Revolution has not been established from the pension transcriptions examined.
His residence in Cavendish connects him with the broader settlement of Vermont during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Vermont entered the Union as the fourteenth state in 1791.
Marriage to Pedee Hildreth
On January 29, 1792, Leonard married Pedee Hildreth in Ludlow, Vermont.
The marriage was recorded in the town clerk’s records and later certified during Pedee’s pension proceedings.
The couple married shortly after Vermont became a state.
Family Life
The surviving pension summary does not identify any children of Leonard and Pedee by name.
Further research in Cavendish and Ludlow vital records may establish whether the couple had children.
Death in 1812
Leonard Proctor Jr. died February 28, 1812.
He was forty-seven years old.
The federal pension summary does not explicitly establish his place of death.
His Widow’s Later Marriage
Pedee subsequently married William Bond.
The federal pension summary gives the marriage date as October 3, 1815, while the available transcription of Pedee’s own declaration gives October 3, 1813.
The discrepancy should be resolved through the original marriage record.
William Bond died November 8, 1838.
Burial
Leonard’s burial location has not been independently established from the available pension transcriptions.
Cemetery, church, and probate records in Windsor County, Vermont, may provide further evidence.
Family History
Leonard Proctor Jr.’s widow’s pension file preserves an unusually valuable collection of family relationships. It identifies his parents, two brothers, two cousins, his wife, and several other relatives or associates. The records also distinguish between relationships explicitly established by testimony and those that remain uncertain.
Family Name & Heritage Proctor Explore surname origins & meaning
Meaning and Etymology
The surname Proctor derives from an occupational term associated with a person acting on behalf of another, particularly in administrative, legal, or ecclesiastical matters.
The word developed from Latin roots associated with management or representation.
The Proctor Family in Massachusetts
Proctor families were established in colonial Massachusetts before the American Revolution.
Leonard Proctor Jr.’s family lived in Westford, Middlesex County, where his father served in the militia during the Lexington and Concord Alarm.
Migration to Vermont
Following the Revolution, Leonard and his father moved to Cavendish, Vermont.
Other family members were also living in the area by the middle of the nineteenth century.
Genealogical Research
The pension file provides direct evidence of several family relationships, including Leonard’s parents and brothers.
Earlier ancestry should be reconstructed through Westford birth, marriage, probate, and land records rather than assumed from the surname alone.
Surname history provides linguistic and regional context but does not independently establish an ancestral relationship.
His Parents
Father of Leonard Proctor Jr. and a Massachusetts militia lieutenant who participated in the Lexington and Concord Alarm of April 19, 1775.
View Additional Research
Military Service
The federal pension summary identifies the elder Leonard Proctor as a lieutenant who served during the Lexington and Concord Alarm.
Residence
He lived in Westford, Massachusetts, before moving with his son to Cavendish, Vermont.
Death
He died in 1827 at approximately ninety-three years of age.
Research Status
His precise birth and death dates and full military service record require examination of original Massachusetts and Vermont records.
Mother of Leonard Proctor Jr., identified by given name in the federal pension summary.
View Additional Research
Family Identification
The 1937 pension-office summary identifies Lydia as Leonard’s mother.
Maiden Surname
Her maiden surname is not stated in the available summary.
Death
She died in 1827 at approximately eighty years of age.
Research Status
Original Westford and Cavendish records may establish her full name and dates.
His Grandparents
No grandparents have been identified from the pension transcriptions examined.
The family lineage should be extended through original Westford vital records and probate evidence before assigning earlier generations.
Earlier Generations
The Proctor surname was present in colonial Massachusetts, but the available pension file does not establish Leonard’s precise ancestral line beyond his parents.
Earlier generations remain open for further genealogical research.
His Marriage
Leonard Proctor’s wife, married January 29, 1792, in Ludlow, Vermont. Following his death, she married William Bond and later received a Revolutionary War widow’s pension.
View Additional Research
Marriage to Leonard
The Ludlow town clerk certified the marriage of Leonard Proctor Jr. and Pede Hildreth on January 29, 1792.
