USA > Vermont > Caledonia County > Ryegate > History of Ryegate, Vermont, from its settlement by the Scotch-American company of farmers to present time; > Part 61
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5 JAMES, 3 ( William,2 James,1) b. Nov. 21, 1817; farmer, where his son now lives. He m. Feb. 1, 1844, Eliza, dau. Reuben Whitcher (b. April 2, 1816; d. Dec. 1, 1904.) They joined the Ref. Pres. ch. at So. Rye- gate, June 21, 1851 ; chosen elder, Oct. 27, 1876. He d. April 10, 1895. He was accounted a valuable counsellor and a reliable officer in the church.
Children :
i. Martin Sutherland,4 b. July 1, 1845 ; d. April 22, 1850.
ii. Clarence Newel,4 b. Oct. 26, 1851; d. Sept. 5, 1872.
iii. Oscar Harley,4 b. Nov. 8, 1854; m. April, 4, 1877, Martha Agnes. dau. Robert and Isabel B. Nelson. Ch. (1) Isabel Eliza,5 b. June 20, 1878 ; d. June 30, 1880. (2) Clarence Raymond,5 b. Oct. 15, 1881; d. Oct. 30, 1881. (3) Ibbie Jean,5 b. Oct. 1, 1886; m. Alvah Swett. (4) James Robert,5 b. March 30, 1889.
6
MATTHEW,3 (Wm.,? James,1) b. Ryegate, Sept. 3. 1825; m. Jan. 6, 1853, Meroa, dau. Sabin Clark of Groton. They lived in Ryegate, but rem. to Groton ab. 1868, where she d. Oct. 18, 1880, aged 47. He d. 1878.
Children ;
i. Carlyle,4 b. Ryegate, April 20, 1854; went to California, 1877; ret. 1878; when his father d. In Cal. and Arizona, silver mining till 1882; ret. to Groton and m. Aug. 1, 1882, Susie, dau. Edward Keenan. Rem. to E. Montpelier, 1902; in hardware and grocery bus. at Plainfield, 2 yrs .. in trade at E. Calais, where he d, 1906. His wid. res. in Plainfield. Ch. Susie,5 who m. Earl Bartlett of P. Ch. Mary and Carl. Res. East Montpelier.
ii. Luella Jane,4 b. Ryegate, Aug. 29, 1855; m. July 3, 1878, Joseph E. Vance of Topsham; lived in Groton; d, March 1, 1898. No ch.
iii. Ida May,4 b. May 4, 1863; m. Yeaton D. Nelson, q. v .; d. March 16, 1892.
iv. Ulysses Grant,4 b, Ryegate, May 22, 1865 ; went west; d. in Cal. 1911.
v. Austin Converse,+ b. Groton, March 25, 1867; lived with his uncle John McColl; went to Cal. in gold mining; ret. to G. 1905 and m. Marga- ret, dau. Alexander Renfrew ; In lumber bus. in Corinth; res. Brad- ford. Ch. (1) Roland Boynton,5 d. in inf. (2) Elizabeth Meroe.5 (3) Wilbert Alexander.5
vi. Emma Maria, 4 b. Groton, Nov. 4, 1868; lived with her uncle and aunt in Boston; m. there 1894, Geo, B. Hildreth. No ch.
vii. Wilbert,+ b. Groton, July 16, 1870 ; lived with his gr. mother in Corinth, and at Wm. Cassiday's, who adopted him 1891. Bought out Wm. C.'s estate, 1896; rem. to So. Ryegate 1908. He m. 1906, Marion, dau. Edward Rhodes, Noch. Rem. to W. Brattleboro in 1910. In feed bus.
viii. John Clark,+ b. Groton, April 15, 1872 ; lived with his gr. mother in Cor- inth. At work in summer resorts 1894-'01 ; in partnership with A. M. Heath of Groton 1 yr. In 1903 went west, mining in Idaho and Cali- fornia in company with his bro. Wilbert. Ret. 1906; in parnership in feed bus. with his bro. Austin; m. Sept. 21, 1910, Clara Hatch.
ix. Lillian Belle,4 b. Groton, Aug. 26, 1875; lived with Jefferson Hall; m. July 8, 1898, Harry Brown. No ch. Two other chil. d. in inf.
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HISTORY OF RYEGATE, VERMONT.
