Rideout letters from Dymple B. Johnson

Date: 1927 to 1927
Location: Fort Smith, Sebastian, Arkansas, United States
Surnames/tags: Rideout Ridout

Three letters written by Miss Dymple B. Johnson were found by the recipient's granddaughter and posted on a Ridout genealogy mailing list in 2000:

Contents 1 17 Jan 1927 to Charles H. Rideout 2 1 Feb 1927 to Mr. Ridout 3 1 Feb 1927 to Mr. Ridout, reverse side 4 1 Feb 1927 to Mrs. Fagan 5 Sources

17 Jan 1927 to Charles H. Rideout

115 N. 4th. st.,
Fort Smith, Arkansas,
Jan. 17, 1927

Mr. Charles H. Rideout,
2227 E. Morton, st.,
Tacoma, Washington.

Dear Sir:

Your name and address have just been sent to me, by Mr. S. O. Rideout, of Seattle, Wash. He says you are from Indiana.

In my files of data about the Rideouts—I have a Charles Harrison Rideout, son of Isaac Arden Rideout, b Jan. 17, 1844. Isaac is listed as the son of William Rideout and Eliza Baden. That data was given to me, by Mrs. Sarah Rideout High, daughter of William Rideout. When Mrs. High sent me this information she said she thot you were in Indianapolis.

The William Rideout above was a twin brother of my grandmother Mary Rideout, who married Robert Bryant Hardesty III. I have documentary proof of those facts—altho S. O. Rideout disputes me flatly about it.

We have just finished establishing the Rideout line from Mary, straight back to Nicholas who married Mary Ingersoll in 1730 and bot land in Falmouth (now Portland,) Maine. We are paying a genalogist [sic] to look up the facts about the Mary Ingersoll, for that family settled in Salem, Mass. in 1629. Another line, the Getchells, is worth while, and they go back to 1636 in a direct line. We have a copy of the published history of that family.

Mr. S. O. Rideout says you are interested in the genealogy of the family and have a great deal of information about it. I should be very glad to hear from you and get you placed. If you are not in our line, I can easily help you find where you belong among the descendants of Nichols [sic] NINE Sons. He had thirteen children in all.

Mrs. High must have been very ill when she answered my question and filled out forms as she died a short time after we corresponded. Her writing was that of a very old or a very sick person, but she was prompt and courteous, always.

Very truly yours,
(Miss) D. B. Johnson

1 Feb 1927 to Mr. Ridout

115 N. 4th. st.,
Fort Smith, Arkansas,
Feb. 1, 1927.

My dear Mr. Ridout:

About the spelling of this name:

The Hugonot [sic] spelled it Redoubte—the first one I have discovered in history was a French Duc—who was run out of France about the time of the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, I haven't any data about how it was spelled in the first years while the family lived in England.

Three brothers came to the New world in the 1700's. Our ancestor, Nicholas went to Maine, where he developed a shipbuilding yard at Casco Bay, near Brunswick and Portland. One went to Maryland as the private sec'y of gov. Sharp, and the other settled in Toronto, Can.

A descendent [sic] of the Mary land branch recently sent me a copy of the Rideout crest. I have only, just recently secured the names and addresses of Rideout's living there in Toronto.

I have copies of many public records—of the early days—and practically all of them spell it with the e—and pronounce the i long.

The census for 1820, in Clermont Co. Ohio, shows that our greatgrandfather spelled his name RYDOUT. The 1830 census, of Sandusky Co. shows he spelled it Rideout—

Copies of the bible records of John Rideout of Fremont spell it with the e. It really doesn't matter very much just how its spelled, we are all from the same family.

The Rideouts in Maine are "fine people"—says a Fort Smith man who now lives in Portland, Me. I think they must be—from the letters I get from them. There is one distant kinsman, of whom I am very proud—Henry Milner Rideout who writes such corking good mystery stories for the Sat. Eve. Post.

Since I wrote you last, I received a report from a genealogist in Portland, Me. and am now sending $12.00 to Goodspeed's Book Shop in boston to buy the new Genealogy of the Ingersoll Family in America. Nicholas Rideout married Mary Ingersoll and she was a direct descendent [sic] of the Richard Ingersoll who was given a grant of land in Salem, Mass. in 1629. Mary's mother was an Elizabeth Coe^[1]—and I am expecting to get Mayflower descent thru that line.

We have—so far—three coats of arms—Rideout, Ingersoll and Getchell. I am shopping, all over the United States, to find the best place to buy copies of these at the best prices.

