James Wright Leach (abt. 1804 - 1888)

Born about 1804 in Maryland

Husband of Mary (Bowker) Leach — married 29 Jun 1823 in Salem, Columbiana, Ohio, United States

Descendants

Died 21 Jun 1888 at about age 84 in Salem, Columbiana Co, OH

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Lilly Martin [send private message]

There are no known parents for James W. Leach. He stated he was raised in the home of Joshua Wright-57302, which sat on the old Lisbon road, near Salem, Columbiana Co OH and James recalled arriving with the Wright family in the fall of 1809 when James was a young boy.

He apparently was orphaned, or abandoned, and was raised as a 'foster-child' in the Joshua Wright home.

I have found no relationship between James W. Leach and Joshua Wright, except I suspect James' middle name was WRIGHT, because on one census the census taker wrote his name as James R. Leach. The R would stand for RIGHT, which is a spelling variation of Wright.

In 2 census James stated his mother was born in Ireland, but he never satated any place of birth for his father . Perhaps he was not aware of who his father was.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_United_Methodist_Church_(Salem,_Ohio)#/media/File:Salem_United_Methodist_Church.jpg

Above photo is on the First United Methodist church built in 1910 on Broadway, Salem, OH. However, the very first church of that denomination was formed there by James W. leach and a group of people there in 1821. By 1859 they had built a church at that location, and over the years it has become the present building in 1910. Salem, OH was founded by Quakers, but my ancestor was not a Quaker. In 1888 James W. Leach died and his funeral was held at that church, as was his wedding to Mary Bowker in 1823.

Nov 2014: Fred Wright believes that Joshua Wright, the man who raised James W. Leach in Salem, OH, was the owner of White Horse Tavern at Somerset Co PA in 1796. The place was on the summit of Alleghany Mountain, and was variously called Bedford Co and Somerset Co PA at the time frame. It was directly North of the Maryland border , near Cumberland MD, which is now Alleghany Co MD. It is possible that James W. Leach was born in 1802-4 period near Cumberland, MD and was then given to Joshua Wright to be raised, and when the family moved to Salem, OH in the fall of 1809, James grew up there, and died there in 1888.

James W. Leach Birth: 1804 Death: 1888

Burial: Hope Cemetery Salem (Columbiana County) Columbiana County Ohio, USA Plot: Sec 2 Row 11

Created by: Audrey Allison Record added: Aug 18, 2013 Find A Grave Memorial# 115691418

In 1812, Thomas Hughes had a log cabin and pottery opposite the present residence of James W. Leach. The pottery was sold to Christian Harmon, who continued the business until 1840. Thomas Cohn had a tannery on the northeast corner of the square upon which the " West Block" is situated. In 1834 or '35, Zadock Street built a foundry on what is called Foundry Hill, which derived its name from the enterprise. The works developed into the J. Woodruff & Co. Stove-Works.

1850 census: 15 U 495 LEACH James W. 46 M General Mechanic MD REMARKS: Unreadable dwelling # 16 U 495 LEACH Mary 50 F NJ X REMARKS: Unreadable dwelling # 17 U 495 LEACH T.L.B. 24 M Blacksmith Ohio REMARKS: Unreadable dwelling #/Initials only on printout 18 U 495 LEACH Hannah A. 20 F Ohio REMARKS: Unreadable dwelling # 19 U 495 LEACH Elizabeth 18 F Ohio REMARKS: Unreadable dwelling #

The Genealogical Helper - Volumes 18-19 - Page 29 books.google.com/books?id=Yc5nAAAAMAAJ 1964 - ?Snippet view - ?More editions Wnt p of Isaiah BOWKER b 1766 Burlington Co NJ m Hannah Witten CRESHER, mov 1804 to Columbiana Co Ohio, d 1845; also p and bpl of James W LEACH b 1804 Md? to Columbiana Co Ohio 1809; m Mary BOWKER 1823 d 1888. Title The Genealogical Helper, Volumes 18-19 Publisher Walter M. Everton, Editor and Publisher, 1964 Original from the University of Wisconsin - Madison Digitized Jun 18, 2008 Marion Cozad, Mrs. R.E. Cozad, 1515 Edgefield road, Cleveland, OH

the Leach Family by Phelps Leach. I did not recognize any names BUT, there was one mention of a little boy that was rumored to have been possibly captured by Indians and the parents looked for him endlessly in Ohio but never found him. Could that be our James? Wendy Bott

Edwin Leach here in Pittsburgh. I met him about 10 years ago, he has been doing research on his Leach family roots for 30 years and thinks that there is a chance that we could be related. He has traced his roots back to the 1600's. I sent him your attachments to see if he recognized any of the names of our ancestors. He said he does recall a James Leach so he is going to take some time to study his notes and get back to me. He mentioned to me a book written by Phelps Leach that traces the ancestors of Lawrence Leach of Salem, Massachusetts. You may already know about this book but if not it can be read on http://openlibrary.org/books/OL24619041M/Lawrence_Leach_of_Salem_Massachusetts It also traces this Leach family back to the 1600's. Wendy Bott

James Beck Groom's Birth Date: Groom's Birthplace: Groom's Age: Bride's Name: Mary Bowker Bride's Birth Date: Bride's Birthplace: Bride's Age: Marriage Date: 29 Jun 1823 Marriage Place: Columbiana County, Ohio Groom's Father's Name: Groom's Mother's Name: Bride's Father's Name: Bride's Mother's Name: Groom's Race: Groom's Marital Status: Groom's Previous Wife's Name: Bride's Race: Bride's Marital Status: Bride's Previous Husband's Name: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M86893-3 System Origin: Ohio-VR Source Film Number: 927766 Reference Number: 2:3WSWSF0

William B. Fetters 7:31pm Feb 15 Lilly,

I have examined the FamilySearch image of the Mary Bowker marriage, which is recorded in Columbiana Co. marriage book 2 p. 144. Carol Willsey Bell, who published a book called "Columbiana County, Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1870" in 1990, gives the groom's name as James Leach, instead of James Beck, all other info. being the same as written in the actual marriage book. Following the entry for her abstract of this marriage she states in parentheses "see HUOV 1:202)." HUOV is an abbreviation of History of Ohio Valley. This history was printed in Madison, WI by Brant & Fuller in 1891. A long time ago I photocopied a number of pages, but not p. 202 of vol. 1. Because of the mystery you should try to look at the referenced page; it may or may not be helpful. It may be that the justice of the peace who reported the marriage, along with a number of other marriages he had performed at a later date, failed to remember James's correct surname. Or, as you speculate, James, perhaps because he didn't know the name of his father, may not has settled on what he wanted to use as his surname. (William B. Fetters, 2012)

He remembered how Salem, Oh looked in the Fall of 1809, he arrived there with Joseph Wright, his Foster Father, and they visited John Spencer, who lived about 2 1/2 miles West of Salem. He served on the Board of Health of Salem. He was raised by Joseph Wright , who lived about 4 miles South East of Salem, on the road to Lisbon (this would be called Salem twsp.) He was Chairman of the Republicans of Perry Township (Salem). In 1821 a class of 9 persons formed. The services mainly held at the home of Thomas Kelley. This group founded the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Salem, OH. Those persons were" Thomas Kelly and wife, John Flitcraft, Edward Reynear and wife, David Hum, Thomas Web(from MD) and his wife Naomi Smith, and James W. Leach. They met in 1821 at Thomas Kelly's house located on the North side of Main st., opposite the Hotel Metzger. In 1823 the founded a log church on West 2nd st. Prior to 1837 they built a wood frame church on Ellsworth st. In 1859 they built a brick 2 story church at 244 S. Braodway, Salem, OH 44460 In 1852 Salem was made a separate station, and Rev J. W. Nessly was the First Pastor. Thomas Kelly came from Delaware, and was the FIRST Methodist to settle in the Salem, OH area, he arrived in the winter of 1819-20. John Flitcraft arrived from New Jersey in 1820. James and wife Mary Bowker and their son Thomas are buried at Hope Cemetery, 105 N. Lincoln ave, Salem, OH 44460 telephone 330-332-5314. In the 1880 census James was living with his second wife, Catherine, she was first married to Daniel Smith, then Benjamin Pidgeon/Pigeon, and finally to James W. Leach. James was last employed as a clock repairman and watch repair. He was a Machinst, metal worker, all his life prior. There are no clues as to the parents of James, except he stated several times that his mother was born in IRELAND.

Salem , OH was founded in 1803 by Zadok Street of Salem, Salem Co NJ. History of Salem Co NJ, by Joseph H. Sickler.

United Brethren Warrant Act, 6-1-1796, James Leach, 100 acres, recorded 12-9-1803, 4N-8W-3, at the Ohio Land Office. The Coschocton Co OH area was part of the US Military Lands, of 1796

Depot st is now Depot Rd. Dry st is now Pershing st. These are the areas the Leach family lived in.

His death notice appeared: 7-5-1888: Died in Salem: June 21st: James W. Leach: 84 yrs.

United Methodist Church 244 S. Broadway Salem, OH 4446330-337-9531 Paster Neal M. Kelly home: 330-337-3161 PO Box 463 Salem OH 44460

James Leach Titles: Residence: Unity Township, Columbiana, Ohio Taxation Type: personal Year: 1826 Page Number: Digital Folder Number: 4021423 Image Number: 00637 Film Number: 476490

James Leach Titles: Residence: Perry Township, Columbiana, Ohio Taxation Type: City Land Year: 1837 Page Number: 282 Digital Folder Number: 4021437 Image Number: 00300 Film Number: 476499

James Leach Titles: Residence: Perry Township, Columbiana, Ohio Taxation Type: City Land Year: 1838 Page Number: 399 Digital Folder Number: 4021438 Image Number: 00324 Film Number: 476500

The only battle of the Civil War in Ohio was fought in Washington Township, back of Salineville, when the celebrated raider, Gen. John Morgan, was defeated by Union troops under Major Rue, who chased him for 100 miles across the state. Perry Township, composed of sixteen sections, is the center one in the northern tier. Its surface is gently rolling. It has few and small streams. It was named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, here of the Battle of Lake Erie. In 1806 Samuel Davis, of Pennsylvania, settled in what is now Salem. He cleared up a fine farm and devoted a portion of it to the Society of Friends, he being an ardent devotee of temperance. The township was organized in 1832. Its history is practically that of Salem, which was an incorporated village before the township had been erected. (History of Columbiana Co OH, by Barth)

John Street's store then did more business than

32 HISTORY OF SALEM.

any other in the place. The store and dwelling were then more isolated than now; and have been much altered since his time. His tanner}^ then did an exten- sive business. He bought a great deal of pork every winter; and dealt much in country produce. Between his store and the Baptist meeting house there were not more than one or two dwelling houses. The Baptists then worshipped in a small brick house. Their lot marked the southern limit of the town. Near the position of J. M. Stratton's lumber yard was a hewed log house in which lived Isaiah Bowker. " Old Bowker " was a character in those days. His emplo3"ment was hauling — with a team of crow-bait horses — and pettifogging some of the lawsuits that then occurred. In the south-west part of the town there were but few permanent residents; of these might be mentioned John Plitcraft, Geo. Fry, James W. Leach and Christian Harmon. The latter car- ried on a pottery. What is now Dry street then extended onh^ to the New Garden road, and was called Brindle street.

http://www.salem.lib.oh.us/SalemHistory/YesteryearsSearch/1995/Vol4No24May9op.pdf