7 ARCHIBALD PARK,4 (Andrew,2 James,1) b. April 6, 1829; merchant in Gro- ton; Rem. to Peacham, 1889, when he d. May 11, 1894. He m. 1st. Ann, dau. Ara Welch (b. Jan. 14, 1837; d. April 21, 1862). 2d, Oct, 6, 1864, Eliza J. Welch, sister of 1st wife (b. March 13, 1843; d. Peacham, July 9, 1910.) Members of Baptist ch. in Groton and are buried there.
Children :
i. Andrew Franklin, 4 b. Oct. 27, 1860; res. Manchester, N. H .; bookkeeper. He m. June 7, 1897, Emma Gertrude Larkin of Nova Scotia (b. 1861; d. Dec. 24, 1898.) Ch. Alice Gertrude,5 b. Dec, 6, 1898.
By 2d m. all born in Groton.
ii. Anna E.,4 b. July 1, 1865; res. Peacham; town clerk of P. 11 yrs., and postmistress since 1897.
iii. Leonard W., 4 b. Sept. 25, 1867; in mercantile bus. in New York City. He m. Dec. 31, 1891, Alice M. Tarbett of Stoneham, Mass. Ch. Franklin Ward,5 b. Nov. 23, 1892.
iv. Crissia Blanche,4 b. Dec. 25, 1877 ; teacher.
v. Harlan A.,+ b. March 8, 1880; res' Peacham, where he is town clerk and treasurer.
ALEXANDER,3 (Andrew,2 James,1) b. June 24. 1836 ; farmer, and elder in 1st Pres, ch. He m. March 17. 1864, Jane Elizabeth, dau. James Shaw, b. Barnet, April 21, 1840.
Children :
i. Lewis,4 b, Dec. 18, 1864.
ii. Lizzie Jane,4 b. Aug. 20, 1866; d. May 5, 1891.
iii. James Burton,4 b. Oct. 20, 1868; m. Gertrude B. Farrar. Ch. Erma Evaline.5
iv. Walter Abbott,4 b. July 7, 1871; m. Blanche, dau. C. M. Wallace. Ch. (1) Wallace A.5 (2) Walter B.5
V. Edwin Brock,4 b. Oct. 28, 1873; m. Mabel J., dau. Wm. N. Gibson.
vi. Roscoe Alexander,4 b. Dec. 8, 1876.
vii. Margaret Bell, 4 b. Nov. 17, 1878; m. Austin C. Renfrew, q. v.
viii. Eugene Ernest, 4 b. Sept. 1, 1880. NEW YORK
LIBRARY
PUBLIC RHODES.
EDWARD, 1 Rhodes m. Betsey, dau. Jonathan Baldwin of Topsham (b. Oct. 11, 1799; d. Oct. 8, 1872.) Hed. ab. 1867.
GEORGE,2 son of Edward,1 (b. Groton,-1819; m. by Rev. S. R. Thrall, June 11, 1845, Helen H., dau. Wells Goodwin (b. R. Oct. 19, 1821 ; d. New- bury Dec. 30, 1891.) He d. Oct. 17, 1882, a few hours after his son, Edward G. Farmer and shoemaker. Members of United Pres. ch. Children all born in Ryegate.
i. Martha,3 b. Dec. 26, 1846; d, Sept. 2, 1872; m. Robert G. Brock, q. v.
ii. Emily Annette,3 b. May 2, 1848; m. David Brock, q. v.
iii. Edward George,3 b. April 5, 1851 ; lived at Ryegate Corner. He m. 1873, Agnes, dau. James Esden of Barnet (b. Jan. 1, 1845; d. Oct. 10, 1897.) He d. Oct. 17, 1882. Ch. (1) Hattie M.,4 m. Wilbert Renfrew, q. v. (2) Jennie M.,4 m. James C. Gibson, q. v.
iv. Frank Wells, 3 b. Aug. 19, 1855. In Cal. 24 yrs; m. Mary V. Campbell. Ch. Gilbert Frank,4 b. Dec. 25, 1897.
v. John Jason,3 b. Oct. 18, 1857; pattern maker for E. and T. Fairbanks and Co., 28 years; res. St. Johnsbury. Hem. Aug. 12, 1884, Emma J., dau. Jackson P. Miller. Members of No. Cong. ch. Hed. Jan. 7, 1911. Ch. Della Caroline,4 b. Oct. 19, 1886; bookkeeper in tele- phone office; m. Mar. 26, 1912, Harry W. Chamberlin of Montpelier.
vi. Carrie Bell,3 b. Dec. 5, 1859; m. 1st, Robert Wilson of St. J. (deceased.) Ch. Mabel H.,4 b. Sept. 28, 1890. 2nd. Dr W. L. Paine.
vii. Hattie Owen,5 b. Jan. 4, 1863; d. Oct. 21, 1869.
