From the Probate Files: William Richardson - Anne Arundel County, Maryland - 1698

I wasn't able to locate a scan of eighth great grandfather  William Richardson Senior's will but here's a transcript of it:

[Descendants of Richard & Elizabeth (Ewen) Talbott of Popular Knowle, West River, Anne Arundel County, Maryland' 

Ida M. Snirk, author. Genealogical Publishing Com, 2009. Source: Google books.]

Although William stated in this 1691 document that he was "sick and weak of body" he didn't die for another 7-1/2 years as it wasn't  presented for probate until 1698.

He made specific bequests of land to his two younger sons Daniel and Joseph, a smaller tract to his daughter Sophia, and his eldest son William (Junior) was granted permission to use land that was part of his widow Elizabeth's plantation known as Watkins his Hope "always provided that he makes use be not prejudicial to his mother." Since no tract of land was left to William by this will I think it's almost certain that William, who seems to have been his only child to have attained his majority, had already been provided for.

William remembered his step-children, leaving a cow calf to each of them. He also bequeathed a heifer to his daughter-in-law. The remainder of his estate after all the bequests was to be divided into three parts with his widow receiving her choice of them and the rest being divided into four parts shared equally between his four children.

Five pounds "Sterling money" was left to "the stock in Friends called Quakers" within three years of his decease.

I think the most interesting part of his will is what his intentions were for "the three negro children* that I have given and bequeathed to my children, called by the names of Chargoe, Mary and Susan, shall serve until they attain the ages of fifty years and then be set free." I wonder if that happened.

*Daughter Sophia was bequeathed Mary, C[h]argoe was left to son Joseph and Susan was to be given to his grandson William Richardson.



© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Working on Wednesday: William Richardson (? - 1697) Planter & Quaker Minister

My most recent research has brought me very far up the family tree to William Richardson, my maternal eighth great grandfather.

[Extract from "Descendants of Richard & Elizabeth (Ewen) Talbott of Popular Knowle, West River, Anne Arundel County, Maryland."

Ida M. Shirk, author; Genealogical Publishing Com, 2009.]

 I wasn't able to find a creditable birth date for William but he has to have been at least 5 years younger than his bride, Elizabeth Ewen Talbott who already had four children by her first husband. She and William had eight children - four sons, William*, Daniel, Joseph (died as a child) another Joseph, & four daughters, Sophia Elizabeth, Sapphira, Elizabeth, and Sarah.

As you can see from the extract above, William was an ardent Quaker and monthly and weekly meeting of the Friends were held in his house in the West River.** He served as a member of the Lower House of the General Assembly of Maryland in 1678. He's described as a friend of William Penn who visited him in 1682.**
\

[Maryland State Roads Commission Marker-photo found on Waymark.com]

 He died in 1697 leaving a substantial estate. I'll cover his will and probate in a future post.



*I descend from William Jr.

[Ancestry.com]

**The West River Quaker Meeting was the most important Meeting in the Chesapeake region and the site of the first gathering of all the Quakers in Maryland.
***The purpose of the conference referred to by the road marker was to set the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania.

© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Working on Wednesday: William Sill (1757 - 1851), Farmer, Veteran

William Sill (or Sills) is one of my maternal fifth great grandfathers. He was residing in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, by 1800 according to the Pennsylvania Septennial Census of that year which only gives the most general information.

[Year: 1800: Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Septennial Census Returns, 1779–1863. Box 1026, microfilm, 14 rolls. Records of the House of Representatives. Records of the General Assembly, Record Group 7. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, PA.]

We know he owned land in Versailles Township and he's mentioned several times in The Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette. The first reference shows us that he paid his taxes in 1806:

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 3 March 1807. Newspapers.com]

In the next mention of William Sill that I found he was listed as one of the neighbors of a William Richardson who was in the process of losing his land. The description of Mr. Richardson's property gives us clues to the location of my ancestor's land holdings.

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 12 May 1807. Newspapers.com]

Early in 1808 his name appears as the lead defendant in a court case scheduled for the January term. I don't know what the cause of the suit was.

