Manuscript
In 1819, two blind brothers, Thomas & Daniel LeCompte, sat down in Dorchester County, Maryland with Benjamin Woodward LeCompte, the grandson of their first cousin Moses LeCompte, in order to give an accounting of the descendants of their great-grandparents, the French/English emigrants, Monsieur Anthony & Madame Hester LeCompte. Benjamin was a politically active lawyer living in Cambridge who wished to assist Thomas and Daniel give an affidavit that would ultimately serve as one of the richest sources of family information for generations to come.

Several Transcriptions
Although there may or may not still be an original manuscript in the family, there are, without question, numerous handwritten transcriptions of that original in circulation today. Copies of the original were typically embellished with additional information known to that branch of the family who arranged for the new transcription. And so, you will find manuscripts based on this 1819 affidavit that vary in spelling, punctuation, grammar, word choice, and even completeness, but that all convey essentially the same family tree.

Transcription of 1859 Transcription
The following is a transcription made by Kirkwood Adams LeCompte from a digitally scanned manuscript received from Garnet Anne LeCompte-Spaulding in August of 2001. Garnet's manuscript is an 1859 transcription of an original that was in the home of Chief Justice Samuel Dexter LeCompte of Kansas, who added his own family's information at the end. This 1859 transcription is in the handwriting of Richard T. Bryan, himself a descendant, the nephew of Benjamin Woodward LeCompte. Garnet is herself a direct descendant of Benjamin Woodward LeCompte.

Some of the paragraphing and all of the indentation and boldfacing are that of Kirk LeCompte as an aid to readability, but the content is otherwise preserved without attempt to correct grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

Historical Statement of the LeCompte Family
made by Thomas and Daniel LeCompte in 1819 to Benj. W. LeCompte of Dorchester County, Md. This being a true copy of the same taken from the original in the hands of the Hon. Dexter LeCompte, Chief Justice of Kansas in Leavenworth Kansas by Richard T. Bryan of Maryland at the residence of Judge LeCompte in 1859.

A Short Sketch
The rise and progress of the family of the LeComptes in America, principally in Maryland.

Anthony LeCompte a native of the Province of Picorde (Picardi) in France, on the account of his being a Protestant and was turned out, and his estate confiscated to the Roman clergy, which was a custom at that time, he then fled into England and there took up arms against the King of France, being war at that time between the two nations. So joined the British army and fought eleven years for the King of Great Britain and when the wars were over his name was so great, and for his valor, had him knighted and the title of "Monsieur" (Sir) given to him, and his "coat of arms," also which as we have heard from our ancestor is now in the tower of London, and in the same city came across a french lady by the name of Esther Doatloan and married her there. She also was a Protestant and born in the province of Normandy and turned out on account of her religion.

He then took shipping and came into the Chesapeake Bay and settled on the Potomac River in St. Mary' County, and after hearing of the Great Choptank River being a settling, he and one Horn came in a boat together and viewed the shores up to where we now live. He then took up his lands upon the Bay, which was afterwards called "LeComptes Bay," the tract was called the lands of S^t Anthony and Horne took up the lands of Hornes or Horns Point that belongs to Charles Goldsborough, the two tracts close together.

He then removed his family from the Potomack, and settled upon the Northern side of a creek. That was afterwards called LeComptes Creek, and there being so few whites and they so distant apart, that he was obliged to fort himself in or be cut off by the natives which however he averted by bringing white servants with small arms, ammunition and some cannons, and when surrounded by the savages, would often disperse them by firing guns of most every size and killed some at different times, which was the sole cause of his preservation no doubt.

I now come to the genealogy of Anthony LeCompte.
Anthony LeCompte had six children
four sons + two daughters, which were those, beginning at the eldest
John, Moses, Philip, and Anthony. His daughters were Esther and Catharine.

John, the first, married Nancy Windemere, the daughter of Doctor Windemere that lived at Windemere's Bridge, his children were, John, William, Philemon, James and Robert Windemere, he had one daughter Nancy.

