Richard Risley (abt. 1615 - bef. 1648)

Born about 1615 in England

Husband of Mary (Unknown) Hills — married 1640 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Connecticut

Descendants

Died before 17 Oct 1648 before about age 33 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut

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Richard Risley migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 284) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Origins and Immigration

It is believed by some, such as Edwin Hills Risley, that Richard was from Oxon, Lancastershire, England [sic, see Research Notes], and that he sailed on the ship Griffen in 1633, along with Thomas Hooker and his group.^[1] There is no evidence to support this assertion either. [Note: In 1949 D. L. Jacobus wrote a piece published in The American Genealogist in which he said, concerning his research and article, "While the data are far from complete, they correct and greatly amplify the unsatisfactory account of the early generations which was given in The Risley Family History (1909) by Edwin H. Risley."^[2]

Biography

Birth and Origins

Based on the approximate birth year of 1641 for the assumed first child of Richard and Mary Risley, Richard was probably born about 1615, and most likely in England.

Immigration

It is unknown when or how Richard Immigrated to New England, but he appears by February 1639/40, in the Distribution of Lands in Hartford.^[2]

Marriage and Children

Richard Risley was married by about 1640 to Mary (Unknown).^[3] After the death of her husband, Richard, she became the second or third wife of Will Hill (Hills), who was also one of the Landed proprietors of Hartford. Together they had at least three children who appeared on the inventory after his death:^[2]

1. Sarah, b. about 1641.
2. Samuel, baptized November 1, 1645, Hartford.
3. Richard, Jr., baptized August 2, 1648; m. Rebecca Adams.

Death, Burial and Estate

Richard died at Hockanum, Connecticut of typhoid sometime before the inventory of his estate was taken on 17 October 1648, leaving his wife and three children, ages two months to eight years.^[4] Richard W. Risley was likely buried at the First Burying Ground of Hartford (Research Notes, Ancient Burying Ground), but a memorial stone can be found in the Ancient Burying Ground.^[5]

The inventory of the estate of Richard Risley of Hockanum, amounting to L 135.05.16 was taken by John Cullick and William Gibbons. The names and ages of the three children were appended: Sarah, between 7 & 8 years; Samuel, about 2; and Richard, about 3 months. Distribution was ordered by the Court 7 Dec 1648 to the 3 children, and William Hill (who married Mary, Richard's widow) was to give security for payment of the portions and to bring them up to write and read.^[6]

Research Notes

The present-day capitol building in Hartford sits on the original Risley land grant.^[7]

"Oxon, Lancastershire, England" - its not entirely clear what place name was intended by Edwin Hills Risley. A search for "Oxon" only turned up a reference that it is an abbreviation for Oxford (which is in Oxfordshire). Lancaster is a town in Lancashire, but there is no county Lancastershire. A quick search for Risley baptisms in FreeRegUk turned quite few results in Lancashire, especially in Leigh. But no Richards.

Possible baptism: FindAGrave without source gives a baptism date of 17 Sep 1615 in Oxfordshire, England. Searches in Ancestry, FreeRegUK, and FamilySearch did not uncover any matching records.

Surname Spellings

In colonial records, the name is spelled, Restley, Rysley, Risley, Rizley, Risla, Rislae, Wrisley, Wisle, and Wisley.

Ancient Burying Ground

Ancient Burying Ground, Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut.

"The original brownstone monument erected in 1837 was replaced by this one in 1986, by the Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford. It stands in the Ancient Burying Ground, which is located to the rear of the First Congregational Church at the corner of Main and Gold Streets in Hartford. This cemetery is also known as Old Center Cemetery. It lists the original Founders of Hartford.

"It's commonly accepted as the burial place of the Founders. However, their bodies were more likely buried at the First Burying Ground of Hartford, which predates the Ancient Buying Ground, but was destroyed and the land reclaimed by the city. A portion of the story explains it:

-- Excerpt from "Hartford in the Olden Time" by Stuart Publishers, 1853.^[8]

Speculation that the maiden name of Richard's wife was Arnold

That Mary ([Arnold?]) (Risley) Hill/s was the dau. of John and Elizabeth (_____) Arnold was published on page 307, Volume 7 of the Connecticut Nutmegger [1974], in a brief article/query submitted by Edward M. Geary (#CSG2060). Unfortunately, no sources were cited to substantiate this theory.^[9]

Founders of Hartford

The following list is based on the names that were engraved on the original Founders Monument in the Ancient Burying Ground, also sometimes referred to at the "Old" or "Center" Cemetery. The cemetery is located at the rear of the First Congregational ("Center") Church at the corner of Main and Gold Streets in Hartford. The original brownstone Monument erected in 1837 was replaced by one of pink Connecticut granite in 1986, and the names on the new monument differ slightly from the list shown here.

Those descended from an ancestor who settled in Hartford before February 1640, as evidenced by the Original Distribution of the Lands may be eligible for membership in the Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford.

• Founders of Hartford

Attached Documents & Images

• Edwin H. Risley, "The Risley Family History,"^[10] Title page, page 33, page 34, page 35, page 36, page 37.

• The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, 1636-1776, Volume 1: April 1636 - April 1665.^[6] Title page, page 486, page 487.

• Torrey, Clarence Almon, "New England Marriages Prior to 1700,"^[11] Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, Md., 1985, Page: 626.

