Biographical and genealogical history of the state of Delaware, Vol. I, Part 20

Author: Runk, J.M. & Co
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chambersburg, Pa.
Number of Pages: 1482

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I. Elizabeth, b. September 4, 1705; died January 15, 1734, ummarried.

HI. Joseph, b. October 6, 1706; died iu Philadelphia, Pa., November 17, 1770, aged sixty-four years, one month and eleven days, married in 1744 to Sarah, daughter of William Morris, of Trenton, N. J., and sister of Will- iam Morris, Jr., who married Rebecca Richard- son. Sarah (Morris) Richardson, died aged twenty years, in about a year after her mar- riage to Joseph Richardson, soon after the birth of their daughter, Sarah Richardson. Hle never married again. In his younger days, Joseph Richardson, in connection with his father's business, acquired a knowledge and taste for mercantile affairs, making fre- quent voyages to the West Indies in charge of the cargo. During his absence on one of the voyages, his father built a house for him, at the place mentioned in his will as "Snug Harbor," about half a mile further up the Christiana creek than the paternal residence. On Joseph's return, he declined living in it, stating his determination to settle in Phila- delphia. The house had then progressed so far as to be roofed in, but was never finished, and was known in the neighborhood as "Richardson's Folly," or the "Folly House," and from this circumstance the "Folly Woods" nearby obtained its name. The cel- lar and foundations were to be seen until they were excavated by the Philadelphia, Wil- mington and Baltimore Railroad Company, their road passing over the site. Joseph car- ried out his intention of settling in Philadel-

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phia, became a merchant there, and by thrift and industry acquired a large fortune.

III. Robert, second son of John and Ann (Ashton) Richardson, was born May 31, 1708. Hle married Sarah Shipley, of Wilmington, October 6, 1750, and died June 18, 1761. Sarah, his wife, was born May 25, 1729, and died June 28, 1793. They had four children, i. Elizabeth, ii. John, iii. Mary, and iv. Ann, surname Richardson. In his early life Robert Richardson was connected in the shipping business with his father; he inherited the real estate of his parents on the Christiana, except- ing that part left to his son John. After his marriage he resided in Wilmington, engaged in the mercantile business. He had his place of business at the foot of Orange street, and resided on the hill on West street between Third and Fourth streets. After the death of his father in 1755, he removed to the old family mansion on Christiana Creek. He was about removing to Philadelphia when he died. Sarah, wife of Robert Richardson, was the daughter of William Shipley, one of the founders of Wilmington, and his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Levis, of Chester (now Delaware) county, Pennsyl- vania. Elizabeth Levis Shipley was an emi- nent minister in the Society of Friends (see sketch of William Shipley in this work) at that day, and on her death bed in 1777, just after the battle of Brandywine and the cap- ture of Philadelphia, when all chances seemed against it, prophesied the success of the Ameri- vans and the achievement of their indepen- dence. Her prophecy attracted much atten- tion at the time, found its way into the news- papersand wascommented on, but was general- lyridiculed by the British and Tories. William Shipley removed to Wilmington in 1736. Ilis second wife, Elizabeth Levis, at the time of her death, was eighty-seven years old, having been a minister in the Society of Friends for sixty- three years.

IV. Susannah, second daughter of John and Ann (Ashton) Richardson, was born Octo- ber 19, 1710, married Peter Bayard, of Bo- hemia, Maryland (date unknown), died No- vember 26, 1766. The time of her husband's death is unknown. Their children were Ann, Susannah, John R., and Elizabeth Bayard.

died August 15, 1772. The time of Dr. Fin- ney's birth is not known. He died March 22, 1774. They had four children, none of whom survived their parents. The following inscrip- tion is found on a head stone in the Richard- son family lot in the Friends' burying ground, New Castle: "Here lies deposited the body of John, son of Dr. John Finney, and Sarah his wife, who departed this life the 19th of Jan- uary, 1753, aged four years and two months. Also the remains of his three brothers, who died in their infaney." Tradition says Sarah Finney was the belle of that generation of the family.

