by Chris Chaos
The facts:
Deborah Smith was born in 1685 in
Burlington County, New Jersey and died as Deborah Leeds in 1748 in
Atlantic County New Jersey. She was a Quaker and married Japhet Leeds
giving birth to 12 of his children. Deborah was the daughter of
Daniel Smith and Mary Murfin. There is much speculation and much of
the details may have been lost to time. In those times it was an old
practice to name the first son after the parents, which in her
situation was not true. Deborah named her first son Robert, and her
sixth son, Daniel, bore the name of her father. Japheth's father was
also named Daniel. Her first child Mary was born 1704, and her last
known child by Japheth, Hannah, was
born 1726.
Some information provided supports the
idea that Deborah was not the daughter of Daniel Smith and Mary
Murfin:
"Mary's (Murfin) Granddaughter
Hannah Callender wrote a diary & listed her Grandparents'
children & Deborah is not listed. Extracts from the diary of
Hannah Callendar--Daniel & Mary Murfin Smith were her
Grandparents.All info on dates (birth & death) taken from Daniel
Smith's family Bible June 20, 1759 by Hannah Callender--
'The Diary of Hannah Callender
Sansom--Sense & sensibility in the age of the American
Revolution,' Edited by Susan E. Klepp & Karin Wulf."
Much research would need to be
conducted to find a birth record , perhaps in old Quaker meeting
records of Burlington County, New Jersey, we can't be sure. We do
know that there were several Smiths who attended Quaker Meetings
along with her husband's family.Checking census records for the area,
Deborah and Japhet did have a confirmed 12 children. In the Leed's
Point area she is the only person that fit the profile of Mother
Leeds without embellishment. The time frame was right on also since
most legends place the Jersey Devil's birth in 1735. Since her last
(confirmed) born child was born in 1726, in 1735 Deborah would have
been 50 years old. Back in the 1700's it would have been highly
unlikely that a woman in her 50's would have had a successful birth
due to the primitive medical care. This might lead us to speculate
and explore the possibilities that the 13th child was born
handicapped, mentally retarded or disfigured over a real life devil
or beast.
There are also political/religious
reasons for the legend of the Jersey Devil to appear. Deborah was a
Quaker and possibly converted to Episcopalian after she married
Japhet. He was also a Quaker but in 1688 had a falling out with his
church and then converted to Episcopalian and was christened at St.
Mary's of Burlington in 1703. This rift may explain why Deborah was
accused of being a witch and how the word "devil" made it
into the Leed's/Jersey Devil's name.
Originally the Jersey Devil was called
the Leed's Devil, it was not until the 1900's the Jersey Devil name
came around. Other names he was called were Hoodle-Doodle Bird,
Wozzle Bug, flying hoof and winged dog.
Abstract of Japhet's will from 30
NJA1st 295-296:
1736, Feb. 5. Leeds, Japhet, of Great
Egg Harbor, Gloucester Co., yeoman; will of. Wife, Deborah.
Sons-Robert, land bought of Benjamin Jennings near a brook, formerly
called Wigwam Creek, southeast to Holly Swamp brook; John, land, 200
acres, bought of his uncle Felix Leeds, by the south branch of
Landing Creek; Japhet, the plantation I live on by the Bay northwest
to Maple Swamp; Nehemiah, land adjoining Jeremiah Addams; James
(youngest son), land bought of Benjamin Jennings, adjoining his
brother Robert's; and Daniel, not 14. Daughters-Mary, eldest (alias
Somers), Sarah, Deborah, Dorothy, Ann and Hannah. Cedar swamps on
Bever Run and
Proprietary Rights to the sons.
Executors-sons John and Japhet. Witnesses - Jeremiah Adams, Abel
Scull, Isaac Addams. Affirmed 15
Dec., 1748.
Lib. 6, p. 10.
1748, Nov. 4. Inventory, L213.17.3;
made by Abel Scull, Joseph Johnson.
Here are the names and information
concerning the children of Deborah and Japhet Leeds:
1. Mary, born 1704; married Samuel
Somers.
2. Robert, born 1706; married Abigail
Higbee.
3. John, born 1708; married (first)
Rebecca Cordery; (second) Sarah (Mathis) Coate.
4. Japheth, born 1710, died 1781;
married Rebecca Woodward.
5. Nehemiah, born 1712; married
Elizabeth Woodward.
6. James, born 1714.
7. Daniel, 1716; in 1757 surveyor
general of New Jersey; married (first) Susannah Steelman; (second)
Rebecca Steelman; his children
were: Susanna, married James Scull (q.
v.) ; Dorcas, and Rachael.
8. Sarah, born 1718; probably married
Thomas Wilson.
9. Deborah, born 1720; married Hugh
Neale.
10. Dorothy, born 1722; married
Jonathan Husted.
11. Ann, born 1724; married Nathaniel
Thomas.
12. Hannah, born February 18, 1726,
died November 24, 1762; married Peter Steelman.
13. The Jersey Devil also known as the
13th Child.
To follow along with the documentary,
go here:
https://www.facebook.com/TheSearchForTheJerseyDevil
(Chris Chaos is a long time resident of
South Jersey who once again resides in and writes from Gloucester
City, New Jersey. He is a filmmaker, a business owner, writer, urban
explorer and investigator of the odd and weird, a proud parent,
happily taken and a connoisseur of hot wings. Chris can be reached at
AxisVideo@aol.com)
