Leake and Watts Orphanage - 1831 - John George Leake (1752–1827), a wealthy New York lawyer with no children or siblings, left his fortune to Robert Watts, the son of his close friend John Watts, on the condition that Watts change his name to Robert Leake. When Watts died unexpectedly without a will, the inheritance became uncertain. Among Leake’s papers, however, was an unsigned draft of a will expressing his wish to use his fortune to establish a home for orphaned children, with John Watts overseeing it. Watts petitioned the court to honor this intention, and the money was ultimately released for the orphanage, while Leake’s real estate was retained by New York State. The resulting institution, Leake and Watts Services, was originally located at Trinity Church and became an important early effort to provide care for orphaned children in New York.

During the Revolution it was common for many people to be caught between their loyalties to the The Crown and to the Patriot cause.  Watts was theson of a Loyalist who ended up moving back to England.  Their properties were seized and he had to buy them back.  He went on to serve Washington, in the House of Representatives and used his wealth to found the first orphanage.