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509
GENEALOGY-RICKER.
RICKER.
MATURIN and GEORGE Ricker came from England ab. 1670, and were both killed by the Indians, June 4, 1706. Joseph, son of Maturin, m. Eliza- beth Garland of Berwick, Me. Joshua, their son, b. at Berwick, April 9, 1737, O. S .; m. June 28, 1756, Betsey Drew, They came to New- bury before 1765, and were members of the Cong. ch .; rem. to Bath, N. H., where she d. Nov. 12, 1811, and he d. March 5, 1818. They are bur. in the Carbee cemetery. Twelve chil. of whom Mary, b. 1772, m. 1st, Martin Chamberlin of Bath and 2d, Ezekiel Manchester of Ryegate, q. v.
JOSEPH,1 son of Joshua, b. Bath, Feb. 13, 1765 ; lived in Newbury on a farm still called the "Ricker place," about two miles w. from Wells River ; buildings all gone. Hem. 1st, in Newbury by Rev. Nathaniel Lambert, Polly, dau. Sylvanus Heath (b. Newbury. Dec. 25, 1769; killed by a team in Bath, Jan. 21, 1821.) They had 13 chil., all b. in N. He m. 2d, in Peacham and after some yrs., rem. to Groton, where he d. Jan. 21, 1851. Nineteen chil. in all. (See History of Newbury.)
ORSON,2 (Joseph,1) the 9th ch. in the family ; b. Newbury, Nov. 18, 1806; m. Dec. 6, 1829, by Rev. James Milligan, Lydia. dau. William Taisey,* who came from Scotland. They lived in Groton on the farm now owned by their son Charles A. The present house was built by Orson Ricker to replace the former house, which was burned, and all the chil. except the eldest, were b. in the present house. He lived to be 82 and his wife 91. Their chil. were all physically strong, energetic and pros- perous. He d. 1887.
Children :
i. Mary E.,3 b. Nov. 1, 1830; m. 1st, William, s. of Capt. David Vance. 2d, George Melville. In the late 50's they moved to, and settled in Money Creek Valley, Minn.
ii. William, 3 b. April 17, 1832; m. Lodena Taisey ; res. Woodsville, N. H.
iii. Everett D .. 3 b. Sept. 23, 1833; enlisted in Co. D, 3d Vt., in autumn of 1861, and d. of typhoid fever in the spring of 1862.
iv. Frank.3 b. May 17, 1835; m. Marcia Dascomb of Indianapolis. On a voyage from San Francisco to New York the ship was wrecked off Cape Hatteras. She with the captain's wife and others taking a small boat for the shore, and when near it the boat overturned and she was killed. her neck being broken, the only one lost from the boat. He m. a 2d w. who survived him, and res. at Woodsville, N. H.
v. Alfred, 3 b. Aug. 28, 1837 ; d. 1842.
vi. Isaac M.,, b. April 10, 1839 ; served in Co. H, 12th Vt,, in the Civil war. He m. Mary J. Taisey, sister of the wife of his bro. William who sur- vived him. He d. Groton, 1911.
vii. Ira,3 b. Feb. 2, 1841; d. 1842.
viii. Rose M., 3. b. Nov. 10, 1842; m. Oscar Beckwith who d. at West Fairlee, 1866.
ix. Benjamin Ricker,3 b. Oct. 28, 1844; d. April, 1912; m. Helen Plummer, who survives him and res. in Groton.
1 x. Nathan H.,3 b. Oct. 10, 1846.
xi. Ella F., b. Dec. 6, 1848; m. Moses Whitehill ; res. Groton.
zii. Harvey,3 b. April 12, 1851; m. 1st, Katie. dau. Reuben Bruce of Barnet. 2d, a lady from Minneapolis, where they reside.
xiii. Charles A.,3 farmer on the homestead in Groton. He m. Charlotte Vance. NATHAN H.,3 (Orson,2 Joseph,1) b. Oct 10, 1846; rem, to Ryegate; rented the William Gray farm 3 yrs. then bought the original William Nelson farm, then somewhat run down, cutting from 40 acres only 35 loads
1
* NOTE. The original spelling of this name was Tassie, and is so spelled by William Taisey several times among the Whitelaw papers. He lived in Ryegate for some years. Gen. Whitelaw spelled the name Tassey.
