Capt. Leonard Thomas Helm, II

Immigrant Records, Major Thomas Helm, I
Immigrants & Ship records:

Passenger Lists-

Ancestry.com
Leonard Helm-
https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/leonard-helm-24-p2d31w

Additional Sources:

I found this information on the following link: Unsure if this is correct.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~helmsnc/helms-7.html

Leonard and Meredith Helm of Frederick County, VA

Conkwright wrote that Leonard came to Virginia before about 1720 when he received a grant in Essex County, adjoining Spotsylvania County and, in Nov. 1719, he proved his right to take up 350 acres of land in Spotsylvania County. Conkwright recounts other land transactions for Leonard in Spotsylvania Co, Prince William County, Stafford County, Fauquir County, and finally in Frederick County, Va. Leonard died in Frederick County, Va. between Sept. 25 and November 7, 1745, the dates of his will and it's execution. A descendants chart for Leonard Helms of Virginia is available.

There has been great interest in Leonard's parentage. Conkwright suggested that Leonard may have been from the Helme family of Lancashire, England. There was a Thomas Helme there at Goosnargh who was supposed to have had ancestors and a son named Leonard. No proof of that lineage has been found. Both Leonard and Meredith are English family names, so they may have gotten their first names from maternal lines. Also, other Helm(s) in the region were German, and Leonard is a German first name too. Therefore, until proven, Conkwright's supposed English lineage is not certain.

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http://sherrysharp.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I3419&tree=...

Leonard died between 25 September and 6 November 1745, when his will was written and probated. (Frederick Co, VA Will Book #1 pg 22, 1743-1841) His wife was not mentioned: "In the name of God Amen. ye Twentie fifth day of September 1745. I, LEONARD HELM, in ye Parish and County of Frederick, a Colony of Virginia, being very sick and weak in body, but of perfect mind and memory, thanks to God. Therefore callino mind ye Mortality of my body and knowing yt it Appointed for all men once to die, do make and Ordain this my last Will and Testament, viz: principally and first of all, I Recommend my Soul to God and my body to ye Earth to be Buried at ye Discretion of my Executors; and as touching Such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, Demise and Depose of ye Same in ye following manner and form. Item, I Give and Bequeath to my Son MABRY HELM ye first Colt of my young black Mare. Item, I Give and Bequeath to my son JOSEPH HELM Forty Shillings Current Money of Virginia. Item, I give to CHRISTOPHER HELMS forty Shillings Current money of ye abovesaid Province. Item, I give to BRIDGET MADDIN's youngest daughter Three Cows. Item, I give to EDWARD BROUGHTON Fifteen Pounds Current Money of ye abovesaid Province and an Horse; and to live with my Son MEREDITH till he be fifteen years of Age and then to be sent to my son MABRY HELM and Ten pounds with him only. Item, I give to LEONARD HELM, Junior my House and Household Goods (Ye Beds and Bedding Excepted) and ye Young black Mare; as also ye Plantation and his Share of ye Crop; and ye said Leonard shall give a Just Account of ye Two last years Cropf Tobacco; to ye Executor hereof According to Law; likewise, I appoint my son LEONARD to be joint Executor with MEREDITH on Condition yt he Shall agree to this my Last Will; otherwise not. Item, I give and Bequeath to my Eldest Son, MEREDITH HELM, whom I likewise appoint, Constitute and Ordain Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament, all and singular my whole Estate viz. ye half of ye Crop for this present year; ye Nee Guy, ye Servant Woman together with all my Moveable Good and Chattles Whatsomever, by him freely to be Possessed and Enjoyed, (he paying and discharging ye abovesaid Legacies and bequests) and I do hereby utterly Disannual and Revoke all and every other former Wills, Testaments, legacies, Bequests and Executors by manywise before Named, Ratifying and Confirming this and no Other to be my Last Will and Testament; in witness whereof I hereunto Set my hand and Seal ye day and Year above Written. LEO. HELM

Signed, Sealed and Delivered by ye said LEONARD HELM as his Last Will and Testament in ye presence of us ye Subscribers. JOHN GORDON, James (X) Scott, Duncan D. (X) Stewart. The will was proved 6 November 1745.

Leonard Helms, the other executor, refused to take upon himself the burden of the will; thereafter the brothers were involved in litigation for years, resulting in the loss of practically all of Leonard Jr.'s property.

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Born Catholic:A review of the Conkwright Manuscript ("Shenandoah Families" by Bessie Taul Conkwright) was furnished by Susan Grimshaw, who is our principal source person on the English studies. Susan brings a knowledge of Helm/Helme/Elme, etc. data from England and the Caribbean, and has here indicated some cross-talk of Conkwright and other information. Bessie had strongly focused on the possibility that the Helm family of Frederick Co., Virginia (Leonard and Meredith Helm etc) had stemmed from the family of Thomas Helme of Goosnargh, Lancashire. Bessie stopped short of proving that thesis, however. The problem was that the sons of Thomas had disappeared. Where did they go?

Susan wrote: I took a quick look in the Harris Library in Preston, where I read that Thomas Helme's wife (Church House, Goosnargh) was fined for being a recusant in the early 1660s. This is proof positive that the family was definitely Catholic. Shortly afterwards, Thomas died and the boys disappeared - possibly to America. I think things must have been getting a little too hot for them and they had to leave, certainly out of the county.

