"Perhaps someone who has access to the Lydd Parish Registers would be kind enough to see how many Mary Leeds were born around 1760/1770 in Lydd, Kent as this may be of assistance in clarifying this problem."
The Leeds name did not arrive in Lydd (from High Halden) until mid 18th century, when John Leeds who had settled in nearby Brookland married (1) Elizabeth Kite in Lydd 1855 - they were married 12 years before her "firstborn" child Elizabeth is recorded in 1867 that child died 1771, her mother died 1770. John L married (2) Mary Baker in Lydd 1772. They had a daughter Mary (I haven't found a baptism for her but many of the Lydd entries in 18th century are missing or illegible) he also had daughter-in-law Mary of around the same age who was married to son William and she had their only legitimate son William who died age 8, however, William Snr. started having his 8 children by Elizabeth George within about 4 years so either of those Marys could be having the illegitimate children. Any other Mary Leeds at that time was not born in Lydd, although later some were born in early 1800s, but there were linked families in other villages, for example Marden, who had the odd Mary. On IGI there is an Elizabeth born 1783 to a Mary Leeds, but this doesn't fit potential age of John Leeds' daughter Mary unless she was pregnant v.v. young and I have no other information on this one. Is she the same or yet another? There is also an entry for a son of John and wife's name given as ANN but this must be a transcription error because it was during the 9 year period of John's second marriage to Mary Baker with children being born on dates either side.
My money is on an unmarried Mary of Lydd having a series of liaisons, but I have not been able to find records to prove it without any doubt. There are bastardy settlements against Brackenbury and Impett. Although John Leeds witnessed and signed the document, this may not have been in his capacity as a grandfather of the illegitimate child as he was also an Overseer of the Poor and a Juror. Unfortunately he did not leave a will when he died in 1799 which could have helped , unlike his son William who proved his paternity of his 8 Leeds-George children baptised at Lydd.
There are Lydd burials for Marys, one is John's 2nd wife in 1781, one is probably for the Mary counted at William's home in 1841 who died later that year and for whom age at death matches, although no relationship is given so it is not clear whether this was his legal wife or his sister. Elizabeth George, his partner of 20 odd years died in 1824 soon after the birth and baptism of her child Mary, I haven't found any further record for this infant.
