Elizabeth Riddle (1804 - 1882)

Born 9 May 1804 in Wheeling, Ohio, Virginia, United States

Wife of John Emery — married 31 Aug 1827 in Harlansburg, Mercer, Pennsylvania, United States

Descendants

Died 1 May 1882 at age 77 in Smith, Kansas, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Tom Blumer [send private message]

Biography

Eliza was the seventh child of Edward Riddle and Margaret McMillan.  On 31 Aug 1827 at Harlansburg, Mercer Co. (now Lawrence Co.), Pa., Eliza married John Emery, who was born on 22 Aug 1801 in Harlansburg, Lawrence Co., Pa., “an American by birth of Hollandish ancestry.”  John was a son of Jacob Emery (b. 7 Sep 1777, Hunterdon Co., N.J., d. 30 Oct 1844, Mercer Co., Pa.) and Adah Pounds (b. 4 Mar 1783, d. 15 Jun 1837, Mercer Co., Pa.).  John was a first cousin of Catherine Emery, wife of Eliza’s brother, Samuel Riddle (Chapter D). 

Eliza and John had nine children—7 sons and 2 daughters—Rebecca Anna, Jacob Emery, John Riddle, Cyrus D., William, Eliza, George Washington, Doctor Ely/Eli and Jesse Bentley. Census information shows that in 1830, the Emerys were living in Delaware Twp., Mercer Co., Pa.  John died on 30 Mar 1848, and by 1850, the widowed Eliza had moved to Wolf Creek Twp., Mercer Co., near her brothers, James and William.  She subsequently moved to Lawrence Co., perhaps in 1857 after the marriage of her oldest daughter and the death of her oldest son.  At the time of the 1860 Census, Eliza and four of her children were living in Harlansburg (Scott Twp.), Lawrence Co., Pa., near her sister Mary Ann Stevenson. ^[1]

The following notes are from the research of Philip K. Blumer [Blumer-439] and the resulting GEDCOM file now managed by his son, Tom Blumer [Blumer-434]. Philip is a grandson of Cyrus D Emery and Elizabeth M Brown Start of notes from Philip K Blumer Birth, Marriage, Death: Family records of Hazel (Marvin) King, a great-granddaughter, of Kansas City, Mo.

Birthday: The minutes of the Riddle Reunion, August 5, 1867, gives her birthday as May 9. That information is repeated in the Minutes for the 9 May 1868 meeting, for which Eliza was the hostess.

Birthplace & Date: "The Descendants of Edward Riddle & Margaret McMillan" compiled by Joan Riddle Giles, 1984. Published by Higginson Book Co., 14 Derby Square, P.O. Box 778, Salem, MA 01970. Updated by letter from author, 1993. (earlier version of the same Giles book listed in the sources)

1850 U.S. Census for Wolf Creek Twp., Mercer Co., Pa. Eliza is listed with her children.

Place of death: Joan Riddle Giles.

Joan Riddle Giles says that Augusta Co. Va. is now Ohio Co., W. Va.

Eliza is listed as attending the Riddle family reunions on Aug. 5, 1867, May 5, 1868, and Oct. 9, 1868. (Information from Joan Riddle Giles.)

In Estate File # OS 1423, Mercer Co., Pa., Estate of John Emery, we find a list of Articles Retained by Eliza Emery, widow of John Emery. The date is 22 April 1848. The list:

One Cow and Calf $10.00 One bed, beding and bedstead $4.00 Two hogs 3.00 One small bed, beding and stead 2.00 One gray mare 50.00 One bed, beding and bedstead 3.00 Six sheep 7.50 One bed, beding and bedstead 5.00 One cupboard and dishes 5.00 One set of drawers 2.00 One set of chairs 1.50 Ten bushels of wheat 6.60 One lot of iron pots 1.00 68 lbs of bacon (illegible) 3.40 One lot of buckets One large iron kettle .30 One lot of earthenware .16 One half bushel .12 One tin bucket and pans .25 One wash tub .25 One breakfast table .40 One set of horse sheers 2.00 One looking glass .25 One plough 1.00 One spinning wheel & reel .50 One stone hammer .37 1/2 24 Bushels wheat 15.44 One set doubletrees .25 14 1/2 Bushels rye 3.99 Two iron forks .12 1/2 8 1/2 bushels buckwheat 1.70 One harrow 2.00 14 bushels oats 2.88 One three year old colt 35.00 31 bushels ears of corn 3.87 1/2 One two year old colt 30.00 1 pair wool sheers .12 1/2 One year old colt 20.00 One lot mason tools 1.55 One lot of wheat in east field, Two plains .20 $2.00 per acre 13.00 One grindstone .37 1/2 One lot of rye in same field, One waggon 5.00 $1.50 per acre 3.75 22 sheep 1.25 each 27.50 One lot of rye in west field, 11 hogs 1.50 each 16.50 $1.50 per acre 3.75 One black heifer 6.00 One lot of wheat in west field, Two steers 14.00 $2.00 per acre 13.00 One cow and calf 10.00 Cash 4.00 One cow and calf 10.00 [Total] 354.53 One cow and calf 10.00 One cow and calf 10.00 One cow 10.00 Appraisers: John Bentley and James Riddle Two small pigs .50 One red year old steer 4.50 One year old heifer 4.00 One year old steer 4.00 One year old steer 2.50 One dung shovel .50 One axe .75 Two old axes and iron wedge.50 One shot gun 2.00 One windmill 13.00 One cutting box .50 One set of horse ?? 2.00 One white mare 45.00

A memo shows that Eliza declined the administration of her husband's estate, and "recommend David McCune as a suitable person to receive letters of administration." The note carries the signature of Eliza, drawn in a crude but painstaking hand.

Two other notes, one signed by John Riddle Emery, "a minor over 14 years old" and the other by Cyrus Emery, "a minor over 14 years old" contain their formal requests that William Maxwell be appointed their guardian.

James Riddle, one of the appraisers, is not Eliza's brother, since his death date is given as 1879. End of notes from Philip K Blumer

Sources

1. ↑ From The Descendants of Edward Riddle and Margaret McMillan Riddle by Joan Riddle Giles, Higginson Book Co., 2008.

• Giles, Joan Riddle. The Descendants of Edward Riddle and Margaret McMillan Riddle by Joan Riddle Giles, Higginson Book Co., 2008.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193730284/elizabeth-emery: accessed 03 June 2023), memorial page for Elizabeth “Eliza” Riddle Emery (9 May 1804–1 May 1882), Find a Grave Memorial ID 193730284, citing Spring Vale Cemetery, Washington Township, Smith County, Kansas, USA; Maintained by Joan Riddle Giles (contributor 48214207).