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Leonard Helm, Sr. served as a captain in the VA State Line during the Revolutionary War under General George Rogers Clarke (file #38021). Helm was described as "abounding in wit, fun, fearless, intelligent, level-headed and trustworthy". However, he was also described as an intemperate man who ran up large tavern bills and liked his whiskey. He died on a trail in Kentucky, apparently while acting as an Indian Agent. His widow filed for a Widows Pension (file # R14982) but was denied because he did not serve until the end of the war in 1782.

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GEDCOM Note

FamilySearch: Family Tree Leonard Helm I Birth  about 1660 • Goosnargh, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom Death  before 6 November 1745 • Frederick, Virginia, British Colonial America Parents  Margaret Lynaugh • Thomas Helm Spouse  Elizabeth Children  Ann Helm • Bridget Helm • Christopher Helm • Elizabeth Betty Helm • George Helm • Joseph Helm • Leonard Helm II • Leonard Helm Jr • Major Meredith Helm I • Mary Helm • Mayberry Helm • Meredith Helm • Nancy Ann Helm • Thomas Helm

Lead confidence: 5 https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/L6GW-B9Y

GEDCOM Note

FamilySearch: Family Tree Leonard Helm Spouse  ? Children  Thomas Helm

Lead confidence: 4 https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/MF7P-NKH

GEDCOM Note

FamilySearch: Family Tree Leonard Helm Birth  1653 • England, United Kingdom Death  before 6 November 1745 • Frederick, Virginia, United States Spouse  Mrs. Margaret Helm

Lead confidence: 3 https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/9KMF-J12

GEDCOM Note

Immigrated about 1724 Importation On 2 March 1724/25, Leonard Helm came into Court in Spotsylvania County, Virginia and proved his importation along with the importation of Elizabeth, his wife, and Joseph Helms, Maybrie Helms, Leonard Helms, Ann Helms and Mary Helms, his children. [Spotsylvania County, Virginia, Court Order Book, 1724-1730, page 37] Will Leonard died between 25 September and 6 November 1745, when his will was written and probated. (Frederick Co, VA Will Book #1 pg 22, 1743-1841) His wife was not mentioned: "In the name of God Amen. ye Twentie fifth day of September 1745. I, LEONARD HELM, in ye Parish and County of Frederick, a Colony of Virginia, being very sick and weak in body, but of perfect mind and memory, thanks to God.Therefore callino mind ye Mortality of my body and knowing yt it Appointed for all men once to die, do make and Ordain this my last Will and Testament, viz: principally and first of all, I Recommend my Soul to God and my body to ye Earth to be Buried at ye Discretion of my Executors; and as touching Such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, Demise and Depose of ye Same in ye following manner and form. Item, I Give and Bequeath to my Son MABRY HELM ye first Colt of my young black Mare. Item, I Give and Bequeath to my son JOSEPH HELM Forty Shillings Current Money of Virginia. Item, I give to CHRISTOPHER HELMS forty Shillings Current money of ye abovesaid Province. Item, I give to BRIDGET MADDIN's youngest daughter Three Cows. Item, I give to EDWARD BROUGHTON Fifteen Pounds Current Money of ye abovesaid Province and an Horse; and to live with my Son MEREDITH till he be fifteen years of Age and then to be sent to my son MABRY HELM and Ten pounds with him only. Item, I give to LEONARD HELM, Junior my House and Household Goods (Ye Beds and Bedding Excepted) and ye Young black Mare; as also ye Plantation and his Share of ye Crop; and ye said Leonard shall give a Just Account of ye Two last years Cropf Tobacco; to ye Executor hereof According to Law; likewise, I appoint my son LEONARD to be joint Executor with MEREDITH on Condition yt he Shallagree to this my Last Will; otherwise not. Item, I give and Bequeath to my Eldest Son, MEREDITH HELM, whom I likewise appoint, Constitute and Ordain Sole Executor of this my Last Will and Testament, all and singular my whole Estate viz. ye half of ye Crop for this present year; ye Nee Guy, ye Servant Woman together with all my Moveable Good and Chattles Whatsomever, by him freely to be Possessed and Enjoyed, (he paying and discharging ye abovesaid Legacies and bequests) and I do hereby utterly Disannual and Revoke all and every other former Wills, Testaments, legacies, Bequests and Executors by manywise before Named, Ratifying and Confirming this and no Other to be my Last Will and Testament; in witness whereof I hereunto Set my hand and Seal ye day and Year above Written. LEO. HELM Signed, Sealed and Delivered by ye said LEONARD HELM as his Last Will and Testament in ye presence of us ye Subscribers. JOHN GORDON, James (X) Scott, Duncan D. (X) Stewart. The will was proved 6 November 1745. Leonard Helms, the other executor, refused to take upon himself the burden of the will; thereafter the brothers were involved in litigation for years, resulting in the loss of practically all ofLeonard Jr.'s property

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This line of Helms is British, and belongs to Y-DNA haplogroup R (very common, especially in the British Isles). There are two lines of German Helms, one belonging to haplogroup I (often indicating Saxon/Norse/Norman ancestry) and one to haplogroup J2 (rare everywhere).

George Frantz Helm is not his son. Georg(e) belongs to the J2 line that probably originates in the Beerfelden area of Hesse, Germany.