He was a son of Simon Leach of Crediton in Devon, a blacksmith, by his wife Elizabeth Rowe, daughter of John Rowe of Crediton. The arms of Leach of Cadeleigh are those of the ancient Leche family of Carden, near Chester, which estate held by the family until the late 20th century had been acquired during the reign of King Henry IV by John Leche on his marriage to Lucy Cawarden, heiress of Carden.
Cadeleigh, which manor he purchased in about 1600 from Sir John Horton, and where he made his seat at Cadeleigh Court.
Spencer Combe, near Crediton, which he purchased from Bevil Prideaux.
Marriages and children
Leach married twice. His first marriage was in 1597 to Elizabeth Borrough, daughter of Walter Borrough of Exeter. By Elizabeth he had two sons: Simon, who died young, and Sir Walter Leach, second son and heir apparent, who predeceased his father. Walter was knighted by King Charles I at the Palace of Whitehall on 3 December 1626. In 1626 he married Sara Napier, a daughter of Sir Robert Napier, 1st Baronet, of Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire. Leach's second wife was Katherine Turbervile, the eldest daughter of Nicholas Turbervile of Crediton by his wife Charity Prideaux, a daughter of Richard Prideaux of Thuborough, Sutcombe, Devon.. By Katherine he had seven further children:
Simon, third son. He died childless.
George, fourth son, whose wife, Margaret, survived him and remarried to Bevil Prideaux of Spencer Combe near Crediton. Bevil Prideaux sold Spencer Combe to Sir Simon Leach.
Nicholas, fifth son, of Newton St Petrock, who married Grace Mallock, daughter of Roger Mallock of Exeter.
Katherine, who married as her second husband Thomas Giffard of Halsbury, Parkham, Devon.
Elizabeth, Rebecka, and Anne.
Death and monument
Leach was buried in Cadeleigh Church, where his monument survives. It shows recumbent effigies of himself and his second wife Katherine Turbervile, with kneeling effigies of his eldest son Sir Walter Leach at their heads and of Sir Walter's wife Sara Napier at their feet. Below are two groups of kneeling children, to the left four sons and to the right four daughters, each group separated by a prie-dieu. On top of the monument are shown the arms of Leach, of Leach impaling Turbervile and of leach impaling Napier. The inscription on the monument reads "Heere lye the bodyes of Sr Symon Leach Knight son of Symon Leach of Crediton Blacke smith and of ye Lady Catherin Leach his wife daughter of Nicholas Tubervill of Crediton Esquire whose true affection in religious wedlocke caused there desire to make there bed together in the dust."
