'Lear1'Index links to: Lead / Letter
Families covered: Leir of Charlton Musgrove, Leir of Ditcheat, Leir of Jaggard's House, Lear of Lindridge

                               
Commoners reports that "This family originally of German descent, deriving (it is said) its patronymic from the town of Leer, on the Ems in Westphalia, has been seated many centuries in the county of Devon." TCB (vol 4) notes that Le Neve's MS. Baronetage identifies the father of Sir Peter & Thomas as ...
_ Lear of Devon ("a very mean person")
1. Sir Peter Lear of London & Lindridge, Sheriff of Devon, 1st Bart (dsp 1683)
  BEB1841 reports that Peter "acquired a considerable fortune in Barbadoes" and that he obtained a patent under which his baronetcy passed to his nephews. TCB (vol 4) notes that he was originally " 'a scrivener', who was first a servant, then a planter at Barbadoes".
  m. Susan Lant (d by 01.1713, dau of Richard Lant of London, m2. Dennis Rolle)
2. Thomas Lear of Devon
  A. Sir Thomas Lear of Lindridge, 2nd Bart (b c1672, dsp 12.1705)
  m. (c03.1690) Isabella Courtenay (dau of Sir William Courtenay, 1st Bart of Powderham, by Margaret Waller)
  B. Sir John Lear of Lindridge, Sheriff of Devon, 3rd Bart (d by 1736)
  m. _ Wolston (dau of Christopher Wolston of Devon)
  i. Mary Lear
  m1. Sir Thomas Tipping, 2nd Bart (dsp 1725)
  m2. Thomas Comyns
  C. Walter Lear (dspms)

 

 

Connected to the above family was ...
Richard Leir of Exeter (a 1617, d 11.04.1654, rector of Charlton Musgrove)
m. Joane Taylor of Ottery St. Mary
1. Thomas Leir (rector, a 1659)
  m. Mary Seaman (dau of Rev. William Seaman of Upton Scudamore)
  A. Thomas Leir (b 1640, d 1730?, rector of Ditcheat in Somerset) the first mentioned by BLG1886
m. Mary Freke (dau of Ralph Freke of Hannington House/Hall (by Cecilia, dau of Sir Thomas Colepeper of Hollingbourne), widow of Christopher Coward)
  i. Thomas Leir (b 1702, d 1781?, rector of Ditcheat & Charlton)
  m. Elizabeth Methuen (dau of Paul Methuen of Bradford by dau of William Gould of Upway & Fleet)
  a. Thomas Leir of Jaggards in Witlshire (d 1812?, rector of Ditcheat & Charlton)
  m. (1764) Mary Shore (dau of John Shore by Mary, dau/heir of John Kington of Jaggard's House)
(1) Thomas Leir of Jaggards, Weston & Whitby (b 17.10.1765, d 09.05.1836)
  m. Jane Jekyll (dau of Rev. John Jekyll of Evercreech by dau of Nathaniel Webb of Roundhill House)
  (A) Thomas Leir of Jaggards House (b 19.11.1795, d 1865) had issue
  m. (1822) Anne Collard (dau of J, Collard of Swansea)
  (B) Mary Leir
  m. Rev. Edward Wilkins
  (C)+ other issue - John Macie, Jane Elizabeth, Anne, Helen
  (2) William Leir (b 10.09.1768, d 12.01.1864, rector of Ditcheat, 3rd son) had issue
  m. (04.04.1804) Harriott Marriott (dau of Randolph Marriott of Leases Hall by Elizabeth, dau of Christopher Wilson, Bishop of Bristol)
(3) Paul Leir (b 09.06.1770, rector of Charlton Musgrove)
  m. Fanny Freke (dau of William Freke of Hannington, widow of William Morton Pleydell of Whatcombe)
  (4)+ other issue - John (b 1767, dsp), Richard (b 17.01.1772), Charles (b 1770, dsp), Richard of Ringwell House (b 1780), Mary (b 1773, dsp), Maria (b 1775, dsp), Elizabeth (b 1777, dsp)
  b. Elizabeth Leir (b 1736, dsp)
  m. Rev. C. Lockyer-Maby
  c.+ other issuse - William (b 1739, dsp), John Methuen (b 1744, dsp), Paul Methuen (b 1756), Hester (b 1742, dsp)
  ii. Mary Leir (b 1701)
  m. William Norman of Stoke Lane
  iii. Anne Leir (b 1703)
  m. James (or T.) Chaffey Cooper of Yalhampton House
  iv. Jane Leir (b 1707)
  m. John Bythesea of Week House & Chapmanslade
  v. Elizabeth Leir (b 1711, dsp)
  m. _ Phelps of Holt
  B. Anne Leir (b 1670)
  m. Thomas Gapper (rector of Yarlington)
  C.+ other issue (dsp) - William (b 30.04.1675, d 1743?, rector of Charlton), Mary (b 1661), Elizabeth (b 1667)
2. George Leir (b 1630?, 3rd son) had issue "a large family"
  m. Mary Magsfield of Cucklington
3. William Leir (b 1633?)
  m. Joane
  A.+ issue ("a large family") including William (rector of Bratton, eldest son)
4.+ other issue (dsp) - Richard (b 1624?), Elizabeth (b 1626?)

Main source(s):
(1) For upper section : BEB1841 (Lear of London, Lear of Lindridge), TCB (vol 3, Lear of London), TCB (vol 4, Lear of Lindridge)
(2) For lower section : Commoners (vol 4, Leir or Lear of Jaggard's House) with support from BLG1886 (Leir of Jaggard's House)
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