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Pilgrim Village Families Sketch: Edward Leister

Robert Charles Anderson

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Birth: Edward Leister was born in England.

Death: His place and date of death are unknown.

Ship: Mayflower, 1620

Life in England: Nothing is known of his life in England.

Life in New England: Edward Leister, along with Edward
Doty, came to Plymouth Colony as servant to Stephen Hopkins.
The two servants committed the second offence in the colony,
a duel fought “upon a challenge at single combat with sword
and dagger.” Both were wounded, although not seriously, and
were punished by having their head and feet tied together.
Leister was included in the land division of 1623, but his name
does not appear in the division of cattle held in Plymouth
Colony in May 1627, so he had left the colony by then.William
Bradford in his history of the colony wrote that “after he was at
liberty, went to Virginia and there died.” His name does not
appear, however, in either of the two lists of Virginia inhabitants
compiled in February 1623/4 and February 1624/5.

Family: As a servant, Edward Leister was most likely unmarried.