The Leach Family

Great Russell Head and Waterside Farms

 

The Leach and White families 1912

Traditionally the brides family would sit on her side and the grooms on his. Therefore the old man and woman on Frederick's right must be Aaron Leach and his second wife Eliza. On the brides left must be William White (of the Red Cow)

By 1885 Aaron Leach and his wife Eliza and family had moved to Canvey Island. The can be found in the 1881 census at Stow Maries and they had a child Kate born there in 1883 but in 1885 their son Frederick John was born on the Island and baptized on the 7th August 1886 at St Katherine’s Church.

The census and Electoral Registers record the family lived at Great Russell Head Farm from 1891-1918. Kelly’s Directory of 1894 state Aaron was the farm bailiff for A Manning Esq, the directory for 1902 shows that A Manning had died and that Aaron was working for his trustees. The 1914 directory just states Aaron is a farmer.

Aaron Leach’s first wife, Eliza Engwell, whom he married in 1871, died not long after their youngest son, Alfred Russell Leach (1890-1892) in 1893 and both are buried in St Katherine’s Churchyard.

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Aaron died in 1924 by which time he was living with his second wife, Ellen, who he married in 1897, at the High Street, Benfleet. Ellen can still be found there in the Electoral Register for 1929. Probate was granted to his sons Frederick John and Arthur Thomas Leach both stated as farmers.

Waterside Farm standing empty

Frederick and Amelia Leach on their
wedding day 17 October 1912

 

 

Frederick and Amelia's grave in
St Katherine's Churchyard

 

The Family History

Generation One

 

1.  Aaron LEACH, b. 1851 in Danbury, Essex, d. 10 Aug 1924 in High Street, Benfleet, Essex, buried 14 Aug 1924 in St Katherine's Churchyard, Canvey Island, Essex, probate 11 Nov 1924 to Frederick John Leach and Arthur Thomas Leach farmers, resided 1861, resided 1871 in Woodham Road, Stow Maries, Essex, resided 1881 in Pump Road, Stow Maries, Essex, resided 1886 - 1893 in Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1891 - 1901 in Russell Head Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1911 in Great Russell Head, Canvey Island, Essex, electoral reg 1918 in Great Russell Head Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1924 in High Street, Benfleet, Essex, occupation 1871 Agricultural Labourer, occupation 1881 Agricultural Labourer, occupation 1886 Labourer, occupation 1890 - 1891 Farm Bailiff, kellys 1894 in Farm Bailiff to A Manning Esq, occupation 1901 Bailiff on Farm, kellys 1902 in Farm Bailiff to trustees of A Manning Esq, occupation 1911 Farmer, kellys 1914 in Farmer.  He married (1) Eliza CHALK, Dec qtr 1871 in Maldon, Essex, b. 1856 in Stow Maries, Essex, d. 1893, buried 13 Mar 1893 in St Katherine's Churchyard, Canvey Island, Essex.  He married (2) Ellen WALKER, Mar qtr 1897 in West Ham District, Essex, b. 1856 in Harrow Hill, Middlesex, resided 1911-1918 in Great Russell Head, Canvey Island, Essex.

                             Children:

                      i.     George William LEACH, b. 1873 in Stow Maries, Essex, d. 9 Apr 1959 in Southend Municible Hospital, Rochford, Essex, probate 31 Jul 1959 to Frederick John Leach farmer and Frederick Killingback ticket collector, resided 1881 in Pump Road, Stow Maries, Essex, resided 1891 in Not found, resided 1959 in Gracecot, Borrett Avenue, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1901 in Lodger at 61 Gladstone Road, Walthamstow, resided 1911 in Not found, electoral reg 1929 in Gracecot, Borrett Avenue, Canvey Island, Essex, occupation 1901 Army? Excavator.

                      ii.    Albert Aaron LEACH, b. 1875 in Stow Maries, Essex, d. 1893, buried 14 Oct 1893 in St Katherine's Churchyard, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1881 in Pump Road, Stow Maries, Essex, resided 1891 in Great Russell Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, occupation 1891 Agricultural Labourer.

                      iii.   Alice LEACH, b. 1877 in Stow Maries, Essex, resided 1881 in Pump Road, Stow Maries, Essex, resided 1891 in 4 Westbourne Terrace, Prittlewell, Essex, occupation 1891 General Servant, resided 1901 in Not found.

                      iv.   Charles Edward LEACH, b. 1879 in Stow Maries, Essex, d. Mar qtr 1919 in Rochford District, Essex, buried 4 Jan 1919 in St Katherine's Churchyard, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1881 in Pump Road, Stow Maries, Essex, resided 1901 in Corringham, Essex, resided 1911 in possibly Lambeth, electoral reg 1918 in Great Russell Head Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, occupation 1901 General Labourer.

