John Richardson (abt. 1630 - aft. 1679)

Born about 1630 in England

Descendants

Died after 16 Nov 1679 after about age 49 in Westchester, New York Colony

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ron Lamoreaux [send private message]

Biography

John Richardson was born about 1630 based on the birth of his children. He was born in England, and refers to his nephew Joseph Richardson of England in his will.

John Richardson of Stamford married by JAN 1653/4^[1] to Martha Mead. ^[2]

• Her marriage to John Richardson is proven by a court case in October, 1654 wherein she is accused of fornication, though not with her husband, John Richardson, and of delivering a bastard child at the house of Joshua Hughes [ie. Hewes] in Roxbury, Mass in January 1653/4; the child died shortly after birth (Hoadly, Records of New Haven 1653 to the Union, 122-24). Martha testified that she did not know who the father of the child was because she "had bine abused in [a] fainting fitt." Why she went to the house of Joshua Hewes is a matter of conjecture - he is also of a Hertfordshire family, though his place of origin (Royston) was not close to Watford (Anderson, Great Migration Begins 3:2092)^[1] (See Vol 73, page 9 of Remington).

John Richardson and Edward Jessup, of Fairfield, Conn., purchased a tract of land (about 1600 acres) at West Farms, Westchester County, New York, from the Indians in 1663 and 1664, which was patented to them by Governor Nicolls in 1666. ^[3]

• The patent for West Farms was granted to John Richardson and Edward Jessup April 25, 1666. " Bounded east by the river called by the Indians Aquehung, otherwise Bronks river, westerly by a little brook called by the Indians Sackwrahung, and southward to the Sound at East river, including a certain neck called Quinahung." Edward Jessup had a daughter Elizabeth, who married Thomas Hunt, and his part came into their possession. The whole was divided in 1669, Thomas Hunt having the part still known as "Hunt's Point."

Will

The will mentions his wife, Martha; son-in-law Joseph Hadley; dau. Bethia, wife of Joseph Ketcham, of Newtown; dau. Mary, wife of Joseph Hadley; dau. Elizabeth, wife of Gabriel Leggett; "my brother's [Henry] son" Joseph Richardson, in England. ^[4]

Abstract of the will for John Richardson, Westchester: ^{[5] [6]}

• "Leaves to wife Martha, the use of all housing and orchard, and all land in the planting neck, and all the Long neck that runs southwest from Thomas Hunts new dwelling house to the Sound for life. Leaves to son in law Joseph Hadley 8 acres of pasture at, or about the first spring. To my 3 daughters Bethia, wife of Joseph Ketcham, Mary, wife of Joseph Hadley, and Elizabeth, wife of Gabriel Leggett, all the meadow already divided on this side of the river above the planting neck, and to each of them 200 acres of land. Leaves to Joseph Richardson my brother's son in England, 100 acres of land, if he comes here within a year to receive it. If not it is to go to my wife Martha. All other lands to his 3 daughters." Makes Wm Richardson and Richard Penton of Westchester, and Jonathan Hazzard of Newtown overseers. Nov. 16, 1679. Witnesses. Walter Wehley John Lawrence Tho. Hunt Jr. Edward Waters. Liber I. P. 261.

In 1696, his estate set out to his widow Marth was distributed to his heirs, Bethia, wife of John Ketcham, Elizabeth, wife of Gabriel Leggatt, and Mary, wife of George Hadley, and the children of John Lawrence of Newtown.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Remington, Gordon L., The English Origin of William 1 Mead of Stamford, Connecticut. The American Genealogist: Vol. 73 : Pg. 9, 1998, accessed online at New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors 12/19/2013
2. ↑ Weaver, Lucius Egbert. Genealogy of a Branch of the Mead Family, with a history of the family in England and in America and appendixes of Rogers and Denton families. (Rochester, New York, 1911) p. 11.
3. ↑ Hatfield, Abraham. Early settlers of West Farms, Westchester County, N.Y. Tobias A. Wright Press, New York, 1913, p. 97. [1]
4. ↑ Record of Wills, 1665-1916; Index to Wills, 1662-1923 (New York County); New York. Surrogate's Court (New York County); digital images New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999, by subscription Ancestry.com.
5. ↑ William Smith Pelletreau, Early Wills of Westchester County, New York, from 1664 to 1784 (New York: F.P. Harper, 1898) 6-7, digital images Archive.org.
6. ↑ Collections of the New-York Historical Society, Vol. XXV (New York, 1893) Abstracts of Wills on File in The Surrogate's Office, City of New York, Vol. I, 1665-1707. pp. 64-5.
7. ↑ "United States, New York Land Records, 1630-1975," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99WX-396Y : 8 March 2023), Westchester > Deeds 1681-1698 vol A-B > image 330 of 396; multiple county courthouses, New York.

• Boston Evening Transcript: Genealogy Pages, 1911-1940. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2016; Vol. 1931, p. Oct:9, 28 Oct 1931, "Notes" #2434, digital image by subscription AmericanAncestors.org "Notes" #2434
• Boston Evening Transcript: Genealogy Pages, 1911-1940. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2016; Vol. 1932, p. Aug:8, 12 Aug 1932, "Notes" #2434, digital image by subscription AmericanAncestors.org "Notes" #2434