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HISTORY OF RYEGATE, VERMONT.
of rather poor quality. This farm he improved and in the last year of his residence on it cut 116 loads of 1st quality besides a fine growth of 2d cutting, measuring in all 130 tons. He made a specialty of dairy farming, using Jersey cows, making butter at the farm, and by repeated experiments greatly increased the amount of butter pro- duced from each cow. This farm he sold in 1908, removing to Wells River. Town treasurer 6 yrs. before removal from town. He m. 1st. Mar 20, 1875, Carrie, dau. Wm. Henderson (b. Nov. 11, 1848; d. Nov. 3, 1880.) 2d, Feb. 14, 1884, Margaret, dau. David Lumsden, who d. July 24, 1906. 3d, Dec. 30, 1909, Miss Nellie J. Rollins, who had been a school teacher at New Britain, Conn., for 23 yrs.
Children, all born in Ryegate.
By 1st marriage.
2
i. William Gray,+ b. May 23, 1876.
ii. A daughter,4 b. May 30, 1878; lived 27 days.
By 2d marriage.
iii. Lillias Carrie,+ b. April 8, 1885 ; grad. St. Johnsbury Acad. 1903; Girl's Latin School, Baltimore, Md., March, 1904; entered Smith Coll., but ret. in 1906 to care for her mother ; now teaching.
2 WILLIAM GRAY, 4 (N. H., 3 Orson,? Joseph,1) b. May 23, 1876 ; grad. St; Johns- bury Acad., 1896; Yale Univ., 1900, taking honors in a class of 400; grad. from the medical department of the Johns Hopkins Univ., Balti- inore, Md., 1904, and from the Montreal General Hospital, 1905; during two summer vacations he did autopsies and laboratory work at the Montreal hospital, so having nearly two years there; in prac- tice at Wells River, Aug. 1, 1905-Oct. 1, 1911, when he located at St. Johnsbury, as a specialist. He m. Dec. 21, 1905, Mary S., dau. Rev. James M. Beattie of Ryegate.
Children all born at Wells River.
i. Margaret H.,4 b. Dec. 19, 1906.
ii. Nathan H., 4 b. April 28, 1908.
iii. Elizabeth,4 b. Oct. 16, 1900.
RITCHIE.
In the cemetery at Ryegate Corner is a granite tombstone of large size lying flat upon the ground, covered by the following inscription :
Here Lies the body of John Ritchie late of this Town he depart- ed this life January 1800 aged 75 years he was born in the Parish of Roseneath Scotland of respect- able parents lived in this place 16 years and always maintain- ed a good character. " Memeto mori."
He was born in the parish of Roseneath, Scotland, 1724; blacksmith at Ers- kine, where he m. ab. 1735, Isabel, dau. James Neilson (see Neilson families of Erskine, in this vol.) Member of the Scotch Co., and one of the 1st managers. Came to Ryegate when 60 yrs. old their church certificate being dated at Erskine, May 2, 1784, and bought the land which after his death became the farm of Rev. Wm. Gibson. In the
511
GENEALOGY-RITCHIE.
grand list of 1796 he was the owner of 210 acres and quite an amount of personal property. He d. Jan. 1800, and she lived in the family of Capt. John Gray till her death. (See Cochran Family.)