Alternative Spellings
Her name appears in the transcriptions as Pedee, Pede, Padee, and similar variants.
Second Marriage
She married William Bond after Leonard’s death. The surviving transcriptions disagree between October 3, 1813, and October 3, 1815.
Widow’s Pension
She applied July 22, 1846, and her claim was allowed.
Death
The federal summary records her death July 24, 1849.
Second husband of Pedee Hildreth Proctor, whom she married after Leonard’s death.
View Additional Research
Marriage
The federal pension summary gives October 3, 1815. Pedee’s transcribed declaration gives October 3, 1813.
Death
William Bond died November 8, 1838.
Research Status
Original Vermont marriage records are needed to resolve the conflicting marriage dates.
His Children
The federal pension-office summary explicitly states that no names in the pension claim were designated as children of Leonard Proctor and Pedee Hildreth.
This does not establish that the couple had no children.
Further research in Ludlow and Cavendish vital, census, and probate records may clarify their family.
His Siblings
Brother of Leonard Proctor Jr., residing in Cavendish, Vermont, in 1846. He provided testimony supporting Pedee Bond’s pension application.
View Additional Research
Age and Residence
Thomas described himself as more than seventy years old in 1846 and living in Cavendish.
Testimony
He recalled hearing Leonard discuss Revolutionary War service, including naval service and the West Indies.
Document
Sworn testimony dated October 1846, image 4161953_00528.jpg.
Brother of Leonard Proctor Jr. who served with him aboard the Massachusetts armed sloop Winthrop.
View Additional Research
Naval Service
The 1937 federal summary identifies Philip as Leonard’s brother and a fellow member of the Winthrop‘s crew.
Research Status
His birth, death, and complete naval service record require further verification.
His Cousins
Identified as Leonard’s cousin and a fellow sailor aboard the Winthrop.
View Additional Research
Service
The federal pension summary identifies James Proctor among Leonard’s relatives serving aboard the vessel.
Research Status
The exact degree of cousin relationship has not been established.
Identified as Leonard’s cousin and a fellow sailor aboard the Winthrop.
View Additional Research
Service
The federal pension summary identifies Josiah as another Proctor family member aboard the armed sloop.
Research Status
His parents and exact relationship to Leonard require original-record verification.
Other Family Connections and Witnesses
Served aboard the Winthrop with Leonard Proctor. A possible relationship to Pedee Hildreth has not been established.
View Additional Research
The 1937 federal summary explicitly states that Hezekiah’s relationship to Pedee was not shown.
Westford resident who testified in 1846 that he had married a sister of Pedee Hildreth.
View Additional Research
Levi was sixty-eight in 1846. The pension summary does not identify his wife’s given name.
Westford resident, aged eighty-three in 1846, whose relationship to Pedee or Hezekiah Hildreth was not established.
View Additional Research
His presence in the pension claim provides a genealogical research lead but does not establish a family connection.
Served as a lieutenant during Leonard’s tour under Captain Nathaniel Lakin.
View Additional Research
The federal pension summary does not establish a family relationship between Silas and Leonard.
His Descendants
No children or descendant lines have been established from the available pension transcriptions.
The complete pension file, Vermont town records, and probate documents may provide additional information.
Family Research Update
The pension records identify Leonard’s father, mother, brothers Thomas and Philip, cousins James and Josiah, and wife Pedee Hildreth.
The records also preserve valuable testimony from relatives and associates who knew the family.
However, the names of Leonard’s children, his mother’s maiden surname, and the exact relationships of several Hildreth and Proctor witnesses remain unresolved.
The original military records of the Winthrop and the complete Vermont family records offer important opportunities for further research.
Original Sources
- Leonard Proctor Jr., Revolutionary War Widow’s Pension File W.18631. National Archives, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files. National Archives Identifier 196444987.
- Leonard Proctor and Pedee Bond, Pension File Cover. Image 4161953_00519.jpg. Identifies Massachusetts land and naval service.
- Federal Pension-Office Letter, December 20, 1937. Response to Albert E. Saxey, Ogden, Utah. Images 4161953_00521.jpg and 4161953_00522.jpg. Summarizes Leonard’s birth, parents, three periods of military service, marriage, death, and family testimony.
