Sources and Notes

The family of Leete (Google eBook) by Joseph Leete, John Anderson. Blades, East & Blades, Printers, 1906. 28 pages

THE OAKINGTON BRANCH.

Another great branch of the English family of Leete sprang from Thomas Leete of Oakington, Cambs., whose name stands at the head of the family pedigree in the Visitation of Hunts., A.D. 1613. At that date, Thomas was living at his own home in Cambridgeshire. In 1616 he was buried at Oakington.
The death of Thomas Leete occurred about three years before the Visitation of Cambs. in 1619 took place. Had he lived till then, doubtless we should have had fuller details respecting his family. Then might have been witnessed the two bearers of the same surname, Thomas Leete of Oakington and Gyles Leete of Kingston, dwelling in neighbouring Cambridgeshire parishes at the same date, and both accredited with the same family Arms.
If we turn to the Records of Lay Subsidies in Cambridgeshire, we find that, in the year 1522, John Leete of Eversden was assessed for Kingston; and that, in the same year, Thomas Leete was assessed for Oakington, and also for Comberton. In this connection it will be remembered that Richard le Lyte, elsewhere called Lete, in the year 1303 held lands at Comberton, and Toft; and that in 1595 Gyles Leete of Kingston, grandson of John Leete of Eversden, sued in the Court of Requests for the recovery of the title deeds of his father's estates at Kingston, Eversden and Toft. The two parishes of Comberton and Toft adjoin each other; and as Thomas Leete of Oakington was entitled to the Leete FamilyArms equally with Gyles Leete of Eversden, Kingston and Toft; the inference is that Gyles Leete and Thomas Leete both descended from Richard le Lyte, who held land in the same two parishes of Comberton, and Toft, in 1303. The fact that both Gyles and Thomas Leete possessed an equal right to the Leete Arms, furnishes the best available proof that they had sprung from a common ancestor; and that the Eversden and Oakington branches, with their respective descendants in this country, and in America, have descended from the same original stock. See the large Oakington Chart.