Folk Figure. Born Ann Leah Fox in Rockland County, New York, the eldest child of John David and Margaret Smith Fox. About 1827, after her parents had been separated for some time, she left her mother's house and married Bowman Fish; he abandoned her after having at least one daughter together, sometime within the next three years. With the advent of her sisters, Catherine and Margaretta's, fame in the world of spiritualism in 1848, she too claimed ability as a medium, and made a place for herself in the movement. She took charge of the younger sisters and toured with them, holding séances in western New York and Ohio. She married again in September 1851 to a long time friend, Calvin Brown; they moved to Manhattan the following year where they held regular séances when her younger sisters were not touring. Brown died in May of 1853 and was interred at Mt Hope in Rochester, New York. She married again some five years later to fellow spiritualist Daniel Underhill, and retired from holding public séances. They adopted one daughter together. In 1888, she denounced her sister Catherine's alcoholism and ability as a parent. She was in turn accused of exploitation by her sisters during their denouncement of spiritualism. Leah absented herself from the controversy her sisters had initiated by their confession of fraud, and maintained her lifestyle without reference to their past. She died as a result of an inflammation of the heart, at home in New York City at the age of 77.

Folk Figure. Born Ann Leah Fox in Rockland County, New York, the eldest child of John David and Margaret Smith Fox. About 1827, after her parents had been separated for some time, she left her mother's house and married Bowman Fish; he abandoned her after having at least one daughter together, sometime within the next three years. With the advent of her sisters, Catherine and Margaretta's, fame in the world of spiritualism in 1848, she too claimed ability as a medium, and made a place for herself in the movement. She took charge of the younger sisters and toured with them, holding séances in western New York and Ohio. She married again in September 1851 to a long time friend, Calvin Brown; they moved to Manhattan the following year where they held regular séances when her younger sisters were not touring. Brown died in May of 1853 and was interred at Mt Hope in Rochester, New York. She married again some five years later to fellow spiritualist Daniel Underhill, and retired from holding public séances. They adopted one daughter together. In 1888, she denounced her sister Catherine's alcoholism and ability as a parent. She was in turn accused of exploitation by her sisters during their denouncement of spiritualism. Leah absented herself from the controversy her sisters had initiated by their confession of fraud, and maintained her lifestyle without reference to their past. She died as a result of an inflammation of the heart, at home in New York City at the age of 77.

Bio by: Iola