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 15 January 1808. Newspapers.com]

The 1810 federal census lists him in Versailles Township. (His son Jesse Sills is my direct ancestor.)

[Year: 1810; Census Place: Versailles, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: 44; Page: 340; Image: 00178; Family History Library Film: 0193670. Ancestry.com. 1810 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Third Census of the United States, 1810. (NARA microfilm publication M252, 71 rolls). Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

In 1811 his name appears in another bankruptcy case, this time as a court-appointed custodian of the "certain goods, chattels and effect" of John Hill, a fellow resident of Versailles Township.

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 9 August 1811. GenealogyBank.com]

The 1820 U.S. Census once again shows William and his son Jesse living in Versailles Township.

[1820 U S Census; Census Place: Versailles, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Page: 189; NARA Roll: M33_97; Image: 107. Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

Original data: Fourth Census of the United States, 1820. (NARA microfilm publication M33, 142 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

Although I haven't found any mention of William Sill in the 1830 U.S. Census, we know he was still living in Versailles Township from the following newspaper clipping and we also learn that Jesse Sill was facing a forced sale of his land.*

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 26 October 1830. Newspapers.com]

By the date of the 1840 federal census, it appears that William was living in Jesse Sill's household.

[Year: 1840; Census Place: Versailles, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: 441; Page: 520; Family History Library Film: 0020536. Ancestry.com. 1840 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.  Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Sixth Census of the United States, 1840. (NARA microfilm publication M704, 580 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

William Sill died in 1841 and is buried next to his wife Jane in the McKeesport and Versailles Cemetery. Next time I'm going to try to figure out what's behind this record:**

[Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1777–2012. Digital Images, 3–5. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Bureau of Archives and History. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.]

As far as I can tell, William never applied for the 1832 pension which would give us details of his service.


*You can find a definition of the legal term "venditioni exponas" here.
**There are records for at least two men named William Sill and I'm not certain which refer to my ancestor.


© 2018 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Gone for Soldiers? Richard Richardson, Senior & Richard Richardson, Junior

While in search of more information about my Tomlinson upline I came across this paragraph about my 6X great grandfather Richard Richardson and one of his sons, also named Richard.* It appeared in a 1912 reference book (which has been reprinted several times) and, although I can find evidence for Junior's support of the American Revolution, so far I haven't been able to locate anything about my ancestor's expulsion from by the Quakers because of an involvement in the earlier war.

[Ancestry.com. Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Original data: Mackenzie, George Norbury, and Nelson Osgood Rhoades, editors. Colonial Families of the United States of America: in Which is Given the History, Genealogy and Armorial Bearings of Colonial Families Who Settled in the American Colonies From the Time of the Settlement of  Jamestown, 13th May, 1607, to the Battle of Lexington, 19th April, 1775. 7 volumes. 1912. Reprinted, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1966, 1995.]

I'm going to see what I can discover about this and report back in a later post.




*Richard, Junior, seems to have undertaken the administration of his father's 1761 will after the named executors refused to act in that capacity.


© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

William Coale Junior and Elizabeth Sparrow Get Married in 1689

Last week I posted the 1730 marriage record for a pair of maternal 6X great grandparents, Margaret Coale and Richard Richardson. Now I'm going back another generation to Margaret's parents William Cole Junior and Elizabeth Sparrow.

[U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994. Ancestry.com. Original Data: Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Marriage 1682-1824; Collection: Baltimore Yearly Meeting Minutes; Call Number: RG2/B/S361 3.3]

