The Taunton Iron Works (also known as Leonard Iron Works) was located on the banks of the
Forge River
The Forge River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in the town of Raynham in southeastern Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), official ...
in what is now
Raynham, Massachusetts
Raynham () is a New England town, town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately south of Boston, Massachusetts, Boston and northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was ...
. It was the first iron works established in
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony (sometimes spelled Plimouth) was the first permanent English colony in New England from 1620 and the third permanent English colony in America, after Newfoundland and the Jamestown Colony. It was settled by the passengers on t ...
, and only the third in
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
. Much more successful than earlier works at
Saugus, and
Braintree, it operated for a remarkable period of two hundred and twenty years, from to .
History
On October 21, 1652, after the discovery of large amounts of
bog ore
A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and mus ...
in the area, residents of
Taunton
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...
voted to establish an iron works in their town. The town invited brothers Henry and James Leonard and Ralph Russell, experienced iron men who had worked at the works in
Braintree to come to Taunton to set up a works on the Two Mile River. The Leonard brothers had emigrated from
Pontypool, Wales to work at the iron works in Lynn (
Saugus), and later at Braintree. The Town of Taunton offered the ironmasters land in exchange for help establishing the works. However, only James Leonard remained in Taunton to take advantage of the town's offer. Henry Leonard returned to Lynn in 1655. He later established a works at
Rowley Rowley may refer to:
Places Canada
* Rowley, Alberta, a hamlet
* Rowley Island, Nunavut
United Kingdom
* Rowley, County Durham, a hamlet - see Rowley railway station (England)
* Rowley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, a village and civil par ...
in 1668. However, this works was not successful. Henry Leonard later moved to
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
, where he and his sons established successful works. Ralph Russell also did not remain in Taunton, instead moving to
Dartmouth where he set up a forge at what became known as
Russells Mills, on the
Paskamanset River
The Paskamanset River, also known as the Paskamansett River, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 river in New Bedford and Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The Pask ...
.
A
joint-stock company
A joint-stock company (JSC) is a business entity in which shares of the company's stock can be bought and sold by shareholders. Each shareholder owns company stock in proportion, evidenced by their shares (certificates of ownership). Shareho ...
was established by the town, and shares were sold to many members of the community, as well as a few individuals in other surrounding places. James Leonard, owned 1/2 share of the works. These members included "Hezekiah HOARE, Thomas GILBERT, Richard WILLIAMS, Walter DEAN, George HALL, Oliver PURCHIS, James WALKER, John TISDALL, Wm. PARKER, Mr. GILBERT senr: Peter PITTS, Richard STACEY, John COBB, William HODGES, Nath’l WOODWARD, Timothy HOLLOWAY, James BURT, Edward BOBETT, Jonah AUSTIN, sen’r, John PARKER, Samuel WILBORE, Miss
E. POLE, Jane POLE ... William POLE, Timothy LINDALL of Salem, his son-in-law, Nicholas WHITE, senr., Richard STEPHENS, John TURNER, Thomas LINCOLN, senr., Anthony SLOCUM, James LEONARD, Thos. ARMSBERY, Joseph WILBORE, Henry ANDREWS, John HALL, James PHILLIPS, Francis SMITH, Geo. WATSON,
Gov. LEVERETT and Major
Edward TYNG
Edward Tyng (1683 – 1755) was a Royal Navy officer who was captain of the batteries and fortifications of Boston and in command of the first Massachusetts man-of-war Prince of Orange (ship) (1740). He was the son-in-law of Cyprian Southack.
...
of Boston, Nath’l PAINE, senr., and Stephen PAINE, Jr., of Bristol,
Benedict ARNOLD
Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...
of Newport, Richard THAYER of Braintree, contributing from £20 to £5 each, for whole, half and quarter shares."
Operation of the works began in 1656. Consisting of a two-hearth water-powered
bloomery
A bloomery is a type of metallurgical furnace once used widely for smelting iron from its iron oxides, oxides. The bloomery was the earliest form of smelter capable of smelting iron. Bloomeries produce a porous mass of iron and slag called ...
, it produced bar iron directly from ore, yielding about 20 to 30 tons annually. George Hall served as the first clerk and manager until his death in 1669. This position was later held successively by his son John Hall, Henry Andrews and Israel Dean. In 1683, Captain Thomas Leonard became manager, a position he held until his death in 1713. Deacon Samuel Leonard next operated the works until he died in 1745.
In 1731, the works became part of the town of
Raynham, Massachusetts
Raynham () is a New England town, town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately south of Boston, Massachusetts, Boston and northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was ...
, upon the division of that town from Taunton. In 1771, the works was acquired by Josiah Dean, who converted the site into a rolling and nail works. Upon Dean's death in 1818, ownership of the works was transferred his son Eliab B. Dean. In 1825, it was converted into an anchor forge. Theodore Dean, son of Eliab, was the last operator of the works, which closed in 1876.
Legacy
James Leonard later established a works on the
Mill River in Taunton in 1670. Operation of the Whittenton works continued by Leonard’s sons and grandsons for over one hundred years. It is now the site of the
Whittenton Mills. In 1698, Leonard's sons established another works in Chartley, in what is now
Norton, Massachusetts
Norton is a New England town, town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, and contains the villages of Norton Center, Massachusetts, Norton Center and Chartley, Massachusetts, Chartley. The population was 19,202 at the 2020 United Stat ...
. Job M. Leonard, another descendant of James, would later set up iron works in nearby
East Bridgewater and
Somerset
Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
.
Today, a small park occupies the site of the original 1853 Taunton Iron Works. The site was dedicated in 1950 by descendants of Theodore Dean, the last owner of the works.
[From inscription on plaque] An anchor donated by the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
marks the spot once occupied by the forge. The Two Mile River is now known as the Forge River.
See also
*
Bridgewater Iron Works
*
Old Colony Iron Works
*
Thomas Baylies
Thomas Baylies (1687–March 1756) was a Quaker ironmaster first in England, then in Massachusetts.
Origins and family
Thomas Baylies was the son of Nicholas Baylies of Alvechurch in north Worcestershire. On 5 June 1706, he married Esther, d ...
References
{{coord, 41.9141, N, 71.0617, W, display=title
Taunton, Massachusetts
Raynham, Massachusetts
History of Bristol County, Massachusetts
Ironworks and steel mills in the United States
Industrial archaeological sites in the United States
Industrial buildings and structures in Massachusetts