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HON. GEORGE LEONARD, son of Judge Thomas and Mary (Watson) Leonard of Taunton; grandson of James and Margaret Leonard, who came to Taunton in 1652; great-grandson of Thomas Leonard of Pontypool, Wales, was born April 18, 1671. Family claimed descent from Lennard Lord Dacre (most distinguished family of nobility of U.K.); and descended in 2 lines from Edward III, through 2 of his sons, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and Thomas Plantaganet, Duke of Gloucester. The arms of the Lennard and Leonard families were the same. The family and descendants lived very much in the style of English nobility; owning an immense tract of land, and surrounded by their tenantry. Probably no family in New England were lords of more acres than the Norton Leonards. The ancestry of George Leonard were interested in the iron works, both in England and in America. In 1695 the first iron forge was set up in Norton. The George Leonard house (built before 1700) is said to have been the first framed house erected in town.
He was the leading man among the first settlers; one of the first board of selectmen; the first representative to the General Court; the first justice of the peace; and his name was first attached to the church covenant. At the time of his death (Sept. 5, 1716), he held the office of major in the militia, and judge of the Court of Common Pleas.
He was married July 4, 1695 to Anna Tisdale, daughter of John and Hannah (Rogers) Tisdale, of Taunton, and had 11 children; the last of whom was born after his death. His widow married Nathaniel Thomas, of Plymouth, and died September 1733 at age sixty-one.
BENJAMIN NEWLAND - son of Jeremiah and Katherine Newland, of Taunton, was born about 1670 (?). He married Sarah Leonard on July 23, 1702, and had two children. His second marriage was to Elizabeth Caswell on Nov. 29, 1716. He died in 1754. She died Nov. 4, 1739.
JOHN NEWLAND - brother of Benjamin. Portions of his children's births were lost. There were a John and Hannah Newland who had five children born between 1722 and 34. It is possible that he was the same individual, and that Hannah might have been his second wife.
JABEZ PRATT - perhaps the son of Jonathan of Plymouth, was born Nov. 1, 1673. He owned land near Deacon Jason F. Alden and was here as early as 1695. He married Elizabeth Cobb, Feb. 23, 1697-8 and probably died, or moved from town soon after its incorporation.
WILLIAM PRATT - left few materials for biography. The records of the births of his children is lost from town records. His wife Experience was admitted to Mr. Avery's church, Nov. 7, 1714; dismissed from the church at Weymouth.
EPHRAIM SHELDON - settled in the westerly part of Mansfield. Records of his pedigree are unknown. He had a wife, Jane ---, married before 1709; and four or more children, a portion of whom were born in Norton. He moved to Attleboro and there we lost track of him.
ISAAC SHEPARD - son of Thomas and Hannah (Ensign) Shepard; grandson of Rev. Mase Shepard, was born at Charlestown in April or May of 1682. His father was first in Malden, then in Medford, Charlestown, and Brookline and died at Milton. Isaac came to Norton about 1707. He married Elizabeth Fuller of Cambridge (?) on Dec. 31, 1702; and had nine children. He died June 24, 1724; and from him, through his son Isaac, was descended the celebrated Miss Mary Lyon, the founder of the Mount-Holyoke Female Seminary at South Hadley.
THOMAS SKINNER - son of Thomas and Mary (?) Skinner; grandson of Thomas, who came from Chichester, England about 1650, settled in Malden and was born November, 1668. He settled in the westerly part of the North Purchase (now Mansfield) about 1695. His name appears on a deed to Thomas and James Leonard at that time. Believed to have settled first in Wrentham (some children's births recorded there). One of the original members of the church, and first schoolmaster of Norton. He married Hannah Carpenter (?) in 1694, and had eight children. His will was made June 9, 1757, in his 89th year, and was probated May 19, 1750; so that he was in the 90th year when he died.
JOHN SKINNER - brother (perhaps half-brother) of Thomas. Mary, the wife of Thomas Skinner, died at Malden, April 9, 1671, and John was born April, 1673. Settled about the same time Thomas did; and was a proprietor (name attached to deed) of the proprietors to the Leonards. He was a member of the church at its organization. His wife's name was Sarah ---, whom he married about 1696; and they had seven children. He was living in 1738, but death time is uncertain. There was a John Skinner who died at Wrentham, April 8, 1754; may have been the same man.

EARLY SETTLERS 3