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Esther Sperry Leonard
Other Name:
Esther Henrietta Sperry; Henrietta Sperry
Gender:
Female
Born:
September 6, 1798
Died:
April 5, 1879
Home Town:
Owego, NY
Marriage(s):
Stephen Banks Leonard (February 22, 1818)
Biographical Notes:
Esther Sperry Leonard, daughter of Jared and Esther Bostwick Sperry of Owego, New York, was born September 6, 1798. In 1813 and again in 1816 Esther attended the Litchfield Female Academy in Litchfield, Connecticut. On February 22, 1818 she married Stephen Banks Leonard, also of Oswego. After their marriage the couple had seven children. Esther also taught a select school in Owego after studying at Ms. Pierce's school. In 1879 she passed away.
Education
Years at LFA:
1813,1816
Profession / Service
Profession:
Educator
Immediate Family (Why only immediate family?)
- Stephen Banks Leonard
Husband - Esther Bostwick Sperry
Mother - Jared Sperry
Father
Related Objects and Documents
In the Ledger:
Other:
The Citation of Attendance provides primary source documentation of the student’s attendance at the Litchfield Female Academy and/or the Litchfield Law School. If a citation is absent, the student is thought to have attended but currently lacks primary source confirmation. Records for the schools were sporadic, especially in the formative years of both institutions. If instructors kept comprehensive records for the Litchfield Female Academy or the Litchfield Law School, they do not survive. Researchers and staff have identified students through letters, diaries, family histories and genealogies, and town histories as well as catalogues of students printed in various years. Art and needlework have provided further identification of Female Academy Students, and Litchfield County Bar records document a number of Law School students. The history of both schools and the identification of the students who attended them owe credit to the early 20th century research and documentation efforts of Emily Noyes Vanderpoel and Samuel Fisher, and the late 20th century research and documentation efforts of Lynne Templeton Brickley and the Litchfield Historical Society staff.
CITATION OF ATTENDANCE:
Esther (also known as Henrietta) wrote an inscription and signed her name in Elizabeth Catlin's 1813-1815 memory book (Litchfield Historical Society - Litchfield Female Academy collection).
1816 Litchfield Female Academy Catalog (Vanderpoel, Emily Noyes. Chronicles of A Pioneer School From 1792 to 1833. Cambridge, MA: The University Press, 1903).
A "Miss Sperry" is mentioned in Charlotte Smith's 1816 diary. This entry may refer to Esther Sperry Leonard (Connecticut Historical Society).
1816 Litchfield Female Academy Catalog (Vanderpoel, Emily Noyes. Chronicles of A Pioneer School From 1792 to 1833. Cambridge, MA: The University Press, 1903).
A "Miss Sperry" is mentioned in Charlotte Smith's 1816 diary. This entry may refer to Esther Sperry Leonard (Connecticut Historical Society).
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