VI. Ann, fourth daughter, of John and Ann (Ashton) Richardson, was born May 1, 1714, married Col. William Armstrong about 1758, and died February 20, 1799. They had no children. They owned and resided on the property since belonging to William Armor, and more recently to the late Samuel Canby, in Christiana hundred, New Castle county, near Brandywine Springs. After her hus- band's death, she resided in Wilmington, t) the time of her death, on the east side of Shipley street, about half way between Third and Fourth streets. William Armstrong was a member of the legislature of the State of Delaware for the years 1742-3-4-5, and proba- bly oftener. The time of his birth and death is not known; he was alive in 1775.

VII. Mary, fifth daughterof John and Ann (Ashton) Richardson was born December 22, 1715, and married Peter Reeve in Philadel- phia, in thespring of 1772. She died Novem- ber 18, 1798, aged almost eighty-three years. They had no children. They resided in Spruce street, Philadelphia, in a home owned by De- borah Wharton. Peter Reeve had been a sea captain, and survived his wife a few years, being eighty years old at the time of his death. His will was proved October 24, 1800. In it he leaves many legacies; among them he de- sires "my niece Sarah Wał, (only child of Joseph Richardson), to accept £10, to pur- chase a piece of plate in remembrance of her many kindnesses to me." Mary removed from Delaware to Philadelphia about 1767, and lived with her- widowed brother Joseph, until his decease, after which she married Captain Reeve, late in life.

VIIT. Rebecca, sixth daughter of John and Ann (Ashton) Richardson, was born June 22,

V. Sarah, third daughter of John and Ann (Ashton) Richardson, was born July 9, 1712, married Dr. John Finney about 1742, and 1717. She was married twice: first to .Joseph

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BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

Peters, son of Thomas Peters, of Philadelphia, February 13, 1741. Her marriage certiti- cate is recorded in book of marriages of New- ark (now Kennett) Monthly Meeting. Thomas Peters came to Wilmington by certificate of removal, from Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, June 29, 1740, and was disowned by Newark Monthly Meeting, for arming a merchant ves- sel, October 3, 1748. He carried on the mer- cantile business in Wilmington. The date of his death is not known, but he was alive February 11, 1746, and advertised in the Pennsylvania Gazette a long list of mer- chandise imported from London, which he offered at wholesale or retail, "very reasonable for ready money, or short credit." Rebecca Richardson's second husband, William Morris, was a native of Trenton, N. J., son of William Morris, and grandson of Anthony Morris, of Philadelphia. They were married in Friends' Meeting, at Wilmington, October 5, 1752. Ilis sister, Sarah Morris, had married her brother, Joseph Richardson, in 1744. Wil- liam Morris also was engaged in the mercan- tile business at Trenton, and afterwards at Wilmington. He and his wife resided at the southeast corner of Market and Front streets, in that city. He advertised in the Pennsyl- rania Gazette, in 1746, as follows: "To be sold by William Morris, Jr., at his store in Trenton, good rum by the hogshead, and salt by the hundred bushels, or less quantity, at Philadelphia price, and freight up from thence." Mrs. Rebecca Morris died in Wil- mington November 23, 1773, in the fifty- seventh year of her age. The date of her hus- band's death is unknown. She had no chil- dren by either marriage.

IX. John, third son of John and Ann (Ashton) Richardson, was born October 6, 1718, and died April 18, 1737, unmarried. He was assisting William Empson, a neigh- bor, to raise a barn, and was killed by the falling of a piece of timber.