Wheras William Cole Jun of Ann arundell
County in the province of Maryland Planter
And Eliz'a Sparrow of the Clifts in Calvert County
in the Said Province haveing Declared their Intent-
=ions of marriage two Sundry times at Sev'll meetings
of the people of God called Quakers at West River
in the County of ann arund'll afs"d w'ch was approved
on by the Said Meetings
Now these are to Certifie all people whom it may
Concern that for the full accomplishing of ye Intention
afs"d this Thirtieth day of ye fifth Month commonly
called July in the Year one thousand Six hundred Eighty
and Nine in an assembly of the people of God afs'd at
their Meeting place at the house of Richard Johns at
Clifts afs"d The Sd Wm Coale did stand up & takeing
the Sd Eliz'a Sparrow by the hand did Declare viz t
Frds in the presence of God & before this Congregation I take
Eliz'a Sparrow to be my wife and do promise to be a
Loving & faithfull husband unto her during both our Lives
And the Sd Eliz'a Sparrow did Declare viz t Frds
In the presence of God and before this Congregation I do
take Wm Coale to be my husband and do promise to be
unto him a Loving and faithfull Wife during both our
Lives  - - - And We who were present at ye Said
Meeting have hereunto Sett our hands as Wittnesses
the day and Year abovesaid
Rich'd Johns            Christ'n Harris            William Coale
Solom Sparrow        John Pardo                  Elizabeth Sparrow
Wm Coale                Rich'd Gibes                & now Coale
Rich'd Galloway       John Talbott                _______________
Edw'd Talbott           Frn's Hutchins
Wm Richardson       Marg't Richardson       Eliz'a Johns
Phil Coale                Eliz'a Hutchins             Eliz'a Coale
Tho's Sparrow         Wm Holyday
Abra Johns               Wm Chew
Sam'll Coale             Hanah Everest
Sam'll Constable      John Cutting
George Royston       Tho's Everest
John Austin              Wm Edmondson                          
Hoa's Bilingsly         Mary Webb
Rob't Johnson           Marg't Kidd 
Rob't Harper            Eliz'a Mears
                                 Hesther Pardo
                                 Tho's S___________
                                              Jasho                   

Here;s a reminder of how I'm related to this couple:

[Ancestry.com]

© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Richard Richardson & Margaret Coale Get Married in 1730

As a result of the realization that enough attention hasn't been paid to my ancestors from the Mid-Atlantic states, I've been looking into my maternal Tomlinson upline in Maryland which includes my 5X great grandfather Jesse Tomlinson's wife Milcah Richardson. And I found the Quaker marriage record from West River* for Milcah's parents Richard Richardson and Margaret Coale.

Maryland
                            Whereas Richard Richardson
Son of W"m Richardson and Marg"tt his Wife, 
and Marg"tt Coale Daughter of W"m Coale and Eliz"a his
Wife, Deceased, both of Ann arundel County in
the Province Afs"d Having publickly declared
their Intentions of Marriage with each other
in two Several monthly Meatings of the people
called Quakers which after Just deliberation
thereon no Impedement being found to their
Said Intentions they were approved of by the
Said Meatings and Left to their liberty to
Appoint Convenient time and place for the
Consumation thereof ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now these are therefore to Certifie whome it
may Concern, that on the twenty sixth day of
the third month Commonly Called May, Anno
one thousand Seven hundred and thirty____
Appeared the Afore Said Richd Richardson and
Marg"tt Coale, at the publick Meating house of
the people Called Quakers at West River in the
County afs"d and in a free and open Assembly
of the Said people and others there meet together
did take Each other in Marriage mutually and
Solemnly, promising in the presence of God
and the Afsd Assembly true and faithful fidelity
Each to other as Husband and Wife till Death
Should Seperate, and as a further Confirmation
thereof they the Said Rich"d and Marg"tt She
according to the Custome of marriage assuming
the Name of her Husband have hereunto
Subscribed their names and wee who were
present at the above Said Solemnization
as Wittnesses thereto the day and
year above Said

[Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Swarthmore, Quaker Meeting Records. Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.North Carolina Yearly Meeting Minutes. Hege Friends Historical Library, Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina.Indiana Yearly Meeting Minutes. Earlham College Friends Collection & College Archives, Richmond, Indiana.Haverford, Quaker Meeting Records. Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania.]

