RICHARDSON
Samuel Richardson was executor of his father’s estate in
1634 in Hutchins, England and then came to America with his brother Thomas, to
follow his brother Ezekiel who was already in Massachusetts. He was granted a lot in Charlestown and
became a member of the church there. All
three brothers were granted lots in 1638 in what is now Malden, Massachusetts. In 1640 all three brothers, and others, were
on a committee of seven to draw up the boundaries for a new settlement to be
called “Charlestown Village”. They all
had new house lots next to each other on a road that became known as Richardson’s
Row in what is now Woburn, Massachusetts.
Samuel was the richest man in Woburn in 1645, and became a
selectman. He left no will, but had deeded some land
earlier in 1657 to his sister “Susanna Richardson, now Brooks, during her lifetime
and ten to my cousin [sic nephew] Theophilus Richardson”.
Samuel’s son, Joseph Richardson (my 8x great grandfather),
was in the Great Swamp Fight on 19 December 1675. This was one of the great battles of the King
Philip’s War against the Narragansett tribe.
It took place in a frozen swamp near the present day Kingston,
Rhode Island, when the frozen water made an assault possible on a large native
fortification. It is thought that 300
native people died, and many families fled into the harsh environment to only
die later of exposure. It was a battle
that changed the war in favor of the colonists and the Narragansett were
eventually defeated when their sachem Canonchet was captured the next
spring. King Philip (also known as
Metacomet) was killed in August 1676, ending the conflict.
Sources for researching the Richardsons of Woburn:
The
Richardson Memorial
by John Vinton, Brown Thurston & Co., Portland, Maine, 1876 and Samuel
Richardson and Josiah Ellsworth. By Ruth Richardson Privately
Published. 1974. There are several
sketches and articles about Samuel, Ezekiel and Thomas Richardson, and the
English origins of Joanna (Thake) Richardson, in the New England Historic Genealogical
Society Register and in The Great
Migration Begins, Volume III by Anderson. For a complete list of these articles and
sketches see pages 197 and 198 of New Englanders in the 1600s by
Martin Hollick, NEHGS, 2012 expanded edition.
My Richardson
genealogy:
Generation 1: Samuel
Richardson, baptized on 22 December 1602
in Westmill, Hertfordshire, England, died 23 March 1658 in Woburn (the part now
known as Winchester), Massachusetts; married on 18 October 1632 in Great
Hormstead, England to Joanna Thake, daughter of William Thake and Joan
Wood. She was baptized on 2 February
1606 in Barkway, England and died 20 June 1666 in Woburn, Massachusetts. Nine children.
Generation 2: Joseph Richardson, born on 27 July 1643 in
Woburn, Massachusetts, died on 5 March 1717/18 in Woburn; married on 5 November
1666 in Woburn to Hannah Green, daughter of Thomas Greene and Elizabeth
Lynde. She was born on 7 February 1647
in Woburn, and died on 20 May 1721 in Norwich, Connecticut.
Generation 3: Mary Richardson, born 22 March 1669 in Woburn,
died 23 October 1748 in Woburn; married first on 2 October 1688 in Woburn to
James Fowle, son of James Fowle and Abigail Carter. He was born 4 March 1667 in Woburn and died
19 March 1714 in Woburn. Then had twelve children. Mary married second to Samuel Walker.
Generation 4: Mary Fowle married James Simonds, Jr.
Generation 5: Caleb Simonds married Susanna Converse
Generation 6: Ruth
Simonds married Andrew Munroe
Generation 7: Luther Simonds Munroe married Olive Flint
Generation 8: Phebe Cross Munroe married Robert Wilson
Wlkinson
Generation 9. Albert Munroe Wilkinson married Isabella Lyons
Bill
Generation 10: Donald Munroe Wilkinson married Bertha Louise
Roberts (my grandparents)
My second Richardson
lineage:
Generation 1: Thomas Richardson, born 14 May 1543 in
Westmill, Hertfordshire, England, died 7 January 1634 in Westmill; married on
24 August 1590 in Westmill to Katherine Duxford, daughter of Richard Duxford
and Katherine Unknown. Seven children:
1.
Elizabeth Richardson (my 9x great grandmother)
born 12 January 1593, in Westmill and died
22 June 1630 in Westmill, married on 1 May 1617 in Westmill to Francis Wyman as
his first of three wives. I descend from
their first son, Francis Wyman (1617 – 1699) who married Abigail Reed and
settled in Woburn, Massachusetts
2.
John Richardson, born about 1596
3.
James Richardson, born about 1600
4.
Samuel Richardson (see above) my 9x great
grandfather
5.
Ezekiel Richardson, born about 1602, died 21 Oct
1647 in Woburn, Massachusetts
6.
Margaret Richardson, born about 1607
7.
Thomas Richardson, born 3 July 1608 in Westmill,
died 28 August 1651 in Woburn
------------------------------------------
Copyright 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo
