John and William Leach

[jonwarrn]

Morning Herald, 8 July 1834
Three desperate ruffians charged with breaking into the premises of William Leach, saddler and harness maker, in Tottenham Court New Road, with the aim of burgling the place

[Dave Francis]

From the Old Bailey Online...

Item dated 16 April 1806 concerning George Greerson who had been indicated for stealing a shirt and half-handkerchief from William Leach, a sadler of Carnaby Market.

[Neale1961]

Marriage 21st March 1841 St Anne Soho
James Henry Leach, full age bachelor, engineer, King St. Father – William Leach Saddler
Mary Ann Titmus, minor, spinster
Witnesses – Abraham Titmus (father of bride) and Mary Leach

Census records (Chatham Kent) for James Henry Leach show him born abt 1820 St Lukes Middlesex


1841 census for King St. St Anne Soho (address match for marriage)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQVF-9FX
Mary Leach 60 (widow?) with sons William 30 (compositor) and Henry 25 (labourer)

Map of St Anne Soho
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Anne_Within_the_Liberty_of_Westminster#/media/File:Plan_of_the_parish_of_St_Anne_Soho.png

[Neale1961]

2 baptisms on the same day
 (Note the big gap between birth and baptism, so perhaps parents weren’t very interested in religion and didn't worry too much about baptism. )

Baptism for James Henry Leech 17 Feb 1828
St George Hanover Square
Born 17 Aug 1819
Parents William (a saddler) and Mary   
Abode Leicester Street

Baptism for John William Leech  17 Feb 1828
St George Hanover Square
Born 25 July 1823
Parents William (a saddler) and Mary   
Abode Leicester Street

Note that Leicester St is on the above map of St Anne, Soho, a couple of streets away from King St.
The old Carnaby Market (mentioned in clip above) was in the same general area.

[Neale1961]

Other baptisms at St George Hanover Square (too early for father’s occupation to be recorded)

William George Leech
Baptised 26 Aug 1810, born 10 June 1810
Parents William and Mary Leech

Samuel Henry Leech
Baptised 1 March 1812, born 9 Feb 1812
Parents William and Mary Leech

(This Samuel Henry is traceable in the census, living with his mother Mary who was born abt 1780 in Wincanton, Somerset)
1851 census
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGBJ-RN1


Missing yet are births of children for William and Mary Leach between 1813 and 1818.
1861 census shows a son named Thomas born abt 1817. Maybe not baptised?


This is Thomas's marriage
24 Sept 1848 St Anne Soho
Thomas Leech, fullage bachelor, blind maker, King Street.  Father – William Leech saddler
Martha Crew, full age spinster, King Street. Father – Joseph Crew farmer
Witnesses – Timothy Fynn? And Mary Ann Genesis?

[Neale1961]

Possible?
Marriage for William Leech and Mary Hansford
30 Apr. 1809 St George, Hanover Square
He signed name


There is a birth for a Mary Hansford at the correct time in Wincanton, Somerset
See FreeReg
https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/58182415e93790eca38a93c0/mary-hansford-baptism-somerset-wincanton-1781-02-18?locale=en

[Neale1961]

Mary Leech (born Wincanton) age 92, is still going strong in 1871 census St Martin in the Fields
Has a grandson Thomas Leach 22, living with her.

She appears in the St Marylebone, workhouse in Jan 1872

DEATH
LEACH, MARY       Age 91 
GRO Reference: 1872  M Quarter in MARYLEBONE  Volume 01A  Page 375

[Neale1961]

Lots of things fit / make sense here, but not completely sure if this is your William Leach – or a red herring.

William Henwood LEACH
Baptised 24 Sep 1787 (born 3 Sept)
St Sepulchre, City of London
Parents – John and Mary Leach of Snow Hill


3rd March 1824 Leathersellers Hall. London
William Henwood Leach, son of John Leach citizen and leather seller of London deceased, was this day admitted into the freedom of the Leathersellers Company by patrimony.

Leathersellers Company just for info.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worshipful_Company_of_Leathersellers


William Henwood LEECH age 51 (of Letherdressers Asylum / hospital)
Burial 6 May 1838
St Helen, Bishopgate

GRO entry
LEACH, WILLIAM  HENWOOD     Age 51 
GRO Reference: 1838  J Quarter in OF THE CITY OF LONDON UNION  Volume 02  Page 134

[jonwarrn]

I think then that we have two men (at least!) called William Leach who were saddlers/harness makers.
William George, born 1810, was at home with mother Mary in 1841
James Henry, born 1819 was apprenticed by the Somersetshire Society in 1834, and John William, born 1823, was apprenticed by them in 1837.
And I think Thomas was apprenticed in 1831.

Are they related to John in St Pancras, and William, who married in Shoreditch?