John the second married one Blanche Powel and had John, Charles, Anthony, Philemon and William LeCompte and his daughters was Nancy, Mary, Clare, Esther, Blanche and Elizabeth.

William the second son of the first John from monsieur, married one Smart and Leven LeCompte and Stephen were the descendents of the aforesaid William and some others.

Philemon third son from first John from monsieur, married one Seward and Charles LeCompte at Oyster Shell Point deceased, was his youngest son, and several others as William, James, John, Abram

James the fourth son of the first John married a Mal'et {Editor's Note: often cited as Mallet}and his sons was James, Philemon, Anthony, Charles and Nathan.
The LeComptes in Caroline County as well as James LeCompte overseer of the poor, Samuel LeCompte the "surveyor" are grand-children to the above, the fourth son James, of the first John, from monsieur with other descendants.

Though Robert Windesmere LeCompte married, yet we know of, no descending heirs from him.

John the third married one Sarah Peterkin and had three sons, John, Charles, and James.

Charles second son of John the second, married Sarah Hith over in Talbot County.

Anthony third son of John the second married one Mary Sewell.

Philemon married a Hatfield.

William for his first wife married one Dinah Byus and had three sons and two daughters; the sons was William, Philemon and John; the daughters Sarah and Rebecca the wives of Stephen and Levin LeCompte in Chickamacomico.
The same William for his last wife married Esther LeCompte sister to Oyster Shell Point Charles, and had two sons Charles and Caleb LeCompte.

I now come to the second son of Monsieur LeCompte which is Moses.

Moses when about eighteen or nineteen years began to lose his sight and ? gone about two or three and twenty, the first that lost his sight, after which he married a lady by the name of Skinner, the daughter of old Skinner from England that took up the land that is now owned by Joseph Byus. She by him had eleven children whose names are as follows. The eldest was Phillip who lost his sight. Moses that lost his sight. Thomas also. Peter kept his sight. Samuel lost his. Joseph his. Anthony saved his, and William my father lost his. His daughters was Esther, Nancy and Elizabeth, who all three lost their sight.

Philip first son of Moses the first never married.

Moses the second married on James Island the widow Driver and had one son and three daughters. The son was Moses which we call Moses the third, and daughters was Levinah, Esther and Mary.

Moses the third married a Pattison and had one son and four daughters. The sons was Moses, the daughters Nancy, Esther, Rozamond and Elizabeth.

Levinah first daughter of Moses the second married one William Geoghegan from Dublin.

Also Mary married oneLevin Cator and then a Dove; lastly she married a Day, and by Cator and Dove many descendents and some by Day.

Esther married Matthew Skinner and left no descendents.

Moses the fourth married one Edmonson first and had one daughter thats the wife of Keene, and after her decease Colonel (Moses I suppose) LeCompte married Woodward and had two sons Benjamin and Samuel W. and some daughters.
(Elizabeth, Emily W. and Margaret, added to statement)

Thomas third son of Moses from Monsieur never married.

Peter fourth son of Moses from Monsieur married a Brannock and had four sons. Thomas, Samuel, Peter + Joseph.

The descendents of Peter the second is Peter LeCompte in Blackwater and his relations.

Thomas and Samuel, sons of Peter the first went to sea and never returned.

Joseph fourth son of Peter the first married Elizabeth Sewers and had four sons. Samuel thats living in Tuckahoe Neck, Joseph that lives in Castle Haven Neck, Thomas was killed at sea, and James that died a young man, and three daughters.

I now come to the fifth son of Moses which is Samuel who never married.

Joseph sixth son of Moses the first married a widow Shahawn and had two sons Samuel + Nicholas. Samuel married a Rachel Watts and left sons and daughters, one son Edmond and another Samuel, and Nicholas never married. The family of the Parkers are the descendents of the above Joseph sixth son of Moses from Monsieur.