                      v.    Kate Ellen LEACH, b. 1883 in Stow Maries, Essex, resided 1891 in Great Russell Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1901 in 3 percival Terrace, Brighton, Sussex, occupation 1901 Housemaid.

                      vi.   Frederick John LEACH, b. 8 Dec 1886 in Canvey Island, Essex, baptized 7 Mar 1886 in Canvey Island, Essex, d. 8 Jan 1966 in Canvey Island, Essex, buried in St Katherines Church Yard, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1891 in Great Russell Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1901 in Russell Head Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1911 in Great Russell Head, Canvey Island, Essex, electoral reg 1918 in Charfleets Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, electoral reg 1929 in Waterside Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, occupation 1901 Horseman on Farm, occupation 1911 Horseman on farm, kellys 1914 in Farmer, occupation 1929 Councillor, Canvey Island Urban District Council, kellys 1929 in Councillor and Farmer, kellys 1933 in Chair of Council+ Farmer, kellys 1937 in Vice chair of council + farmer at Waterside.  He married Amelia Rose WHITE, Dec qtr 1912 in Rochford District, Essex, b. 1888 in Stock, Essex (daughter of William WHITE and Eliza MARSHALL), d. 12 May 1968 in Canvey Island, Essex, buried in St Katherines Church Yard, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1911 in Red Cow, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1918 in Charfleets Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1929 in Waterside Farm, Canvey Island, Essex.

                      vii.  Arthur Thomas LEACH, b. 1888 in Canvey Island, Essex, baptized 21 May 1888 in Canvey Island, Essex, d. Sept qtr 1969 in Maldon District, Essex, resided 1891 in Great Russell Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1901 in Russell Head Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1911 in Great Russell Head, Canvey Island, Essex, occupation 1901 Yardman on Farm, electoral reg 1918- 1929 in Great Russell Head Farm, Canvey Island, Essex, kellys 1929 in Farmer, kellys 1933 in Farmer.  He married Florence Mary BEECHEY, Jun qtr 1919 in Rochford District, Essex.

                      viii. Alfred Russell LEACH, b. 3 Apr 1890 in Canvey Island, Essex, baptized 5 Oct 1890 in Canvey Island, Essex, d. 1892, buried 5 Nov 1892 in St Katherine's Churchyard, Canvey Island, Essex, resided 1891 in Great Russell Farm, Canvey Island, Essex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Canvey Island Essex

The Leach Family

Frederick John Leach was to become an important figure on the Island. Working first with his father at Russell Head he later worked on Charfleets Farm.

 

But by 1914 Kelly’s Directory states he is a farmer perhaps already living at Waterside. By 1929 he is definitely at Waterside Farm and a Councillor on Canvey’s Urban District Council.

 

1933 Kelly’s state he was the Chairman of the council and 1937 says he was the Vice Chairman and farmer at Waterside.

 

 

Frederick died in 1966 and Amelia in 1968, they are both buried in St Katherine’s Churchyard.

Several other members of the family are also buried in St Katherine's Churchyard.

As well as Frederick's parents, his brothers Albert Aaron, Charles Edward and Alfred Russell are all buried there.

 

Today Waterside Farm is a local amenity, with a golf club, sports centre and waste yard.

According to Dowd, Frederick Leach was the Chairman of the Council for four terms, 1930-1934, 1938-39, 1944-46, 1952-53. One of his duties when Chairman in 1932 was to switch on the Electricity for the first time:-

"Electricity was switched on by F.J. Leach, C.I.U.D.C. chairman, on March 2, 1932, including proper street-lighting to replace the solitary street-lamp at St. Katherine’s in the Village: fifty-six swan-necked lanterns with doubly-parabolic mirrors stretched from the Causeway to Leigh Beck. By the late 1950s electricity was widespread, being supplied by the Eastern Electricity Board - their service centre was originally at (the then-new) 2 Labworth Parade in Furtherwick Road but from 1961 moved to Strutt’s Corner, the original premises being left empty and boarded-up for at least 20 years."

 

Frederick was the last farmer at Waterside Farm which he eventually sold it to Canvey Council.

Frederick had married his wife Amelia Rose White in 1912. His wife was the youngest daughter of William White, Farmer and beer house keeper at the Red Cow PH.

 

Younger brother Arthur Thomas was also a farmer on Canvey according to Kelly's directories of 1929-1933. He married Florence Mary Beechey in 1919 and was at Great Russell Head Farm in the 1929 Electoral Register. He was not in the 1918 Electoral Register for Canvey so perhaps he came back to the Island after his marriage and took over from his father when he retired to Benfleet. Arthur died in 1969 recorded in the Malden District.