As with all the pictures, click to view full size
The Leach family coat of arms
The Leach surname is another occupational patronym. It was given to people who practiced medicine, such as it was. Doctors were referred to as leachs/leechs because of their use of them to bleed patients.
The Leach family is a sept of the MacBeth or MacDonald clan.
Although there isn't a direct family connection like the Porter, Fisher, Sadler or Craigs, the Leach/Leech family (I have both spellings) has a unique place in our history so I have included the little bit of information I have.
County Wexford and it's relative place in the UK
It starts in Wexford, Ireland, not sure if it is the county or the town, with William Leach. He was born in 1750 and married Anne Edwards, born 1752, from Wicklow. Together they had eight children,
George 1778
William Henry 1780
James 1783
Elizabeth 1786
Susan May 27, 1788
Anne
Esther
Samuel 1798
William was killed in the battle of Vinegar Hill in 1798, one of many Irish uprisings.
George 1778
William Henry 1780
James 1783
Elizabeth 1786
Susan May 27, 1788
Anne
Esther
Samuel 1798
William was killed in the battle of Vinegar Hill in 1798, one of many Irish uprisings.
Landscape shot of the site of the battle of Vinegar Hill
Susan Leach married James Lucas, June 5, 1782-March 8 1844, of Kilkenney. Their daughter Maria Lucas was born in 1813 in Carlow. The family emigrated to Canada around 1815 and their daughter Maria married Robert Lewis Nov. 14, 1833 in Ontario.
Maria and Robert Lewis' daughter Anne was born May 5, 1852 in Ontario. The family is not in the 1851 Beckwith census, so I'm not sure where they settled. On April 14, 1875, she married John Porter. Their daughter Maria Lavina was Herbert Leach Fisher's mother.
Samuel Leach was born in 1798 in Wicklow. Samuel emigrated around 1820. He married Jane Saunders in 1824 in Beckwith at the Franktown English church. Jane was born in 1795 in Kilkenney, Ireland.
In the 1851 census of Beckwith, Samuel and Jane are on Lot 4, Concession 21 with five children; William, Jane, Helen, Samuel and Sarah. There is a sixth child, Thomas Kidd with the family. The next entry is for James Leach, his wife Anne and their two children Samuel and Margaret. In total Samuel and Jane had eight children.
James 1825
George Feb 1 1826
Mary Anne Jan 11, 1827
William 1829
Jane 1833
Ellen(Helen) 1836
Sarah July 12, 1838
Samuel July 12, 1838
James 1825
George Feb 1 1826
Mary Anne Jan 11, 1827
William 1829
Jane 1833
Ellen(Helen) 1836
Sarah July 12, 1838
Samuel July 12, 1838
Samuel and Jane's daughter Sarah married William Albert Fisher. Their son William married Maria Lavina Porter and their son was Herbert Leach Fisher.
A brother and sister married on different continents, into different families and then four generations later reunited in my grandfather's generation. I thought it was interesting. The Leach's also married into the Geddes family which also married into the Fisher's of my grandfather's generation so there is a lot of Leach blood in our veins.
Sarah Leach, her husband William Albert and their son William
Sarah and her sisters I'm assuming
Sarah is the only person identified in this picture
from the resemblance the other two are probably her sisters, Mary Anne, Helen or Jane
Sarah's brothers and sisters?
Only Sarah and William Albert are identified, back right
Mrs. Nicolas Leach
No one knew why this picture was with my grandfather's effects
Nicolas Leach was a witness at the marriage of William Fisher and Maria Lavina Porter
John Geddes and Sarah Jane Leech Sarah is the grand daughter of Samuel and Jane Saunders
I know none of my Leach relatives so please feel free to contact me to say hello. If you have any information or other family photos to share, I'll be happy to put it up. I would love to be able to put a positive identification to all the people in the photos. To contact me, click on my profile, About Me. It will take you to an email link. I look forward to hearing from you.
