home | site map | ancestry | mayflower | awards | about | contact | privacy statement | updates | guestbook

history page |1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|

«Prev Home Next»

 

   Page 6 of 10

RICHARDSON HISTORY

Copyright 2006 © Bruce H. Richardson

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

1. Generation 6

    Francis Richardson, b. 15 Jan 1681 Woburn, MA

 

2. Endnotes

 

6th Generation

{FRANCIS RICHARDSON}⁶

(Stephen⁵, Samuel⁴, Thomas³, Thomas², Thomas¹)

b. 15 Jan 1681 Woburn, MA

d. 31 Dec 1755 Attleborough, MA age 75

buried Old Kirk Cemetery, Attleborough, MA

m. 07 Jul 1708 Charlestown, MA

Sarah Houghton
b. ~1686 Lancaster, MA

d. 27 Jan 1770 Attleborough, MA

buried Old Kirk Cemetery, Attleborough, MA

 

In Memory of Sarah Richardson, wife of Frances Richardson, January 27, 1770 age 8_

 

                     

 

In Memory of Mr. Frances Richardson, died December 31, 1775 in ye 75^th Year of his age

 

                     

 

Will of Francis Richardson of Attleboro, yeoman,"being in the Seventieth year of my age", dated 26 May 1749, probated 19 January 1756, after death on December 31, 1755. Wife Sarah, sons Jonas, Seth, Ebenezer, & Francis(dcd) Richardson. Daughter s Sarah Cambel wife of John Cambel, Mary Tiffany wife of Samuel Tiffany, & Abigail Fuller wife of Ezekiel Fuller. Grandchildren Francis, (Jer?)amiah and Margaret, Children of my son Francis Richardson dcd. Wife to be exec. . Witnesses: Benjamin Bowen, George Leonard, Jr., & Rachel Leonard 2nd [ 14:647-649] Foregoing from Abstracts of Bristol County, Massachusett s, Probate Records, Vol 2, Pg 177.

Following is one of Francis’s property records that reflects the early mete and bounds system utilizing, among other things, trees (which, of course, are long gone!):

The Bounds of the Land of Frances Richardson

Imprimis  Two acres of Land Be it more or Less Laid to sd [said] Francis Richardson on the Right of Henry Tolman Being the Residue of his first Lotment Drawn Anno Domini 1727 purchase of John Cambel, Lying adjoining to Norton Line, the first Corner is a great Swamp white oak tree, thence East ten Degrees North Twenty Eight Rods to a maple tree markt for a Corner thence on sd Norton Line Eleven Rods to a small white oak for a Corner then West & By South twenty Eight Rods to a small Box wood tree with a heap of stone on the south side for a Corner; thence on a straight Line Twelve Rods to the first corner,

Recorded December ye 30th 1728.[37]

 

 

 

In that day, they used unique marks to determine whose animals were whose.  The Bristol County (Mass.) town records in an entry of August 4, 1741 records: “The Ear Mark of Creatures belonging to Francis Richardson is as follows viz. a D in the inner side of the Near Ear.”[38]

 

 

This direct Richardson line in America began in Charlestown, Mass., thence to the new town of Woburn, Mass., and now Francis Richardson, at age 34, removes from Woburn to Attleborough , Mass..

Attleborough, Bristol County, Mass., settled in 1643, was incorporated in 1694. North Attleborough, was originally part of Attleborough, but for the expedience of having its own church and facilities closer at hand, became a separate town.
Notice that Attleborough lies just inside the Massachusetts border with Rhode Island.

1702 - In March, Queen Anne ascends the English throne. In May, England declares war on France after the death of the King of Spain, Charles II, to stop the union of France and Spain. This War of the Spanish Succession is called Queen Anne's War in the colonies, where the English and American colonists will battle the French, their Native American allies, and the Spanish for the next eleven years.
1707 - England, Scotland and Wales are combined into the United Kingdom of Great Britain. 1714 - In August, King George I ascends to the English throne, succeeding Queen Anne.