ARCHIBALD,1 b. Roseneath, Dunbartonshire, Aug. 7, 1797. His father moved to Kilmalcolm about 1811 and the son m. 1st, Elizabeth, dau. Arch- ibald Leitch (b. May 15, 1801.) Farmer leasing from a landlord, or purchasing from a tenant a "tack" of 19 yrs. Being a Covenanter he refused to take part in an election to Parliament; near the close of his lease his landlord, who was a candidate for the House of Com- mons and needed every vote his tenants had, came to him. He used to tell the story of his eviction in this wise. "Duchal cam' to see me ; I was i' the byre. He telt me ' wud I vot' for 'm ?' I telt 'm ' I wudna.' vot'.' He telt me, 'Leave my lan's,' and that was the best turn Duchal e'er did me." It was that circumstanee which induced him to come to America. His wife was very much opposed to coming. although her parents and brothers and sisters were already here. She often said, "I shall never see America," and the presentment proved true, for she d. May 26, 1844, and was buried at sea. He bought in 1844, the Capt. John Miller farm at South Ryegate, which is partly in Newbury. He m. 2d, Oct. 17, 1849, Agnes, dau. James Lumsden (b. Sept. 16, 1807; d. Jan. 4, 1894.) He d. Mar. 23, 1886; bur. at So. Ryegate. The mother of Archibald Ritchie was Mary Hall. She had a nephew, Don- ald Hall, who m. a dau. of Robert Vance of Barnet, and lived in New- bury, 1857-'80; they rem. to Barnet, and are dead, also their son Henry and his wife, who are all bur. at Barnet Centre. Mr. Ritchie was a member of the Covenanter ch. ab. 70 yrs., and never missed a communion till the fall before he died. From 1844 to July, 1862, he went to church half the time at the Walter Harvey meeting house in Barnet and half the time at Ryegate Corner, as the services alternated between the places and from July 1862 to Oct. 1885, to Ryegate alone. Mr. Miller estimates that he went to Barnet 600 times (16 miles the round trip) 9600 miles, and to the Corner 1250 times (61/2 miles the round trip) 8125 miles, making in all about 18,000 miles of church travel, much of the time on foot, to hear what was to him sound doc- trine. Elected elder. Jan. 15, 1854.
Children all born Kilmalcolm, Scotland.
1
i. Duncan,2 b. April 17, 1825.
2 ii. William,2 b. Nov. 17, 1826.
iii. Mary,2 b. March 15, 1829; d. in Scotland, 1842.
iv. Margaret,2 b. Oct. 29, 1830; m. Duncan Stewart, q. v.
v. Elizabeth,2 b, Sept. 1, 1832 ; m. John Johnston, q. v.
vi. Jane,2 b. Aug. 7, 1834; m. William Bone, q. v.
1 DUNCAN,2 (Archibald,1) b. April 17, 1826 ; in. April 1, 1852, Ann, dau. Andrew Wylie; settled on the John Randall farm in Newbury ; Covenanter and Session Clerk. He d. suddenly, June 20, 1900. She d. Sept. 8, 1911.
Children :
1. Elizabeth Ann, 3 b. Sept. 27, 1852; d. Oct. 8, 1867.
ii. Andrew Fremont,3 b. May 13, 1856; d. N. Y. City, July 24, 1883; bur. So. R.
iii. Archibald,3 b. May 8, 1859; d. Oct. 5, 1869.
iv. Lilly Cole,3 b. Dec. 15, 1861 ; d. Oct. 3, 1869.
2 WILLIAM,2 (Archibald,1) b, Nov. 17, 1826; m. 1863, Lucena, dau. Hiram and Hannah (Boylngton) Moore, who d. Jan. 26, 1873. He d. Topsham, Feb. 22, 1902 ; bur. in Holland, \'t.
Children all born iu Derby. Vt.
i. Jane Belle, 3 b. April 3, 1863 ; m. George L. Hall of Topsham, q. v.
ii. John Brown,3 b. Dec. 25. 1864.
iii. Lizzie May, 3 b. July 25, 1866 ; d. in inf.
iv. Mary Emma,8 b. Jan. 11, 1868; d. in inf.
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HISTORY OF RYEGATE, VERMONT.
v. Hiram William,3 b. Feb. 3, 1869; enlisted in Co. E., 9th U. S. Inf., in the Spanish-American war and was sent to the Philipines and later to China. After their return to the island of Samar two companies were surprised by the natives, and massacred while asleep, only 12 escaping alive, Oct 16, 1601, Bur. in Cypress Hill, Nat. Cem., Brookly, N. Y. Grave No. 6205.
vi. Edith Hannah,3 b. March 13, 1871.
iv. Joseph Bates,3 b. Jan. 1873; lived with his uncle Duncan since infancy, and still remains on the farm now owned by Tait M. Ritchie.
RITCHIE.
JAMES,1 b. Mauchlin, Scotland, March, 1811; m. Mary Young (b. April, 1818.) Two weeks after marriage they lett for America, were five weeks on the voyage to New York, came by boat to Burlington, walked to Greensboro, arriving in May, 1841. Res. on same farm till death. Their son, Andrew C.,2 b. Greensboro, July 21, 1850; ed. Morrisville and Peacham Acad's; teacher at W. Barnet; in lumber bus. there three yrs,; merchant there, taking after some years, A. D. Warden, as partner. Supt. of Schools and school director. Director in Citizen's Savings Bank and Trust Co., St. Johnsbury. He m. Mar. 19, 1874, Sarah J., dau. Harvey Warden (b, W. Barnet, Nov. 6, 1851; ed. Peacham Acad .; teacher.)