- Pedee Bond, Widow’s Pension Declaration, July 22, 1846. Probate Court, District of Windsor, Vermont. Images 4161953_00525.jpg and 4161953_00526.jpg.
- Thomas Proctor, Sworn Testimony, October 1846. Cavendish, Vermont. Image 4161953_00528.jpg. Identifies Thomas as Leonard’s brother and preserves recollections of Leonard’s Revolutionary War and naval service.
- Artemas Spafford, Ludlow Town Clerk, Marriage Certification, July 22, 1846. Image 4161953_00530.jpg. Certifies the marriage of Leonard Proctor Jr. and Pede Hildreth on January 29, 1792.
- Pedee Bond, Widow’s Pension Roll Entry. Image 4161953_00523.jpg. Records an annual pension allowance of $32.54, with payments commencing March 4, 1848.
- Massachusetts Revolutionary War Service Documentation. Military evidence referenced in the pension file, including the certificate of John G. Palfrey, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, dated July 1, 1846.
- The Yost Post Revolutionary War Transcription Collection. RevWar-Transcriptions-Final. Working transcriptions associated with National Archives Identifier 196444987.
Historical Research Note
Principal source: Revolutionary War pension file W.18631, National Archives Identifier 196444987.
Identity: Leonard Proctor Jr., born October 8, 1764, in Westford, Massachusetts.
Father: Lieutenant Leonard Proctor, a participant in the Lexington and Concord Alarm of April 19, 1775.
Mother: Lydia Proctor; maiden surname unverified.
First enlistment: September 15–November 16, 1779, Captain Nathaniel Lakin’s company, Colonel John Jacobs’ Massachusetts regiment, Rhode Island.
Second enlistment: August 29–December 4, 1781, Captain Daniel Bowker’s company, Colonel Webb’s Massachusetts regiment.
Naval service: December 9, 1782–March 17, 1783, Massachusetts armed sloop Winthrop, Captain George Little.
Rank: Private during land service; seaman during naval service.
Battlefield participation: No specific land battle or naval engagement has been conclusively established from the transcriptions examined.
West Indies: Thomas Proctor recalled hearing Leonard discuss naval service and the West Indies. The precise voyage requires verification through original naval records.
Marriage: January 29, 1792, Ludlow, Vermont, to Pedee Hildreth, supported by a certified town marriage record.
Children: None identified by name in the pension summary; this does not establish that the couple had no children.
Death: February 28, 1812. Exact place of death not established from the federal summary.
Burial: Not independently verified.
Widow: Pedee Hildreth Proctor later married William Bond. The available transcriptions disagree between October 3, 1813, and October 3, 1815, for that marriage.
Widow’s pension: Application submitted July 22, 1846; claim allowed. Pension roll transcription records $32.54 annually from March 4, 1848.
Widow’s death: July 24, 1849, according to the 1937 federal pension summary.
Family relationships: Brothers Thomas and Philip and cousins James and Josiah are identified in the federal summary. Other relationships require further verification.
Portrait: The accompanying image is an artistic reconstruction rather than an authenticated likeness. Its clothing and appearance should not be treated as documentary evidence.
Research priority: Examine the original Massachusetts service records, surviving records of the armed sloop Winthrop, and Westford and Vermont vital records to clarify Leonard’s military assignments and family history.
Genealogical Research Note
Leonard Proctor Jr.’s Revolutionary War pension file provides unusually rich evidence of the relationship between military service and family history.
Because Leonard died in 1812, the later pension proceedings depended upon testimony from his widow, relatives, and individuals familiar with his life.
The federal pension-office summary establishes three distinct periods of service, while the supporting declarations preserve the identities of his brothers, cousins, and several other associates.
The surviving evidence also requires careful distinction between Leonard Proctor Jr. and his father, Lieutenant Leonard Proctor, whose service in the Lexington and Concord Alarm belonged to an earlier phase of the Revolution.
The Yost Post preserves these distinctions so that documented military service, family testimony, and unresolved genealogical questions remain clearly separated for future historical research.