Capt. James Leonard was born on 11 May 1677 in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts.
1 He and
Hannah Walley were married on 28 February 1699 in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts.
2 He and
Lydia Gulliver were married on 14 December 1726 in Milton, Massachusetts. He and
Sarah Butterworth were married on 11 June 1739 in Swansea, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He and
Mercy Crossman were married on 1 June 1743 in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He died on 16 January 1764 at age 86 in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He was buried at Neck 'o Land Cemetery in Taunton, Massachusetts.
He was chosen a representative to Boston in 1719, 1726, 1733, 1739, and 1740. He was a Selectman in 1717, 1720, 1736, and 1743.
ECL: The eldest son that lived was the first child of his second wife, Lydia Gulliver. He was brought up to learn the bloomer's art. At 21 he married Hannah Walley Stone. Within about six weeks of his marriage he bought out his uncle Uriah's share in the Whittenton Forge and mine and the homestead of 30 acres and two dwelling houses and barn with 40 acres that Uriah had bought of John Austin, together with a 14 acre lot on the west side of Mr. Farwell's lot and 20 acres at Rumford near John Hodges, Jr., saving on-half acres that had been sold to Benjamin Leonard and the Smith shop, all for 300 pounds current money. This gave him one-half of the Old Hearth and one-third of the New Hearth at which his uncle Benjamin worked. Evidence of thrift began to exhibit itself. In 1712 he bought on this homestead 26 acres with house and ore chard of Joseph Gray, and he is called Ensign James Leonard in the deed. In 1722 he buys 50 acres of land of Samuel Smith in Norton, in which deed he is styled as Lieutenant James Leonard. In 1733 he bought of Isaac and Ralph Chapman of Yarmouth (they were his first cousins, sons of his aunt Rebecca), their right in 61 and 64 divisions in Taunton and is styled as Captain in the deeds. About 1720 or 1721 he made a purchase in the east precinct of Norton, now Easton, of a forge and land and placed his son Eliphalet in charge. This was the beginning of the ironworks there, and it developed into the great Ames works. In 1733 James bought of Thomas Danforth, braiser, of Taunton the property that his cousin Edward Leonard had mortgaged to the trustees, which Lothrop says he bought of Joseph Leonard in October 1733. In 1737 he leased to his son-in-law Thomas Cobb for ten years one-half of the ironworks at Whittenton, the East Hearth, with liberty of building a hearth of his own, and one-third part of a third hearth in case he should see cause and build an additional coal house. In 1736 he bought the Barney lot and in October 1739 he sold it to Thomas Cobb.
(Some later dealings with Thomas Cobb triggered a lawsuit, too complicated to explain here (see ECL's manuscript, pp. 73-78).)
ECL: In February 1749 he gave his eldest son James one-half of his homestead at Whittenton, the southerly half comprising about 200 acres. He had already given Elizabeth 3/4 of the Easton forge dwelling house and lands. On April 12, 1750, he gave his son Jonathan the northerly part of his homestead, about 200 acres embracing what was later called the Morey Farm. In 1728 he had given to his daughter Mehitable Willis 44 acres of land in Easton as part of her portion. The other half he sold to her husband John (or Joseph) Willis. In the meantime her husband died, and she married again a Perry of Easton (Nathaniel), to whom in 1763 he gave to her and her son Nathaniel 50 acres of land partly in Norton and partly in Easton. And to Mehitable and her son James who was then dwelling with her, a tract in Taunton near Watson's Pond called Ginney of about 85 acres. In May 1757 for 62 pounds and love and affection he sold the westernmost hearth of Whittenton Forge to his grandson, James Leonard. On April 17 1760, he gave the other half to his eldest son James, so that the old forge had gone in regular line. In 1763 he gave Capt. Eliphalet another 100 acres in Norton. Finally, on January 16, 1764, for 200 pounds he sold to his son Jonathan two tracts of land in Taunton, one lot he bought of Charles West adjoining the land of Lt. William Leonard, with the dwelling house thereon and a piece of land adjointing that was granted to him on Isaac Chapman's right and about 40 acres at Cedar Swamp next near Samuel Smith's, reserving two leases he gave to Samuel Smith and Samuel Smith, Jr. This 200 pound was to pay or be divided equally between his sister Mary Thayer, Jerusa Hodges, and Elizabeth Harvey. In all his conveyances he does not mention his daughter Hannah, wife of Samuel Pratt, or Sarah, wife of Thomas Danforth. And now at the ripe old age of 87, he finished his march and lay down to sleep..."
"On 14 January 1736 several of the men of Taunton met in the red school house on Neck o' Land and organized for the establishment of a town on the west bank of the Connecticut River. It was first called Township No. 1, then New Taunton. In 1752 it became Westminster, VT." The Eddy Family in America, 1930, p. 887. Among the organizers: Thos. Clap, Josiah Lincoln, Thos. Lincoln 3rd, David Cobb, Joseph Eddy, Nathaniel Caswell, Capt. James Leonard, William Leonard. Did Lt. James become Capt. James, like his father? Which William Leonard was this? Capt. James Leonard had person sources.
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