Children all born West Barnet.
i. Emma Gibson,3 b. Jan. 23, 1875; ed. St. Johnsbury Acad .; grad. Welles- ley Coll., 1897; m. Seldon C. Smith of Cabot, a graduate of Dart- mouth Coll., member of the firm of Ginn & Co., of Boston, publishers of school books, having charge of their work west of the Rocky Mountains; res. Berkeley, Cal. Ch. (1) Margaret Wyman, 4 [Smith] b. June 3, 1900. (2) Ritchie C., 4 [Smith] b. Aug. 31, 1904. (3) Shir- ley R .. + [Smith] b. Sept. 16, 1908.
ii. James John,3 b. Feb. 12, 1884; fitted for college at St. J. Acad .; grad. Dartmouth Coll., 1906; in business with his father at W. Barnet.
iii. Margaret Edith,3 b. July 11, 1890 ; ed. St. Johnsbury Acad .; m. Jan. 15, 1912, Warren L. Estabrooks of St. J.
ROBEN.
In the parish of New Kilpatrick, Renfrewshire. Scotland, upon the entailed estate of Gascowin, about the year 1425, a farmer by name of Roben took a lease of one of the farms on the estate called the "Three Part Farm," together with a mill for making oat meal, which was called the "Three Part Mill." The lease of the farm and mill was inherited by the oldest son of the Robens. About 1740 the lease fell to Walter Roben, who at that time occupied a farm in the parish of Calder by the name of Robraston. He with his oldest son, Matthew, moved upon Three Part Farm, where Walter died in 1774, aged 65 years. Walter Roben m. Isabel Gardner, a very proud and intelligent woman whose mother's maiden name was Katharine Buchanan. She was a sister to the father of Hugh Gardner, who settled in Ryegate. He d. Dec. 21. 1774, and she Aug. 28, 1769, and were buried in New Kilpat- rick burying ground.
Children not in regular order.
I. MATTHEW, of whom later.
II. WILLIAM, m. Margaret Park.
III. WALTER, m. Stewart.
IV. MARGARET, m. George Brice.
V. KATHERINE, m. Walter McClay.
VI. JEAN, m. Robert Harvey.
VII. ISABEL, m. Walter Lindsay.
VIII. ELIZABETH, m. John McIntire.
513
GENEALOGY-ROBEN.
The five daughters of Walter Roben lived and died near Glasgow, but descend- ants of most of them are found in most of the United States.
WILLIAM, the 2d son of Matthew Roben of Scotland, mn. Margaret Park and settled in Renfrew. Their sons were;
i. Matthew, who went into business in Glasgow where he became very wealthy and left a son and a dau. He was provost of Glasgow in 1858.
ii. William, came to America and settled on Long Island and reared a large family. On a visit to Scotland, he was drowned on the Clyde together with two sons of his bro, Robert.
iii. Peter, never m. In business in Glasgow, and became wealthy.
iv. George, came to Wisconsin with wife and 5 chil. about 1850. His wife and three chil. d. and he ret. to Glasgow; m. again in 1858, and d. 1888 very rich.
V. Robert, came to Ryegate while young, but went into the liquor business in New York City, and 15 yrs. later sold and returned to Glasgow and was extensively engaged in business and became immensely wealthy. He retired about 1860, built a fine residence at Port Glasgow and d. 1875; leaving a wife and several chil.
vi. Walter, went to Australia about 1855, but ret. to Glasgow and d. there. vii. Walter, son of Walter of Scotland, came to New York about 1805, and remained there leaving a son who was very promising but became insane, and a dan. Mary who d. un-m.