Anthony seventh son of Moses from Monsieur who kept his sight married a widow Bennett in Talbot County, and had four daughters. Elizabeth, Catharine, Mary and Esther, and from those a number of descendents. His second wife was Blanche LeCompte and by her he had two daughters Sarah and Dolly and from these two a good many descendents.

William the eighth son of Moses from Monsieur married a widow Martin of Talbot County, and had five sons and two daughters. The sons was Philip, Moses, Thomas, Daniel and Isaiah Lecompte, the daughters Mary and Nancy.

Philip never married.

Moses married a Wheeler and had two sons and two daughters, the sons Moses and Hugh, the daughters Mary and Mahala.

Thomas third son of William never married.

Daniel neither.

Isaiah married a Sarah Geoghegan and had three sons, William, Samuel + Isaiah LeCompte.

The daughters of the aforesaid William eighth son of Moses the first was Mary and Nancy. Mary married Thomas Wingate and left descendents.

Nancy married Levin Wingate and also left many descendents.

The above Thomas and Daniel LeCompte the sole proprietors of this statement.

{Editors Note: Mark Raulin has a similar transcription of this document that includes at this point the descendants of Isaiah & Sarah G. LeCompte. Such entries were obviously added by the family arranging for that transcription, which was done in 1869. This transcription does not mention Isaiah's descendants.}

I now come to the daughters of Moses the first from Monsieur.

Esther the eldest never married.

Mary married Arthur Bigby of Talbot County, and had five sons and five daughters as Arthur, Philip, Thomas, Moses and Jonathon Bigby; and his daughters was Esther, Mary, Elisar, Elizabeth and Susannah and from men + women are always large numbers of descendents and some that have lost their sight.

Elizabeth third daughter of Moses from Monsieur married a James Sewers from Philadelphia and had two sons and three daughters whose names are John + James, the daughters Mary, Elizabeth and Susannah and from them many descendents.

Philip third son of Monsieur never married but died under age.

Anthony the fourth son and last son of Monsieur married one Margaret Beckwith and had two sons and one daughter, his sons was Nehemiah and Anthony and his daughter was Margaret.

Nehemiah married one Clara Pool and had three sons and four daughters. His sons was Anthony, Nehemiah and John, his daughters was Margaret, Mary, Elizabeth and Esther.

Anthony second son of Anthony from Monsieur left no issue.

Anthony, Nehemiah's oldest son married one Sarah Skinner and had sons and daughters but they are all are dead and there is no descending heir as we know of from Anthony fourth son of Monsieur now living.

Esther the eldest daughter of Monsieur LeCompte married one Henry Fox of Talbot County near where S^t Michaels now stands and had two daughters Esther and Mary and then Fox died and then she married William Skinner and had three sons William, Philemon and Thomas Skinner.

Esther, her oldest daughter by Fox married John Leeds of Talbot County and from her we know of no issue.

Her other daughter Mary married one Joseph Hopkins of the same county and from her a great family of Hopkins have issued.

The three sons of Esther Skinner daughter of Monsieur all married and from them have arisen a great number of descendents in Talbot and in Dorchester County.

{Editor's Note: The original transcriber, R. T. Bryan, inserted some additional notes about the Leeds family from his own manuscript at this point. I have yet to transcribe these additional notes.}

We next proceed to Catherine, Monsieur's second daughter.

Catherine, Monsieur's second daughter married one James Culins from Annapolis and she by him had three sons whose names are John, William and James. He then died.

John nor James never married, but

William married one Sarah Pool and from him there is descendants now living,

and the widow Culins daughter of Monsieur married Thomas Bruff and settled in Cambridge.

She had one daughter by Bruff by the name of Margaret, who married John Woolford and had five sons and one daughter. The sons was John, James, William, Robert and Levin; the daughter was Mary who married Capt. Robert Hewing and left no descendents that we know of. John, James nor William never married.