Ann Thomas                                   Natn Rigbie                               
Margaret Thomas                           Casandra Rigbie                      Rich Richardson[?]
Elizabeth Galloway                        Gerrard Hopkins                     Wm Richardson
Anna Thomas                                 Margaret Hopkins                   Margaret Richardson
Eliza Richardson                            Solomon Sparrow                    Richard Galloway
Mary Galloway                              Sarah Coale                              Joseph Richardson Junr  
Samuel Galloway                           Rebecca Richardson                Thomas Richardson
Ann Galloway                                Henery Child                           Sarah Galloway
Samuel Smith                                 Elizabeth Galloway Junr         William Coale
Philip Hopkins                               Elizabeth Wooden                    Daniel Richardson
Joseph Yates                                  Hannah Foard                           Richard Galloway Junr
J Richardson Junr                          Mary Richardson                      Joseph Richardson
John Coulston                               Mary Thomas                            Joseph Hill
Sophia Galloway                          Allridge Frankling                     Sarah Hill
James Elderton                             Peter Galloway                         Nathan Richardson
                                                      Joseph Cowman                       W"m Richardson



Richard Richardson's parents' marriage record from 1689 also survives and I'll be sharing it next time.


*Here's a 19th century description of location of the West River Meeting House:

[The early Friends (or Quakers) in Maryland (1862) by Norris, J. Saurin (John Saurin), 1813-1882
Source: The Internet Archive]



© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.

Monday Is for Mothers: Milcah Richardson (1748 - 1823)

Milcah* (a maternal fifth great grandmother) was born into a Quaker family in Frederick County, Maryland. Her mother Margaret Coale predeceased her father Richard Richardson who died in 1761, leaving a will** which names his children, including 13-year old Milcah.

As shown in this abstract from Hinshaw's U.S. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy it was her parents' wish that their children would be raised as Quakers.

[Ancestry.com. U.S., Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol I–VI, 1607-1943 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: Hinshaw, William Wade, et al., compilers. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. 6 vols. 1936–1950. Reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1991–1994. Hinshaw, William Wade. Marshall, Thomas Worth, comp. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Supplement to Volume 1. Washington, D.C.: n.p. 1948.]

But it seems that Milcah had other ideas.

[Ancestry.com. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Swarthmore, Quaker Meeting Records. Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.North Carolina Yearly Meeting Minutes. Hege Friends Historical Library, Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina.Indiana Yearly Meeting Minutes. Earlham College Friends Collection & College Archives, Richmond, Indiana.Haverford, Quaker Meeting Records. Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania.]

Milcah Richardson who has had her Education among
Friends but of a light and airy conversation, has strayed
from that which would have preserved her if given heed unto
has gone out from among us in marriage with a man not
of our Society. This meeting therefore appoints Jane Hayes
and Rachel Hollingsworth to draw up a Testimony against
her and produce it to next mo's meeting ----------

The Quaker Encyclopedia's entry explains a bit more, including the surname of her husband:

Consulting my copy of Thee & Me, this is what's being said:

Milcah (daughter of Richard & Margaret deceased) reported married out of unity October 31, 1767, to TOMLINSON; disowned November 28, 1767; paper to be read at Bush Creek Meeting Maryland

The Tomlinson referred to is my 5X great grandfather Jesse.***

Since the notice of her dismissal was to be read at Bush Creek near Monrovia in Fredericks County, I assume that's near where the abandoned hussy was living at the time. We know from the first federal census in 1790 that Milcah and Jesse were still residing in the area along with nine of their eventual ten children (including my ancestor Hugh).

They moved to Ohio by 1803 although I haven't been able to locate the Tomlinson family in either the 1800 or 1810 U.S. Census. Milcah Richardson Tomlinson is buried in Chenoweth Cemetery in Pleasant Township in Franklin County, Ohio, in 1823. She was 75.

[Chenoweth Cemetery . Photo by Gene #47100930; Findagrave.com]

*Milcah is a common transliteration of the Hebrew name מִלְכָּה (meaning "queen" or "ruler").
**Which I'll be covering on Friday.
***He and Milcah were the grandparents of the Jesse Tomlinson in last week's posts here and here.


© 2017 Copyright, Christine Manczuk, All Rights Reserved.