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Eighth Generation
3206. Elijah
LEONARD , Jr. was born on 10 Sep 1814 near Syracuse, NY.
He died on 14 May 1891 in London, Ontario, Canada. Memoir of Elijah
Leonard, Jr. of London, Ontario, Canada
"My father came from the old Leonard stock at Taunton, MA, having beenborn
at or near that place May 1, 1787. My grandfather's name wasSamuel, and because
there were several Samuel Leonards there at the sametime, my grandfather was
called Black Sam. My grandmother was Mary(Sarah) Williams.
I remember them both, as when I was young, my grandparents made theirhome with
us at a place called Constantia, NY. My grandfather was aworker in iron. In
1870 I visited Taunton and was shown the locality ofthe Leonard Forge. The motive
power was an overshot wheel, the shaft ofwhich extended out with cams attached
that drove the trip hammers. Atthis time the Forge was employed in making ships
anchors. As near as Ican recall, the story is that my father ran away from home
before he hadcompleted his apprenticeship and going through Vermont made his
way tothe vicinity of Lake George where no doubt he engaged in the manufactureof
iron, as that locality was and is famous for its iron manufacture.
My mother Polly Stone was born March 25, 1793, and I know little moreaboout here
except that she met my father in that locality and they weremarried October 31,
1811. They shortly afterwards came to live atSyracuse, NY, or near there and
purchased a farm. My eldest brother,myself, and Lyman were born in this place
Sept. 2, 1813, September 10,1814, and March 16, 1816 respectively.
Farming did not seem to suit my father's views, and we moved to a placecalled
Taburg, north of Syracuse, and he engaged in the iron businessthere. Our next
move was to Constantia, NY, where my father purchased afurnace from a New York
firm and carried on a large business but gettinginto a dispute with the owners
he unfortunately went to law. His casewas particularly successful, but the suit
was expensive that shortlyafterward he failed and he went back to the farm near
Syracuse.
In 1829 my father and brother Lewis went to Long Point, Norfolk County,Canada,
to take charge of Messrs. Joseph and Benjamin Van Norman's IronFoundry at Normandale.
In 1830 he returned for the rest of he family.The Normandale Furnace was established
by an Englishman named Capron --it did not pay so he sold it to the Van Normans.
The furnace consistedof a stack or brick chimney about thirty feet high and
five feet "bosh"built on the side of a hill. Motive power was obtained
from a fairstream of water running through the village which kept in motion anovershot
wheel about 14 feet in diameter that in turn drove a doublepiston bellows by
means of cranks. The charcoal was made back in thebush and the iron ore came
from a swamp about .7 mile west. My fatherhad charge of the works and directed
the mixing of the ore and charcoalin the top house. The material was dumped
into the furnace by barrowsand the iron when melted ran down into a hearth about
2 feet wide andfive feet long. Into this receptacle we dipped our ladles and
carriedoff the product directly to the flasks. When in full blast we took offtwo
heats in 24 hours consisting of plows, stoves, kettles, sleigh shoes,and all
kinds of castings. At this time Normandale was a thriving placeand the furnace
employed about 400 men directly or indirectly, gettingout and teaming the ore,
burning the charcoal, working about the furnace,and attending the mercantile
part of the business. The ore used was bogore. The supply lasted a good while
but finally played out and thefurnace was abandoned in 1853.
My brother, Lyman, and myself learned the trade of moulding atNormandale, and
Lewis was clerk. I looked about to start a furnace orbusiness of my own and
finally settled at St. Thomas. I formed apartnership with my father and Phil
Van Norman. Our capital was $150. Iremoved to London, Ontario, in 1838 and
started the Elijah Leonard andSons Iron Company."
Elijah Leonard, Jr., became a prominent man in Canada. He learned thetrade of
iron moulder at Normandale, Canada, and moved to London, Canada,in 1838 and established
the Leonard Foundry. He was a director of theLondon and Port Stanley Railway.
He was town councilman, London,1854-56, mayor in 1857, and was elected to the
Legislative Council of theProvince of Canada in 1862 until Confederation, then
called to theSenate. He was a member of the Liberal Party. He married EmelineWoodman,
daughter of Elijah Crocker and Alphiah Woodman of Buxton, ME. Emeline
WOODMAN was born on 29 Aug 1819 in Buxton, ME. Elijah LEONARD
, Jr. and Emeline WOODMAN had the following children:
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