Robert Thomas Hoag

Robert Thomas Hoag was born on March 3, 1900, in Fayette City, PA. We can verify this is his date of birth thanks to his World War 1 Draft Registration Card.

Robert Thomas Hoag married Emma Marie Assel on May 20, 1924, in Monessen, PA.

Together they had four children, only three of which who lived, Minni Marie Hoag, Elsie Jane Hoag, and Robert Thomas Hoag Junior.

Here is a death certificate issue for a stillborn child, born on October 23, 1931. This means the child would have been younger than Elsie and older than Robert Thomas.

He died on November 13, 1961. we know this because we have a copy of his death certificate.

This document also confirms for us that his father’s name is Walter Hoag. When Robert Thomas Hoag died he was living at 1614 Maple Avenue, in Monessen, PA. It’s a small 2 bedroom house that is still around to this day. (Directions)

His death certificate also tells us that he died of pancreatic cancer, something of which he was diagnosed with just two months prior to his death.

 

 

Thomas Richardson I of Westmill

So many people in my tree named Thomas Richardson. This particular one we are speaking about now was born in 1523 in Westmill, England and he died in 1570.

Although I should note there is a Millennium file document that says he died in March of 1630. But that could be his son.

What I can say for sure is when he was born and married.

  • Born: May 14, 1523, in Westmill, Hertfordshire, England
  • Married on June 15, 1567, in St. Albans, in Hertfordshire, England

It was originally thought that Thomas Richardson I of Westmill’s father was Ralph Richardson of the Jersey Channel Islands. That turns out however not to be true.

Thomas Richardson I of Westmill had a son known as Thomas Richardson of Westmill. We call him Thomas Richardson II of Westmill, just to avoid confusion.

This Thomas is not the person known as Sir Thomas Richardson. He is also not the Thomas Richardson from Alphamstone. This is also not the Thomas Richardson who married Margaret that has a son named Thomas who was born in Kirkham, Lancashire, England. We can say this for sure because that child was born on July 20, 1823. Our guy was dead hundreds of years before that.

Many have wrongly associated this Thomas Richardson with Sir Thomas Richardson of the Scottish Peerage. That would be impossible because ancient records tell us that he married on December 14, 1626, at St. Giles-in-the-Fields, London without issue. That means he had no children so he can’t be your ancestor because his line ended with him.

So who is our Thomas Richardson? This gets confusing for a few generations so to clarify …

Thomas Richardson I of Westmill married Margaret Silverside on June 15, 1567. How do we know when our Thomas was born? Thanks to the “Heritage Consulting. Millennium File”.  This record tells us that he was born in 1523.

thomas-richardson-i

Heritage Consulting. Millennium File. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2003. Original data: Heritage Consulting. The Millennium File. Salt Lake City, UT, USA: Heritage Consulting.

The problem is, the death date is wrong. It lists the death date of his son Thomas II. This is why it’s so hard to find accurate information when even “official” records are flawed.

Thomas Richardson married Margaret Silverside in 1567 at St. Albans Abbey.

Below is a copy of their marriage register which clearly shows they were married in 1567 on June 15th.

thomas-richardson-marriage-register

The problem with the name “Thomas Richardson” is that in this time in history there were more than a few of them in the area. This makes it very hard to figure out which one is which. That’s why when you find any sort of absolute proof of information, you have to hold onto it tightly to make sure you don’t confuse or mix up people because it’s so easy to do.

This record comes from the Hertfordshire online archives. Why it is important is because it further proves we have the right Thomas with the right wife.

First name(s) Thomas
Last name Richardson
Marriage year 1567
Marriage date 15 Jun 1567
Place St Albans, Abbey
Groom’s first name(s) Thomas
Groom’s last name Richardson
Bride’s first name(s) Margaret
Bride’s last name Silvsode
County Hertfordshire
Country England
Record set Hertfordshire Marriages
Category Birth, Marriage & Death (Parish Registers)
Subcategory Parish Marriages
Collections from England, United Kingdom

So now the question is, who is Thomas Richardson I of Westmill’s father?

 

Thomas Richardson II of Westmill

Thomas Richardson was born on March 15, 1543, in Westmill, Hertfordshire, England.  He died on March 4, 1630, also in Westmill, Hertfordshire, England.

He is not the person known as “Sir Thomas Richardson”.

He is also not the person who was buried on  December 13, 1630 at St Mary, Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex, England.  Although they have the same name and died in the same year, our Thomas Richardson, Thomas Richardson of Westmill II died in March, not in December. Our Thomas died in Westmill, not in Middlesex.

