General Notes

There is uncertainty as to when and how James Leonard first came to Americ
a. Norecords have surfaced that clearly prove when and how “our” James Leo
nard cameto America, nor whether he came with his brother Henry or other b
rothers.
Probably James and his young family (and his older brother Henry) were iro
nworkers in the Bilston, Staffordshire, area prior to their immigration. B
ilston became a center of the "Black Country" iron industry. Apparently, t
he Leonards left a claim to the ownership of some heavily mortgaged ironwo
rks there,moving onas the mining districts became less productive. Yea
rs later (1821?)an ironworker in Bilston by the name of James Leonard se
nt a letter to JamesLeonard, ironworker in or near Taunton, MA stating th
at the extensive iron works there in Bilston belonged to the Leonards. T
he Leonards in Taunton decided not to undertake the expense of an extend
ed suit to regain the works. The Leonards appear also to have been involv
ed in some of the ironworks in Somersetshire, England, andPontypool, Monmo
uthshire, Wales, as well.
The Land Patent Books of Virginia, Book 1, page 23, shows Robert Bennett g
ranted 700 acres...for transportationof 14 persons, including James Leonar
d, June 26, 1635. One theory is that James came first to Virginia, th
en to Maryland, then to Providence, then to Lynn. Source: The Leonard Dict
ionary, Volume III (manuscript). Duplicate record August18, 1637. Anoth
er source is Charles Edward Banks' "Topographical Dictionary of2885 Engli
sh Emigrants to New England 1620-1650,"Baltimore, Genealogical Publishi
ng Co., 1963, 3rd edition, p. 148, citing Various References: NEGR 5/10
4. .“Our” James would have been rather young then to have been import
ed as a skilled ironworker to set up an ironworks in Virginia or Marylan
d. But it could havebeen another member of the same Leonard family – an un
cle or a cousin.
Another theory is that he and his brother Henrywere recruited by John Win
throp and his son to start an ironworks in Massachusetts Bay Colony. Appar
ently, employees and recruits of John Winthrop were sometimes not list
ed as passengers, since they were not paying passengers on those particul
ar vessels crossing the Atlantic.
Records do show that he arrived before 1651 from Pontypool, Wales, althou
gh some sources say he first came to Providence, RI, in 1645. He was pa
id for bringing his goods from Providence by the Lynn/Saugus Ironwor
ks in 1651. On January 10, 1645/6 in Providence, 25 acres of land were gra
nted to a number of inhabitants, including James Leonard, but his name h
ad been crossed out. Rice Leonard, who may have been a relative, appea
rs in the records of nearby Rehobeth, Plymouth Colony, in 1643(Source: Le
onard Bliss, History of Rehobeth, Boston:Otis, Broaders, & Co., 1836, p. 2
6ff). Other references refer to a Mr. Leonard(for example, in June 1644, s
hares were drawn up for a division of the land between the plain and the t
own and included a Mr. Leonard), who was probably Rice, but could have be
en someone else. Rice Leonard died without male issue, and his origins don
’tappear to have been researched.
James Leonard was but a short time at the Saugus Ironworks and at Braintr
ee for a longer time. At sale of
the Braintree works, he became a partner. With the invitation from Taunto
n, he moved there,erected a forge and furnace, and continued as masterwor
kman, a position he held for the rest of his life. He conveyed the two hea
rths at Taunton to his sons, Thomas and James, and they in turn conveyed t
hem to their sons.He purchased a lot on Mill River and erected a one-hear
th forge, which he called Whittinton Forge. His son Joseph was the masterw
orkman at Whittinton Forge. His two other sons, Benjamin and Uriah, were a
lso trained as "bloomers." About 1682James Leonard built a house for hims
elf a short distance from the Taunton (Raynham) Ironworks on the north si
de of the road