Sources

1. ↑ Edwin Hills Risley The Risley Family History (New York: Grafton Press, 1909); image of p. 32-34at InternetArchive.org.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Donald Lines Jacobus, “The Risley Family of Connecticut,” in The American Genealogist, vol. 25 (1949):233 (New Haven: D. L. Jacobus, 1949); (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - ), image of p. 233 by subscription AmericanAncestors.].
3. ↑ Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, 2:1279 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011), image of vol. 2, p. 1279 by subscription AmericanAncestors.org. Sources used by Torrey: AckleyBosworth 145; McIntire Anc. 344; Reg. 12:174; TAG 25:233; Brainerd 2:42; Hills 4; Risley 37, Warner (1919) 31; Dunham-Boyd 156; Hartford Prob. 1:31. Link to the source abbreviations used by Torrey.
4. ↑ James Hammond Trumbull, The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut (1636-1776) (Hartford: Brown & Parsons, 1850), image 514-15 of 638, pp. 486-87 at HathiTrust.org.
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15306608/richard-w-risley : accessed 22 May 2022), memorial page for Richard W. Risley (17 Sep 1615–17 Oct 1648), Find a Grave Memorial ID 15306608, citing Ancient Burying Ground, Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA ; Maintained by Marcia Lynne vonGunden (contributor 47059326) . Note: The "headstone" imaged on Find a Grave is actually a memorial stone and not an original.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} James Hammond Trumbull, The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut (1636-1776) (Hartford: Brown & Parsons, 1850), image 514-15 of 638, pp. 486-87 at HathiTrust.org. Copies of which are also found attached to this profile: Title page, page 486, page 487
7. ↑ "Founding of Connecticut & The Pequot War". https://web.archive.org/web/20080114232425/http://socialscience.cypresscollege.edu/~lyerby/connect.htm. Archived webpage from 14 January 2008..
8. ↑ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~steeles/Steele/d136.htm#P1471 Rick Parrott
9. ↑ From: "Perry Streeter" Subject: Re[2]: RISLEY Richard m. Mary [ARNOLD] Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 13:40 -0500 Rootsweb Mailing List Wayback Machine Archive
10. ↑ Risley: Page 8
11. ↑ Torrey's "New England Marriages Prior to 1700", Page: 626.

See Also:

• Anderson, Robert Charles, The Great Migration Directory, Immigrants to New England 1620-1640, A Concise Compendium (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015). p. 284, Entry: Risley, Richard: Unknown; 1639; Hartford [HaBOP 266; HaTR 23; TAG 25:233-46, 70:162-70]
• Jacobus, Donald Lines, “The Risley Family of Connecticut,” in The American Genealogist, vol. 25 (1949):233 (New Haven: D. L. Jacobus, 1949); (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - ), image of p. 233 by subscription AmericanAncestors.].
• Harris, Gale Ion, “Sarah Risley, Wife of Samuel Crooke of East Hartford Connecticut and John Payne of Southold, Long Island,” in The American Genealogist, vol. 70 (1995):162 (New Haven: D. L. Jacobus, 1995); (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - ), image of p. 162 by subscription AmericanAncestors.].
• History and Genealogy of the Gov. John Webster Family of Conn., Author: Webster, William H. & Melville R., Publication: Andrews Printing Co., Rochester, NY, 1915, Page: p. 89.
• "Founders of Hartford". www.cslib.org. http://www.cslib.org/foundhtfd.htm. Accessed 1 July 2007
• "Founding of Connecticut & The Pequot War". www.cypresscollege.edu. https://web.archive.org/web/20080114232425/http://socialscience.cypresscollege.edu/~lyerby/connect.htm. Archived webpage from 14 January 2008.
• James Savage Title: Gen. Dictionary of the Early Settlers of New England Abbreviation: Gen. Dictionary of the Early Settlers of New England Publication: NEHGS "Register," Note: 1860-1862 & "Births, Marriages & Deaths in Hartford
• Neil H. Dorrance Title: The Dorrance-Turner-Hill Families in America Abbreviation: The Dorrance-Turner-Hill Families in America Publication: 1936
• Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford Abbreviation: Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford Publication: Electronic Ver. 2000, revised 2001 https://www.foundersofhartford.org/
• Miss Mary K. Talcott Title: The Original Proprietors Publication: https://www.foundersofhartford.org/ Note: This material was first published in 1886 in The Memorial History of Hartford County Connecticut", edited by J. Hammond Trumbull, L.L.D., then president of The Connecticut Historical Society.
• Meredith B. Colket, Jr. Title: Founders of Early American Families Emigrants from Europe 1607-1657 Abbreviation: Founders of Early American Families Emigrants from Europe 1607-1657 Publication: 1975
• Billie Harris Shaffer Title: Risley Family Abbreviation: Risley Family Publication: http://www.rootsweb.com/~txdonley/index.html Note: descendant of JEREMIAH14 RISLEY, b. 1775, Virginia Territory; d. 1820, Knox Co., Ind.
• Talcott, Mary Kingsbury, 1847-1917 Title: The Original Proprietors Abbreviation: The Original Proprietors Publication: Robert A. Buckman, 2001 (electronic edition), 3rd printing Note: Society of The Descendants of the Founders of Hartford, Inc., available here.
• Goold, Roy D. The First Risley in America. The Risley Family Genealogy (Volume 1); http://members.aol.com/RisleyFA/rrisley.html seems to be an unsourced, self-published work.