 

              Children of Francis & Sarah:

Sarah Richardson b. 25 Jan 1709 Woburn, MA

   m. 24 Oct 1728 Attleborough, MA John Cambell

Francis Richardson b. 17 Jul 1710 Woburn, MA, d. 1748 Attleborough, MA

   m. Margaret Carpenter

Mary Richardson b. 02 Jul 1712 Woburn, MA

   m. 11 Feb 1730/31 Attleborough, MA Samuel Tiffany

{Thomas [Jonas] Richardson} b. 11 Jul 1724 Attleborough, MA, d. 05 May 1806 Nelson, Cheshire, NH age 82

      m. 05 Oct 1749 Esther Wellman b. 01 Nov 1726 Attleborough, MA, d. 05 Feb 1795 Nelson, NH age 68

      m. 22 Dec 1795 Judith Cobb b. 1731, d. 17 May 1809 Nelson, NH

Seth Richardson Sr. b. 03 Sep 1716 Attleborough, MA, d. 10 Jan 1785, buried Old Kirk Yard Cemetery,
  Attleborough, MA

      m.  25 Oct 1739Attleborough, MA Abigail Skinner b. 1720, d. 26Apr 1811 Attleborough, MA.

       Per Bristol County Deeds:

31 May 1781, "I Seth Richardson .. of Attleborough .. yeoman For .. one hundred and Fifty pounds .. paid by my son Seth Richardson Junr of ye Town .. aforesaid yeoman And in Consideration of my son Seths being Bound (by a Bond bareing even date with these presents) to provide a good & Comfortable Support & Maintainence for my Self & my wife during our Natural Life .. whereof I do .. Sell .. him .. One Messuage .. Situate in said Attleborough being my homestead Farm whereon I now Dwell containing .. about Seventy Acres of Land .. with a Dwelling House, a Barn and Corn Barn on Same being the whole of my homestead & Real Estate which I now own in said Attleborough .. Note there in included within ye above described Bounds a Lot of Two Acres of Land with a Dwelling House on ye Same which belongs to ye said Seth Richardson Junr and is excepted and not Sold by these presents .. "

       Abigail, his wife, released her dower rights.   They both sign by mark.  Wit.: JohnWilkinson , Daniel Tiffany.
       Acknowledged 31May 1781.  (Bristol Deeds 60:332).

 

                           

                                                                            Sacred to the Memory of Mrs. Abigail Richardson

                                                                                            Wife of Mr. Seth Richardson

 

Abigail Richardson b. 01 Sep 1718 Attleborough, MA

   m. 23 Dec 1747 Attleborough, MA Ezekiel Fuller

Richardson (daughter) b. 11 Oct 1720 Attleborough, MA, d. 13 Oct 1720 age 2 days

Mercy Richardson b. 01 Apr 1725 Attleborough, MA, d. young

Ebenezer Richardson b. 27 Nov 1729 Attleborough, MA

   m. Esther Cheney

Daniel Richardson b. 06 Aug 1732 Attleborough, MA

 

Captain Josiah Richardson, 3rd cousin in this direct line, was a prominent businessman of Dracut, Massachusetts (in NE Mass. on the Merrimack River near the New Hampshire border). I include a note concerning him to reflect the intriguing quaintness of the times. He was a "fence viewer."  This was someone charged with inspecting the area fences to insure that animals remained contained. Also, he had second choice of pews owing to the amount of tax he payed: 

March, 1714, he was chosen surveyor of highways. March, 1715, chosen fence viewer. In 1728, he was one of the board of selectmen, and again in 1731. In 1749, selectman, assessor, and town clerk; also in 1755 and 1756. In 1752, town treasurer; again in 1753 and 1754. In October, 1749, the town had recently built a meeting house, and it was voted that the man paying the highest tax on real and personal estate in town should have the first choice of a pew; the man paying the next highest tax the second choice, and so on. Capt. Josiah Richardson had the second choice. The pews were not to be re-sold without consent of the town.[39]