I am inclosing [sic] a chart, which I wish you would fill out for your own family—and, I would like the names and addresses of all of your line from William that you can send me—I am writing a history of our family and want to include as many lines as possible. William was the twin brother of my grandmother Mary as, you see from the outline on the reverse side of this sheet.

Very truly yours,
(Miss) D. B. Johnson

1 Feb 1927 to Mr. Ridout, reverse side

Nicholas Rideout m. Mary Indersoll [sic]—they had 9 sons & 5 daughters
Benjamin R. m. Mary Getchell
John R. m. Elizabeth Getchell (his cousin)

• John G. - lived & d. in Fremont, Ohio.
• Joseph P.
• Abraham
• Mark
• Isaac - lived in Del. [or Dil.] Co. Ind.
• Ruth m. A. E. Hull.^[2]
• Susan
• Elinor m. Muchmore
• Mary m. Hardesty } twins
• Wm m. Eliza Baden }

Elinor's husband (Muchmore) died - and she moved "to somewhere in Kans." where she died. Have you any memories of her being in the same neighborhood with your family? A cousin in Crete, and some in Drummond, Mont., would like to have the Muchmore genealogy—but can't dig up anything about Elinor and his [sic] husband—

Please read the inclosed letter and then send on to your folks in Cinn.

1 Feb 1927 to Mrs. Fagan

115 N. 4th st.,
Fort Smith, Ark.
Feb. 1, 1927.

My dear Mrs. Fagan:

I am asking your brother to send you this letter, together with an explanation as to who I am and what I am doing.

One of your grandfather's sisters—Ruth married an A. E. Hull and moved to Cinn.—sometime between 1820 and 1830.^[2] The city clerk of Cinn. writes me that there something like 100 people named Hull listed in the city directory. Its too big a job, to write to each of these—to find out which of them are descended from the same line that we are—However, I would like very much to get a starting point on the line—and I am hoping you will make a few enquiries [sic] for me. In the Cinn. Historical Library there are many city directories—beginning about 1830 and if you can't get information any other way—an afternoon spent there running the names down thru the years would be an interesting experience. In my research work I have found there is always one or more members of a family that are interested in the genealogy—and you might locate the Hull, thru either the regent or registrar of the Daughter's of American Revolution or thru some local historical society.

Or, you can send me the names of the secretary of these societies and I will write to them. If there are any lawyers, doctors or teachers, particularly women named Hull, listed in the directory, more than likely—they can give you the wanted information as to which one of the family is interested in its history.

After working about fifteen years—I have just got the line straightened out, so that we are elegible [sic] to the DAR's on the Rideout line. The application of a cousin, is now in Washington and will be voted on at the Feb. meeting of the Nat'l. DAR's but I ahve [sic] no doubts of its going thru.

Hoping that you will enjoy—digging up ancestors and relations as much as I do—I am,

Very truly yours,
Dymple B. Johnson

Sources

1. ↑ She has this wrong—Mary's grandmother was Sarah (Coe) Ingersoll. Mary's mother was Mary (Hunt) Ingersoll.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} The reason Miss Johnson couldn't find any information on this family is that she had the name wrong—Ruth married Job Hall in 1829 in Clermont County.

• Ridout Research by Dymple B. Johnson - 1 "Here's a transcript of a letter received by my grandfather, Charles Harry Ridout, from Miss Dymple B. Johnson... Now--does anyone out there know anything about Miss Dymple B. Johnson? Who is the 'we' in the fourth paragraph? Who is S. O. Rideout of Seattle? Why did he dispute her documented facts?"
• Ridout Research by Dymple B. Johnson 2 "Here's another letter from Dymple to my grandfather... Well, cousins—anybody out there ever read any of Henry's stories?"
• Re: Ridout Research by Dymple B. Johnson 2 "I didn't post the second page of Letter #2 before because it was just a family chart, but that was before I heard of the questions surrounding Dr. Isaac Ridout. So, I'll add this to the pot of controversy, for what it's worth... That's all she wrote! Wish I could see my grandfather's reply!!!!"
• Ridout Research by Dymple B. Johnson 3 "Here is the last of Dymple's letters to my family--this one to my grandfather's sister, Ina Fagin, who was living in Cincinnati... Well, cousins--I suspect my grandfather didn't send this letter on to his sister as he was supposed to do as it has come down to me with the others through his daughters. It may be that Ina had moved, or was planning to move, to Tacoma by this time, anyway. I hope you've had fun reading these letters."