Y. Richard, fourth son of John and Ann (Ashton) Richardson, was born June 9, 1720. He married Sarah, daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Tatnall, of Wilmington, and grand- daughter of Joseph and Mary Pennock, of Marlborough, Chester county, Pennsylvania, April 24, 1766, at Friends' Meeting in Wil- mington. He died September 10, 1797, in the seventy-third year of his age. Sarah his wife, was born in Wilmington, August 31, 1745,

and died there at the corner of French and Third streets, September 6, 1834, aged eighty- nine years and five days. On this corner, and probably in the same house, the celebrated Dr. John MeKinly, a brother-in-law, had lived and died. Sarah (Tatnall) Richardson lived with her daughter Ann, after her husband's death, and survived him thirty-seven years. Richard Richardson, resided previous to and at the time of his marriage, in a brick house standing near the Baltimore Road, one mile and a half from Wilmington, and near the bridge over Mill Creek, his sister Jane living with him, and keeping house for him during his single life. He carried on the milling business, in a mill that stood between the afore- said brick house and the road. He inherited this mill, with the adjacent land, from his father. Richard Richardson also had a bakery in which he manufactured ship bread. His curious old mill stood until 1835 or 1836. It Was a one storied building, with basement and loft, hip-roofed, and was run by an overshot wheel of twelve or fourteen feet. The first mill ever constructed on Mill Creek was of the kind called a tub, having the water wheel, which was horizontal, at one end of a perpendicular shaft, and the mill stone at the other, situated farther up the creek, near where Stidham's Run comes in, and was propelled by the force of the running water without much if any dam. It originally belonged to four persons, one-third to Jonas and Gisbert Walraven, one- third to John Sinexson, and the other third to John Richardson, who purchased the other two-thirds in 1723 for £13 each, or $69.16 for both shares, which alsoincluded seventeen acres of land. At this primitive mill, the person in charge was in the habit of putting five or six bushels of corn into the hopper in the morning, setting the machine in motion, and then going to his ploughing or other work, returning at noon to give the hopper another supply. The upper stone had a pin projecting upwards from its surface, which, with every revolution, -hook a few grains from the shoe into the stones to be ground.

The second mill, before referred to, would now also be regarded as of very simple con- struction. The tide then flowing into Mill Creek ascended as high as the mill, which was at its head, the creek being navigable for small vessels, thus affording facilities for bringing grist by water. The bolting of meal was done

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by hand, and the writer has heard his father say, that when a boy, he used to be set to turn the bolting cloth, and that when he became tired and vexed with the job, he used to whirl it around so fast as to send the flour out at the end of the cloth with the bran, so that the work had to be done over.

At the time of the Revolutionary war, a regiment of American soldiers encamped on the opposite side of the creek, just previous to the battle of Brandywine, often visited the mill, and being mischievously disposed, would throw chunks of fat pork, part of their rations, into the eye of the millstones, to be ground up with the grain, saying, as an apology, that "the mill wanted grease," thereby spoiling the meal. These soldiers also stole everything edible that they could lay their hands on, robbing the or- chards, hen-roosts, and gardens; taking the pies and bread out of the oven on baking days. They were so troublesome about the house day and night that Mr. Richardson offered to the commanding officer a bed in the house, which he accepted. His lodging there had the effect of keeping them away at night. For many years afterwards there remained the mark of a musket ball, shot through the kitchen door by one of these soldiers, because the family re- fused to let him in at night. As it was ex- pected that the battle of Brandywine would be fought in this vicinity, after the landing of General Howe, at Elkton, being in the direct course to Philadelphia, Mr. Richardson and family removed to Marlborough, in Chester county, for safety, thereby putting themselves immediately in the route of the British army, which they had attempted to avoid.

The present grain mill was built by the grandfather of the author in the year 1785, and the old one abandoned; he also built the present saw mill, as well as the fine old sub- stantial stone house on the same premises, which will compare favorably with any other in its neighborhood. It was built in 1765, and though it has stood considerably more than one Indred years, appears likely to endure for as many more years. This mansion, with the millsand property in the vicinity, is now owned by Samuel Richardson grandson of Richard Richardson. His children were: i. Joseph, ji. John, iii. Elizabeth, iv. Richard, v. Ashton, vi. Ann, and vii. John Richardson.