MATTHEW,1 son of Walter of Scotland, fell heir to the lease and took pos- session, but gave up the lease in a short time owing to some trouble between him and his landlord, the Earl of Goscawin, a man of quar- relsome and pugilistic temperament. He provoked Roben to a per- sonal encounter, but the latter, being a large and powerful man, was much more than his match. The lease had been held for nineteen terms of nineteen yrs. each. He leased a farm in the parish of Yocker, called the Yocker Mains, which he held till 1801, His wife d. June 29, 1793. and was bur. in New Kilpatrick bur. ground. Her name was Jean Harvey, and she was nearly related to Col. Alexander Har- vey who settled in Barnet. Soon after her death he lost most of his property through having become surety for his brother William and decided to come to America and settle upon his claim in Ryegate, both his father and himself having been members of the Scots Ameri- can Co. On March 6, 1800, he received from David Allan, president of the Co., an order which entitled him to three lots of land in Ryegate. With his children he embarked on the ship Phoenix April 7th, and an- chored at quarantine in New York harbor, May 21st, 1801. With them came James Wallace and family, and Robert Fulton who settled in Newbury, the Allans, Andrew Buchanan and Jean Arbuckle who settled in Ryegate. They came to Ryegate June 29, 1801. The. land which was deeded to him had been devastated by a tornado in 1800. This farm was later owned by his son Walter and now by several owners. They were not used to the laborious work of a pioneer, and it was very hard for them, but he never carried out his desire to return to Scotland. He d. April 7, 1809; bur. at Ryegate Corner. In his youth he became intimately acquainted with Robert Burns through his visits to the Masonic Lodge in Glasgow of which Matthew Roben was a member. The 3d generation (grandchildren) of Matthew and Jean Roben numbered 135 persons, of whom 92 were b. in Rvegate, and 63 in Newbury, Barnet. New York City, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska.
Children all born in Scotland,
i. Jean,2 b. May 19, 1785; d. Jan. 18, 1862; m. Andrew Buchanan, q. v.
ii. Walter,2 b. Jan. 1. 1787.
iii. Isabel.2 b. July 17, 1788; d. at 3 yrs, of age.
v. John 2 b. Oct. 1, 1790.
Y. Isabel,2 b. Feb. 3, 1793; m. William Gray, q. v.
7.
3
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HISTORY OF RYEGATE, VERMONT.
2 WALTER,2 (Matthew.1) b. Scotland, Yocker. 1787; came to America with his father ; lived and d. on homestead; m. Jan. 3. 1811 by Rev. Wm. Gib- son, Mary (called Polly) dau. James Thomas b. Rye, N. H., 1792. In 1817, in company with John Craig and Jonathan Darling he started on foot to visit and explore what was called the "French Grant in Ohio," traveling to Pittsburg, Penn., thence down the Ohio to the Sciota and across the state to Cleveland which then contained about 30 houses. He returned through the Mohawk Valley to Troy, Sara- toga, Whitehall and Rutland. He walked from Rutland to his home in Ryegate between sunrise and sunset of the same day about Aug. 25. It is believed that he traveled on foot between 1600 and 1800 miles, through a country then only sparsely settled, but now one of the rich- est and most densely populated sections of the Union. He kept a diary, an interesting fragment of which is now owned by Douglas G. Roben. Constable and collector of taxes, 1821-'29. being a resolute and efficient officer. In 1838 he met with a severe accident while with many others felling timber for Daniel McDonald. Dr. McNab decided that it was necessary to amputate his leg to save his life, but Roben refused to have it taken off declaring that he was going into his coffin all in one piece. And he did so 39 years later. Five weeks after his accident his friends made a sort of litter on which they carried him to his home, a distance of nine miles, the bearers relieving each other at intervals. He d. Aug. 13, 1867 and his excellent wife Jan. 20, 1877. Bur. at Ryegate Corner. In his religious views a Deist.
Children :
i. Jean Harvey,3 b. Oct, 16, 1812 ; m. John Park, q. v.
4
ii. Matthew,3 b. Sept. 1, 1814.
iii. Margaret,3 b; Oct. 17, 1816; m. Archibald Park, q. v.
5 iv. Walter,3 b. Sept. 26, 1818.
v. Polly,3 b. June 10, 1821, never m. Res. in Barre, Vt.
vi. James.3 b. May 31. 1823; d. Aug. 10, 1891.
vii. John,3 b. Dec. 27, 1824 ; d. April 7, 1864 ; never m.
6 viii. Moses,3 b. April 30, 1827.
7 ix. Douglas Gray,3 b. March 7, 1833.
3 JOHN,2 (Matthew,1) b Scotland, Oct. 1, 1790; went to New York City and engaged in business. helped by his uncle Walter, and was very success- ful, but being induced to invest his money in a stage route through the city, lost nearly all he had. He in. Margaret and d. in New York, 1853 and his wife Sept. 10, 1860. Both buried in Greenwood cemetery.
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