John LENNARD was born about 1399 in Clavering, Essex, England.
His son, Esq. George LENNARD, was born 1422 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England and died in 1462. George married Matilda, about 1458 in Chevening and their son, Esq. John LENNARD, was born about 1459 in Sevenoaks.
Esq. John Leonard married Anne BIRD and died 1530 in England. John and Anne's sons were:
William (born abt. 1482),
George (born abt. 1483), and
John, Jr. (born 1479 in Sevenoaks).
John Leonard, Jr. was Prothonotary of North Wales. He married Catherine WESTON in 1507 in Kent, England, daughter of T. WESTON. She was born in 1481 in Kent, England (Chipstead). John, Jr. died at Sevenoaks in 1554.
John Leonard, Jr.'s son was John LENNARD, High Sheriff of Kent, born 1509 in Chevening, Kent, England, died 12 Mar 1590/91 in Chevening, married Elizabeth HARMON, between 1536-1538 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England. He was Barrister of Lincoln's Inn and Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas. As Prothonotary he was high Notary and the highest administrator of the court responsible for scheduling trials. He married Elizabeth HARMON between 1536-1538 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England (Knole). She was born in 1520 in Crayford, Kent, England (Elam), the daughter of William HARMON of Ellam in Crayford. John purchased Chevening Place and Manor during the 4th year of King Edward VI’s reign. (King Edward was the son of King Henry VIII and Jane SEYMOUR. He became king at age nine in January, 1547 but died in 1553 at the age of fifteen). Elizabeth died on 26 Oct 1585 in Chevening and John died on 12 Mar 1590/91 at the same place at age 81. The family’s altar-tomb of Bethesden marble is at St. Botolphs Church at Chevening, Kent. The altar-tomb, upon the north side, commemorates John LENNARD.
“Visitations of Kent” taken in 1574 and 1592 lists the family as follows (sic, Old English):
"John LENNARD of Cheuenying in the countey of Kent esquier" married "Elizabeth, doughter of William HARMAN. [Their children are]: SAMPSON LENNARD, sonne and heire" [who married] "Margarett doughter of Thomas Lorde Dacres of the Sowth, SAMVEL LENNARD, TYMOTH, MAREY, ANNE, ELIZABETH, RACHELL”.
There is a sketch of John LEONARD of Chevening opposite p. 4 of the “Annals of the Leonard Family” by Fanny Koster, which I cannot seem to find a free edition of. Click here to find a copy to purchase.
Children of John Lennard and Elizabeth HARMON were:
"Sampson Lennard" (born 1545 in Chevening, Kent, England, died 20 Sep 1615, married Lady Margaret "Lady Dacre" FIENNES, between 10-16 Nov 1564 in England), - Click here for more
"Marey Lennard" LEONARD (born about 1549 in Sevenoaks, died 07 Dec 1620 in Titsey, Surrey, England, married Guilford WALSINGHAM, 27 Dec 1579),
Elizabeth LEONARD (born about 1551 in Sevenoaks, died 21 Dec 1630 in Kent, West Wickham),
Samuel LEONARD (born about 1553 in West Wickham, died 01 Apr 1618 in West Wickham),
Rachel LEONARD, Baroness of Abergavenny, (born about 1553 in Sevenoaks, Kent (Knole), died 15 Oct 1616 in Birling, Kent, married 8th Baron Bergavenny Edward NEVILLE),
"Anne LENNARD" (born about 1556 in Chevening, Kent),
Timothea "Tymothe LENNARD" (born about 1558 in Chevening, Kent, England. She has sometimes been mistaken for a son in written genealogies).
This line of the Leonard family is featured in the book "Genealogical and family history of western New York" Volume 3, on pages 1074-1076 as follows:
Views around Knole
(Click and drag to look around)
The visitor's guide to Knole, in the county of Kent, by John Henry Brady, F. R. A. S., 1839
See also A Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect
Click here to see learn more about the Leonard family.