XT. Hannah, seventh daughter of John and Ann ( Ashton) Richardson, was born Septem-

ber 16, 1721, and was married twice; first to Thomas Gray, about 1751 or 1752; and, second, to Francis Johnson. The time of this marriage cannot be accurately fixed. She was Mrs. Francis Johnson, in 1766; how much sooner is not known. As regards her first marriage, her father says in his will, made in December, 1752, that she was "lately married to Thomas Gray," from whence the date above is obtained. Gray probably died some time be- tween "October, 1756," and "March, 1759," as he signed a receipt at the first date for part of his wife's legacy, and she herself at the lat- ter date for the other part of it. But this is not positive proof of his being dead at that time. She died November 11, 1787, in the sixty-seventh year of her age. She had no children by either marriage.

XII. Jane, eighth daughter of John and Ana (Ashton) Richardson, was born Febru- ary 1, 1727; married the celebrated Dr. John MeKinly between 1761 and 1766, and died July 18, 1805, suddenly, while sitting in her chair, in apparent good health, of apoplexy or paralysis, at the age of seventy-eight years, five months and seventeen days. They had no children. An exhaustive biographical sketch of Dr. MeKinly will be found in an- other part of this work. He was the first presi- dent (governor) of Delaware after the Deela- ration of Independence, was captured by the British after the battle of Brandywine and kept a prisoner until a year later, when he was exchanged and returned to his home in Wilmington. He died August 31, 1796, and was buried in the First Presbyterian church- vard, Wilmington, where his tombstone, bearing an appropriate epitaph, may be seen. As his widow, who survived him about nine years, was buried at New Castle, it is prob- able that she was living with relatives there at the time of her death.

FOURTH GENERATION.

Sarah Richardson, only child of Joseph and Sarah (Morris) Richardson, was born in Phila- delphia, August 22, 1746; married Nicholas, son of Nicholas and Mary Waln, May 22, 1771, and died in Philadelphia, April 13, 1825, in the seventy-ninth year of her age. Being her father's only child she inherited a large estate.

Nicholas Waln was born at Fairhill, near Philadelphia, September 19, 1742. He

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BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

studied law, and became eminent at tha Scott, who committed suicide when young on account of unrequited love.

the bar, but following his convic- tions of duty, abandoned the profession and became a prominent minister of the Society of Friends. He died at his home on South Second street, Philadelphia, which had been the residence of his wife's parents, September 29, 1813, aged seventy-one years and ten - days. Nicholson and Sarah ( Richardson) Waln had issue: I. Joseph; II. William; III. Nicholas; IV. Mary; V. Jacob.

CHILDREN OF ROBERT AND SARAH (SHIPLEY) RICHARDSON.

I. Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Robert and Sarah.(Shipley) Richardson, was born in Wil- mington, November 10, 1751; married Charles Wharton, of Philadelphia, son of Jo- seph and Hannah Wharton, October 22, 1778, and died in that city May 22, 1782, leaving no issue.

II. John, only son of Robert and Sarah (Shipley) Richardson, was born October 23, 1753, and died at his home on the Newport Road, two and a half miles from Wilmington, which he inherited from his grandfather when he was a child about eighteen months old. On the night of November 23, 1800, he was found dead in his bed, having died, it is supposed, of apoplexy. He was ummarried. The homestead afterwards became the prop- erty of his nephew, Henry Latimer.

III. Mary, second daughter of Robert and Sarah (Shipley) Richardson, was born in Wil- mington March 10, 1758; died September 7, 1795, married.

IV. Ann, youngest daughter of Robert and Sarah (Shipley) Richardson, was born in Wil- mington, August 3, 1760; married Dr. Henry Latimer, of Wilmington, February 26, 1789, and died in that city November 26, 1838. Dr. Latimer was born April 24, 1752, and died December 19, 1819. His tombstone may be seen in the First Presbyterian churchyard Wilmington. They had issue: i. Sarah; ii. John R .; iii. Mary R .; iv. Henry; v. James Latimer.

CHILDREN OF PETER AND SUSANNAH (RICH- ARDSON) BAYARD.

I. Ann, the date of whose birth and death are unknown. She married - - Scott (time unknown), and had one daughter, Mar-

II. John R. Bayard, born 1739, died in 1756, unmarried.

III. Susannah Bayard, date of birth and death unknown. Married Jonathan Smith; date not known. Children: John, Mary, Samuel, and Susannah Smith.