To avoid any confusion with other people named Thomas Richardson in my family tree, I will now refer to him as Thomas Richardson II of Westmill.

Name Thomas Richardson II of Westmill
Father Thomas Richardson I of Westmill
Mother Mary Margaret Silverside
Birth Date 15 Mar 1543
Birth Place Westmill, Hertfordshire, England
Death Date 4 Mar 1630
Death Place Westmill, Hertfordshire, England
Cemetery St. Mary the Virgin-Westmill
Burial or Cremation Place St Albans, St Albans District, Hertfordshire, England

There is a record out there stating that Thomas Richardson was buried on December 13, 1630, at St Mary, Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, Middlesex, England. This is an official Parish register.

This is from “London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1538-1812 – Tower Hamlets – St Mary, Whitechapel – 1558 – 1643”.

Middlesex is in modern day London. That’s about an hour’s drive from Westmill. St. Mary’s was a church in the 1600’s that was located in Whitechapel. This is a district that is now in the East End of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

The document in question is referring to the St Mary Matfelon church, which was an England parish church on Whitechapel Road, in Whitechapel, London.

Horse and carriages were said to go about 3 to 4 miles per hour. This means it would have taken them 4 or 5 hours to go from Westmill to London. That’s not likely that a person who was born, got married and lived in Westmill their entire life would have gone all the way to London, 4 or 5 hours away to be buried in a church there. Therefore we can reasonably assume that the record for Thomas Richardson who was buried on  December 13, 1630, is not our Thomas Richardson II of Westmill.

____________________

Thomas Richardson II of Westmill was born in St. Albans Abbey in Westmill.  His wife was Mary Margaret Champney and together they had at least one child.

They could have had more children, and likely did but so far I’ve haven’t been able to find any information other than about their son Thomas Richardson of Standon.

His date of death on March 4, 1630, in Westmill comes from the Find a Grave listing. This, however, lists his wife as Mary Margaret Silverside which in fact is his mother.

We have a record called the Millennium File that tells us Thomas Richardson was born in 1523 in Westmill. He died in March of 1630 in Westmill and that his wife was Margaret Silverside. Thier child was Thomas Richardson.

Because this can get confusing I named  …

  • Thomas Richardson born in 1523 – Thomas Richardson I of Westmill
  • I then named his son Thomas Richardson II of Westmill.
  • I then named his son Thomas Richardson of Standon.

We next have the England, Select Births and Christenings file that tells us Thomas Richardson of Standon is the father of Samuel Richardson.

Next, we have a document telling us that Thomas Richardson married someone named Mary. Well, guess what?  That document is totally useless to us because both Thomas Richardson I and Thomas Richardson II of Westmill, both married someone named Mary.

  • Thomas Richarson I of Westmill married Mary Margaret Silverside.
  • Thomas Richarson II of Westmill married Mary Margaret Champney.

See the problem? So we have to keep going to try and figure out more family connections.

 

Robert Thomas Hoag Junior

Robert Thomas Hoag Junior was born on October 5, 1933, in Monessen, Pennsylvania. Please note: There are variations in his DOB. Some sources say October 5, 1933, while other official government documents state May 10, 1933. I will continue my research on this and let you know when I know 100% for sure what his birthday is.

His military records say October 5, 1933, but there is a social security claim that says he was born on May 10, 1933. However, the social security death records also say October 5, 1933. His gravestone says his date of birth is May 10, 1933.

He was the youngest child and the only son of Robert Thomas Hoag and Emma Marie Assel. Here he is listed in the 1940 US Census.

He died on September 4, 1988.

Robert T Hoag Jr. Obituary

According to Society Security death records, his social security number was 189-26-8975.

He served in their Air Force. His enlistment date was January 21, 1952, and he was released on January 20, 1956. This means he was on active duty during the Korean War.

He married Mary Cristan. Through family members, I am told she had a child but not from Robert Thomas Hoag Junior. Together they didn’t seem to have any children of their own.

Thomas Richardson of Standon

Today we are going to talk about Thomas Richardson of Standon or Thoms Richardson. He is the son of Thomas Richardson II of Westmill and the grandson of Thomas Richardson I of Westmill.

Thomas Richardson of Standon is my 12th great-grandfather.

Thomas Richardson of Standon short biographical details from the book The Wymans: First Wyman Generation
Thomas Richardson of Standon short biographical details from the book The Wymans: First Wyman Generation

This is a person that I was struggling to verify information about. Luckily the UK is big on record keeping and thanks to the fact that Hertfordshire in England has their very own records database I was able to confirm the identity of Thomas Richardson who from now we will refer to as Thomas Richardson of Standon.

