According to various records, James' family can be traced back to a John Leonard, bornin 1479, who lived in Knole, County Kent, England. Also, we have information of relationships as follows: "February 2, 1732/3, Hannah Dean, sister of Capt. James Leonard (2nd son of James) gave the following account of her relatives: First her great-grandfather was Henry Leonard, her grandfather was Thomas Leonard, and her father was James Leonard, her grandmother's name was White, her mother's name was Martin. James, her father, lived and died in Taunton. Hannah's borthers were Thomas, James, Joseph, Benjamin, John, and Uriah, and her sisters were Abigail and Rebecca." James Leonard of Taunton, Massachusetts, Ironmaster (from the Research and Manuscripts of Elisha Clark Leonard and G. Marston Leonard.)

James and his family came to America in 1645 from Pontypool, Monmouthshire (now Gwent), Wales and settled first in Lynn, Massachusetts and then in Taunton, Massachusetts. He was an iron-worker and in 1652 he and his brother, Henry, "set up a bloomery on Two Mile river," this bing the first forge for the manufacture of iron in Taunton.

James was a friend of the Indian Chief, King Philip, often entertaining him at his home. In October of 1665, King Philip conveyed about 250 acres of land at Mattapoisett Neck in Swansea to James. Tradition says that it was because of this friendship that, at the outbreak of King Philip's War, King Philip gave strict orders that his men were never to harm a Leonard, and conjecture says that because of this, Taunton was not attacked during the war.

James Leonard could not read or write when he came to America but he was able to amass property amounting to 500 pounds during his lifetime.

James and his wife Mary (Martin) Leonard had nine children, places of birth unknown, but the older children were born probably in Wales and some of the younger children were born probably in Taunton, MA:

• Thomas, b. 3 Aug. 1641; m. Mary Watson.
• James, b. ca. 1643.
• Abigail, m. John Kingsley.
• Rebecca, m. Isaac Chapman.
• Joseph, b. ca. 1655; m. Mary Black.
• Benjamin, m. Sarah Thrasher.
• Hannah, b. Isaac Deane.
• John.
• Uriah, b. 10 July 1662; m. Elizabeth Caswell.

Uriah was fired upon by the Indians when he was 13 years old while riding his horse to the forge, but was not hurt. He learned the bloomers trade as a young man and made his living in that trade. At the time of his father's death, he received a half interest in the Whittenton Forge and the dwelling house there. About 30 acres went with the dwelling and he was to pay his step-mother 600 pounds of iron, or about $30, per year.

After working at the forge for about 8 years, he sold his interest to his nephew, James. Uriah then moved 3 miles northeast of Prospect Hill and settled down to farming. Having given his eldest son, Uriah, Jr., a tract of land earlier, he sold 20+ acres of his homestead to his son, William, in 1737, and 25+ acres to his son, James, in 1739.

Uriah and his wife Elizabeth (Caswell) Leonard had eight children, all born in Taunton, MA:

• Uriah, Jr., b. 10 April 1686; m. Abigail Stone.
• William, b. ca. 1688; m. Anna Barney.
• Elizabeth, b. ca. 1690; m. Joseph Atherton.
• Margaret, b. ca. 1692; m. Joseph White.
• Seth, b. ca. 1694; m. Deborah Hall.
• Jonathan.
• James, m. Mary Deane.
• Philip, b. ca. 1694; was accidently killed by his brother, William, on 13 Nov. 1695.

Uriah Leonard, Jr. was in Dorchester, MA, in 1724, then went to Stoughton, MA, where he had a forge there on Washington St. at Massapoag Brook in Canton.

Uriah, Jr. and his wife Abigail (Stone) Leonard had six children, all listed in the Canton-Stoughton, MA, Vital Records:

• Joanna, b. 22 March 1709; m. John Liscomb.
• Abigail, b. in March of 1711; m. (1) Daniel Pettengill, Jr.; m. (2) James Clark.
• Hannah, b. 22 March 1713; d. 1 June 1730.
• Uriah, b. 9 Nov. 1715; m. Elizabeth Farley.
• Nathaniel, b. 17 March 1717; m. (1) Mary Shepard; m. (2) Jerusha (Fenno) Wentworth.
• Walley, b. 18 Aug. 1720; m. Meridith Lyon.