IV. Elizabeth Bayard, born January 20, 17 -; married John Rodgers, March 19, 1772. She is mentioned in the will of her grandfather, John Richardson, who left her a legacy; her name was then Rodgers. They had two children, Dr. John R. B. Rodgers, and a daughter named Susannah, who mar- ried Rev. Dr. Tennant. John Rodgers, the husband of Elizabeth Bayard, was born in Boston, August 5, 1727, and died May 7, 1811. His parents came from Londonderry, Ireland, in 1721, and removed to Philadel- phia in 1728. He was converted by the preaching of Whitefield, on the court house steps at night in Philadelphia. Passing near the place, with a lantern in his hand, he stopped .to listen, and became so absorbed in the dis- course that the lantern fell from his hand and was dashed to pieces. He became a noted minister of the Presbyterian church, and in the division of that denomination, which took place during his lifetime, in Pennsyl- vania, took the part of Tennant. A biograph- ical sketch of Rev. Dr. Rodgers may be seen in Webster's History of the Presbyterian Church in America.

CHILDREN OF RICHARD AND SARAH (TATNALL) RICHARDSON.

I. Joseph, eldest son of Richard and Sarah (Tatnall) Richardson, was born at Mill Creek, February 19, 1767. He married Ann, dangh- ter of George and Thomazin Spackman, of Wilmington, at Friends' Meeting in that city, June 16, 1803, and died December 24, 1833. HIe inherited the property at Mill Creek, and resided there all his life. His wife was born December 28, 1777, and died in Wilmington June 23, 1842. They had issue: i. Jane; ii. Samuel; iii. Sarah; iv. Thomazin; v. Edward T .; vi. Joseph; vii. George.

II. John, second son of Richard and Sarah (Tatnall) Richardson, was born May 30, 1769; died January 7, 1773;

III. Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Rich-

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STATE OF DELAWARE

ard and Sarah (Tatnall.) Richardson, was born at Mill Creek July 20, 1771; married Samuel Stroud, son of James Stroud and Ann, his wife, of Wilmington, October 29, 1789, and died November 5, 1847. Her husband died in Wilmington in 1832. They had issue: i. Ann; ii. Mary; iii. Edward, iv. Samuel; v. Sarah R .; vi. James Stroud.

IV. Richard, third son of Richard and Sarah (Tatnall) Richardson, was born in 1774; died in infancy;

V. Ashton, fourth son of Richard and Sarah (Tatnall) Richardson, was born at Mill Creek, May 5, 1776. He married Mary Wood, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Wood, and granddaughter of Joseph and Mary Wood, of Philadelphia, in the Friends' Meeting House that then stood on the south side of Pine street below Second, in that city, June 5, 1807. IIe died at his residence, Ashley farm, on the Bal- timore road, near the place of his birth, Au- gust 10, 1852. His wife was born in Phila- delphia April 1, 1785, and died at her resi- dence in Delaware February 1, 1853. Their children were: i. Richard; ii. Robert W .; iii. Elizabeth; iv. Mary; v. Sarah; vi. Hannah W .; vii. Lucy, viii. Ashton Richardson, and three others who died in infancy ;

VI. Ann, second daughter of Richard and Sarah (Tatnall) Richardson, was born at Mill Creek October 20, 1778, and died at the resi- dence of her brother Ashton, unmarried, July 9, 1845. She resided in Wilmington with her mother after the death of her father, and con- tinued to live there, keeping house by herself after her mother's death, in 1832, being only temporarily at her brother's at the time of her decease;

VII. John, fifth son of Richard and Sarah (Tatnall) Richardson, was born at Mill Creek June 18, 1783; married Margaret, daughter of Joseph and Sarah Paxson, May 11, 1813, and died in Wilmington September 30, 1859. He resided most of his life at Rockwell farm, near the place of his birth, building the house he occupied there, soon after his marriage. They had issue: i. Sarah T .; ii. Anna; iii. Wil- liam P .; iv. Elizabeth; v. Mary, vi. John; vii. Joseph P. Richardson.

FIFTH GENERATION.

