Shelby County OHGenWeb

Leicester Nichols Submitted by Gene Dulin All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner.

Leicester Nichols was born December 12, 1793, son of Francis & Lucy (Bishop) Nichols of New England. The 1850 Federal Census (Jackson twp, Shelby County, OH) lists Leicester's place of birth as "Vermont." Leicester was a younger brother of Jonathan Nichols who also served in the war of 1812 and whose exploits have been previously described in this album. On August 11, 1812, Leicester enlisted in the 1st Ohio Militia Regiment of Volunteer Riflemen and was assigned to the Company of Capt. Asa Hinkle. His enlistment took place at the town of reading, Sycamore Township, Hamilton County, OH, near the city of Cincinnati. Capt. Hinkle's Company consisted of about 60 volunteers and, among them, were seven other "ancestors" including Leicester's older brother, Prosper Nichols. The remaining six ancestors were all members of the "Redinbo" family whose exploits are described elsewhere in this album. Leicester served with Capt. Hinkle for the six-month term of his enlistment and was mustered out with his company of February 11, 1813, at the Auglaize County, OH, town of St. Marys at which time Leicester returned to his home at Reading, OH. Leicester then reenlisted at Reading on April 1, 1814, in the 2nd Ohio Militia regiment and was assigned to the Company of Capt. Enoch Gest. This second enlistment was a "substitute" for one Isaac Wilkinson (whose surname can also be found recorded as "Wickersham"). "Substitution" had been a common practice from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War and consisted of paying another man to serve in your place. Being "drafted" formerly meant that you were responsible for seeing to it that an able-bodied "soldier" showed up at the time and place of your "mustering in." That obligation could be satisfied either by showing up yourself or by paying somebody else to do so. Leicester served with Capt. Gest until the end of the war and was mustered out with his company at Ft. Meigs (Perrysburg, OH) on january 1, 1815. Leicester's National Archives military file indicates that he was paid at the rate of $8 per month for his War of 1812 service. A subsequent act of Congress also awarded him a parcel of "bounty land" for his service. Following the war, Leicester married Rebecca Mount on March 16, 1815, in the town of Reading. Leicester and Rebecca moved ot jackson Township, Shelby County, OH, and then moved once more to the village of Fletcher in Brown Township, Miami County, OH. The 1850 Federal Census listed Leicester's occupation as "farmer." The couple had at least five children: Joseph born about 1818, William F. born about 1830, John born about 1832, Ann born about 1835, and Rebecca born about 1837. Leicester died August 18, 1875, at his home in the village of Fletcher and was buried at Fletcher Cemetery. Rebecca, who survived Leicester by three years, received a "Widow's Pension" at the rate of $8 per month until her death on September 4, 1878. She was also buried at Fletcher Cemetery, Brown Township, miami County, OH.

Genealogical Ties to Shelby County for Leicester Nichols

Appears on the 1850 Federal Census for Jackson Twp, Shelby County, OH.

Appears on National Archives bounty-land warrant file for "Leicester Nichols" in which widow, Rebecca, states that Leicester and she lived in Shelby County from 1850-1855.

Appears on Miami County Cemetery Records as having been buried at Fletcher Cemetery, Brown twp, Miami County, OH. Grave marker never located.