Robert married Elizabeth LeCompte daughter of Charles LeCompte of Castle Haven Neck, and had one daughter named Elizabeth who married Capt. Solomon Frazier.

John Woolfords last son Levin, that lived at Shoal Creek, had two wives. His last was a Woodard. He has some daughters and one son. His sons name was John, and so much for the children of Monsieur LeCompte.

{Editors Note: Mark Raulin has a similar transcription of this document that includes at this point the descendants Moses & Mary Shearman. Moses being a son of Moses & Elizabeth Wheeler (not Philip as identified in Raulin's manuscript). That family is not mentioned in this manuscript, but is included in a descendant tree report by Kirk LeCompte.}

We will now conclude by observing that Monsieur LeCompte,
though he was turned out of France because of his religion and then braved the wars of France and England and in London found his lady (wife) and came and settled in America: still after this there hath arisen the most numerous family from him, than any other man perhaps crossed the ocean, which naturally implies that he was in favor both with God and man: as some other families are extinct and gone, and not one to keep up the name; while there is hundreds of people who dont bear the name of LeCompte, that is as near in blood as some that bear the name, and in that have heard + kept this intelligence are blind men too.

Now Moses, the first from Monsieur was the first that lost his sight and he had eleven children, nine of which lost their sight, which was a great part, and but since, by blind men and women marrying into other families, the proportion is much less, as from more than two thirds to less than one third: and as their gifts + and talents are more + greater than those that could see, both men and women. That women of other families are commonly more attached to them that had not their sight than to those that could see; also that men of other families were more attached to the women that lost their sight. Marrying into other families is the cause of so many blind people being in their families.

Since Moses the first that lost his sight there have been two and forty and now in year 1819 there is nineteen living in Dorchester and Talbot of different families and names. Now some foolish people have thought that this misfortune befel us on the account of the wickedness of their ancestors, but how different it is from truth, reason + scripture. For our Lord said "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but out of these we will deliver them all, for whom he loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son that he receiveth.

Read the ninth Chapter of Johns Gospel, part of which is as follows:
"And as Jesus passed by he saw a man which was blind from his birth and his disciple asked him saying "Master who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind?" Jesus answered "neither hath this man sinned nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest on him. I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world and when he had thus spoken He spat upon the ground and made clay of the spittle and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay and said unto him, go wash in the pool of Siloam which is by interpretation sent! he went his way therefore and washed and came seeing.

Finis!

{Editors Note: The next page in the manuscript is an endnote that is connected to a matching symbol inserted in the original where the descendants of James LeCompte, son of John first from Monsieur, are mentioned. It appears that the writing is that of Richard T. Bryan, or perhaps Judge Samuel Dexter LeCompte himself. See orginal scan.}

Samuel LeCompte the Surveyor
married for his first wife a Miss Price, who by him had one son Edward P. LeCompte. And for his second wife a widow Araminta Smoot; her maiden name being Frazier; who by him had the following children Samuel Dexter LeCompte, Henrietta Maria, Araminta Sarah, and Margaret Elizabeth.

Edward P. LeCompte married Miss White of Cambridge Maryland in 1829. Was at the time of his death Clerk of Dorchester County Court. He died in 1843.

Samuel Dexter LeCompte at this time Chief Justice of Kansas Territory appointed October 3d, 1854, married Miss Camilla Anderson 28th day of April 1841 at Todd's Point Dorchester County Md. They have now living Samuel Edward, Eugene Dexter, Edward Palmer, Alice Emily (since dead), Camilla Araminta, James Trippe LeCompte.

Henrietta Maria LeCompte married about 1837 to Joseph R. Eccleston. They removed to Iowa, and settled near Keokuk, in 1852, where they died in 1853, leaving Edward Noel, Rebecca Henrietta, Ellen Araminta, Samuel Dexter, Sophia and William Washington.

Araminta L. and Margaret are unmarried.

Edward W. the son of Edward P. married in 1853 Elizabeth Wall.