CHILDREN OF NICHOLAS AND SARAH (RICH- ARDSON) WALN.

I. Joseph R., born August 8, 1773, died December 13, 1782; II. William, born March 10, 1775, died in 1825; married Mary Wil- cox, had five children; III. Nicholas, born October 4, 1778, died July 4, 1849, unmar- ried; IV. Jacob S., born August 19, 1785, died June 30, 1847.

CHILDREN OF DR. HENRY AND ANY LATIMER.

I. Sarah, born -, died 1828, ummarried; II. John R., born December 10, 1793, died January 18, 1865, married Elizabeth Kepley, of Philadelphia, no issue; III. Mary R., born July 29, 1796, died AAugust 8, 1871, unmar- ried; IV. Henry, born May 21, 1799, died 1822, married Sarah Ann Bailey, and had six children; V. James, born January 26, 1802, died 1837, unmarried.

CHILDREN OF JOSEPH AND ANN (SPACKMAN) RICHARDSON.

I. Jane, born June 5, 1805, died October 11, 1839, married Samuel S. Poole, of Wil- mington, June 15, 1837, no issue; II. Samuel, born November 11, 1806, died October 14, 1841, married Susan Robinson, of Wilming- ton, who died July 1865, left six children; III. Sarah, born February 4, 1808, died De- cember 25, 1839, unmarried; IV. Thomazin, born November 26, 1810, date of death un- known; V. Edward T., born June 7, 1712, died February 19, 1877, married Hannah Masden, May 20, 1841, no issue; VI. George, born January 29, 1816, married Sarah Wools- ton, March 13, 1845, had three children, his wife died December, 1877, date of his death not known.

CHILDREN OF SAMUEL AND ELIZABETH (RICH- ARDSON) STROUD.

I. Ann, born December 16, 1795, date of death unknown, married, December 16, 1820, Stephen Pancoast, of Delaware county, Pa., and had six children. Her husband died De- cember 15, 1873, in Philadelphia; II. Mary, born October 21, 1797, died April 20, 1821, she married Stephen Bonsall, of Wilmington,

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BIOGRAPHIICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

no issue; III. Edward, born January 19, 1800, died in 1821, of yellow fever at Havana, un- married; IV. Samuel, born January 20, 1803, died October 2, 1866, married Mary E. Jones, of Wilmington, had five children; V. Sarah R., born June 21, 1806, died June 29, 1875, married, November 4, 1830, Jesse Menden- hall, of Wilmington, and had five children. Hler husband died November 15, 1852; VI. James, born August 23, 1811, date of death unknown, married, February 16, 1835, Han- nah Ford Hedges, of Wilmington, and they had eight children. His widow died Decem- ber 24, 1863, in the fifty-second year of her age.

CHILDREN OF ASHTON AND MARY (WOOD) RICHARDSON.

I. Richard, born April 18, 1808, married Hannah White, of Philadelphia, no issue, and dates of death unknown; Il. Robert W., born July 6, 1810, died January 7, 1869, married June 17, 1847, Elizabeth R. ITulme, of Bris- tol Pa., no issue; III. Elizabeth, born August 28, 1812, died June 14, 1867, married, May 14, 1835, William Hodgson, of Philadelphia, had two children; IV. Mary, born February 20, 1815, date of death unknown, married June 21, 1867, Thomas Wistar, of Philadel- phia, no children; her husband died January 16, 1876; V. Sarah, born April 5, 1817, died November 11, 1876, married, June 10, 1841, Joseph Tatnall, of Wilmington, and had twelve children; VI. Hannah, born May 23, 1819, date of death unknown; VII. Lucy, born October 3, 1824, married, April 15, 1852, John R. Tatum, of Wilmington, and had six children; VIII. Ashton, born Febru- ray 21, 1830.

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Biographical and genealogical history of the state of Delaware, Vol. I, Part 20

Author: Runk, J.M. & Co Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Chambersburg, Pa. Number of Pages: 1482

Author: Runk, J.M. & Co
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chambersburg, Pa.
Number of Pages: 1482