Bradsport.com - Leonard Genealogy
Leonard Genealogy - and Iron In America
As noted (Leonard Y-DNA), y-dna analysis has proven that there are a number of separate and distinct Leonard lines. We did not descend from the same common ancestor in the past 20,000 years. Surnames came into use about the year 1200 AD in England. It is likely that Leonard or some variation on it (e.g., Leonhard in Germany) was chosen as a family surname from St. Leonard who lived about 500 AD and was the patron saint of slaves, prisoners, and horses. In medieval times, saints days were celebrated. Individuals celebrated the day of the saint after whom they were named much like we celebrate birthdays today. Churches were named after saints, such as St. Leonard's Church in Bilston, England, as were local landmarks (e.g., St Leonard’s Forest in Sussex, England), and in some cases, the Leonard surname may have been picked up from the local church or landmark. Consequently, Leonard surname lines emerged across the breadth of Christendom.
Below are some of the Leonard lines and branches identified in my family research to date:
Read the Overview of my Leonard Project to understand the scope and issues in this undertaking.
Read the pages on Genetic Genealogy for explanation and clarification of terms.
Read the Preface to George Marston Leonard's major research work on the James Leonard line.
Leonard Origins - is a discussion of the origins of the Leonards in Massachussetts
Iron Leonards - those whose origins seem to have been in the ironworking and iron refining trade. Y-dna test results for Leonards in this group are in haplogroup J2.
Leonards and Iron - paper on Leonards and the refining of iron.
Iron in America - pictures illustrating the development of Iron manufacturing in America. Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Saugus, MA and The Anchor Forge (original James Leonard Iron Works in Raynham, MA).
Descendants of James Leonard, 1620-1691, of Taunton, MA through 11 generations
Descendants of Henry Leonard, 1618-1674, of MA and NJ through 8 generations
Descendants of Seth Leonard, 1729-1774, of Bridgewater, MA through 5 generations
Descendants of John Leonard, 1615-1676, of Springfield, MA through 9 generations
Descendents of George Leonard, born about 1746 through 6 generations
Descendents of Job Strong Leonard, 1740-1821 through 6 generations
Descendents of Elijah Leonard, 1753 of Lenox, MA through 3 generations
Descendents of John Leonard, 1725 of Birmingham, England through 8 generations
Descendants of William Leonard , ca. 1685, of Bridgewater, MA. Y-dna results for Leonards in this group are in haplogroup R1b (link)
Descendants of Solomon Leonard, ca. 1615-1670, of Duxbury, MA. Y-dna test results for Leonards in this group are in haplogroup I2b.
Descendants of Justus Leonard, 1758-1840, of Stephentown, NY, through 5 generations
Descendants of Charles Carroll Leonard, b. 1819 MA, d. 1869 IL,
Unplaced Leonards who may be branches of one of the above or separate lines. Please notify me if you know their origins. .
Descendants of Constantine Leonard, b. 1754, NJ, d. abt. 1798, PA, m. Eliz. Hamilton through 6 generations
Descendants of Jonas Leonard, b. 1774 Amsterdam, NY, m. Julia Gould through 5 generations
Descendants of James Leonard, b. abt. 1809, Butternuts, NY, d. abt. 1880, PA, m. Ruth Clark through 4 generations
Descendents of Ebenezer Leonard, b 1757, Birdgewater, MA, resided in Burlington, NY through 4 generations
Descendents of Samuel Leonard, b. 1757 in NJ through 5 generations
English Leonards
Descendants of the Bristol, Somerset/Gloucester, Leonards. Y-dna=haplogroup R1b. Data to be added in 2014.
Descendants of the Leonards of Castle Camp, Cambridgeshire, James Leonard, 1698, through 5 generations
Descendants of James Leonard, 1760, Gloucestershire, m. Ann Bowen, through 5 generations
Descendants of Thomas Leonard, b. 1650 Thornbury, Gloucestershire, m. Sarah, through 5 generations
Unplaced English Leonards of the 1500’s-1600’s-1700’s
Line of Descent of Sampson Lennard (The Lord Dacre line)
Welsh Leonards. Data to be added in 2014
Scotch Leonards
Descendants of Robert Leonard and his two brothers. Y-dna = haplogroup R1b, Data to be added in 2014
Irish Leonards
Descendants of Joseph S. Leonard, 1730-, of PA and NC , through 4 generations
Descendants of Patrick Leonard, 1740-1822, of NJ, PA, and KY , through 4 generations
German Leonards
Descendants of Valentin John Paul Leonhard, 1718-1781, of PA and NC, through 6 generations
Descendants of Friedrich Karl Leonhard, b. 1757, of PA and VA, through 3 generations
Swiss Leonards
Descendants of George Leonard, b. abt.1685, d. abt. 1729 PA, m. Christian, through 8 generations
French/Belgian Leonards. Data to be added in 2014.
These are not all the Leonard lines. There are many more to be discovered and researched.
What would be helpful to all would be the identification of the y-dna haplogroup and subclade of each of these lines, as well as the Y-STR pattern of markers for each branch of a line. That information would make it possible for direct male Leonard descendants to narrow the range of possibilities as to their ancestry to focus their family research.