  • Birth: Aug 24, 1560 (1565??) – Standon, Hertfordshire, England
  • Death: Jan 7, 1633 – Westmill, Hertfordshire, England

The International Genealogical Index says that he was born on August 24, 1560, and died on January 8, 1633. It also states that he was married on  August 24, 1590.

Here is an image, although not a clear one — proving his marriage in 1590 – August 24, 1590, to be exact.

First name(s) Thoms
Last name Richardson
Marriage year 1590
Marriage date 24 Aug 1590
Place Westmill
Groom’s first name(s) Thoms
Groom’s last name Richardson
Groom’s parish Stondon
Bride’s first name(s) Kathren
Bride’s last name Duxforde
Bride’s parish West
County Hertfordshire
Country England
Record set Hertfordshire Marriages
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Parish Marriages
Collections from England, Great Britain

Notice the typos in the name. It’s not really as much a typo as a variation of the spelling.  Look at this clearer image of his grandmother’s marriage registry (Thomas Richardson I of Westmill)

thomas-richardson-marriage-register

We spell May as May and they spell it, Maye. We spell July they spell it, Julie. February to them was Februarie. Obviously, in context, we know what they meant, but it’s just a perfect example of why it’s so hard sometimes to find certain information.

So while we know they are talking about Thomas Richardson of Standon, it can complicate things when we are trying to find out the details Thoms Richardson of Stondon’s life.

We know he married Katherine Duxford of Westmill, but they call her Kathren Duxforde of West.


Thomas Richardson married Kathern Duxford (Katherine Duxford) on August 24, 1590, in Westmill, Hertfordshire, England. Their marriage took place at the St. Mary the Virgin Parish Church in Westmill. This is also where he would later be buried.

We know for a fact this is his wife because a copy of his will still exists in the Hertfordshire, England archives to this day.

For clarification purposes, this Thomas Richardson’s mother is not Agnes. So if you find a record that says something else, then it is not a record that belongs to this Thomas Richardson who we are now referring to as Thomas Richardson of Standon. Thomas Richardson of Standon’s mother was Mary “Margaret” Champney and his father, who married his father, almost named Thomas Richardson.

This Thomas Richardson is not Sir Thomas Richardson. Sir Thomas has some association with Alphamstone, while our Thomas does not. If you come across a Thomas Richardson record that references Alphamstone, then that isn’t Thomas Richardson of Standon.

Westmill is a very tiny village in England. Today less than 300 people live there. It’s just north of London.

Together he and his wife had 7 children.

We know the names of his children from his will. His will lists the name of each child as well as the exact date of their baptism.

Elizabeth y^ daughter to Thomas Richardson baptized 13 Jan. 1593.
John son to Thomas Richardson baptized 7 Nov. 1596.
James, y” sonne of Thomas Richardson baptized 6 Apr. 1600.
Samuel y® sonne of Thomas Richardson baptized 22 Dec. 1602 [or 1604],
Margaret ye daughter of Thomas Richardson baptized 19 April 1607.
Thomas ye sonne of Thomas Richardson baptized 3 July 1608. 

Notice that their son Ezekiel who had gone off to America in 1630, wasn’t event acknowledged in the will.

Thomas’ will indicates he was a farmer of moderate means. He was a Husbandman when his will was created on March 4 in 1630 (31?).

A husbandman in England at that time period was a free tenant farmer or small landowner. The social status of a husbandman was below that of a yeoman. The meaning of “husband” in this term is “master of the house” rather than “married man” like we know it today.

Back then yeomen were farmers who owned land. Their wealth and the size of their landholding varied. Sir Anthony Richard Wagner, Garter Principal King of Arms, wrote that “a Yeoman would not normally have less than 100 acres and in social status is one step down from the Landed Gentry, but above, say, a husbandman.”

Often it was hard to distinguish minor landed gentry from the wealthier yeomen, and wealthier husbandmen from the poorer yeomen.

Landed gentry basically meant the lesser nobility in England. They basically consisted of Baronets, Knights, Esquires, and Gentlemen.

So it went Landed gentry, then yeoman and then husbandmen — which is what Thomas Richardson of Standon was.

When he passed he left Katherine “my littell close of pasture called little hunnymease, containing half an acre”.

*** half an acre in Westmill today will cost you upwards of a million bucks.

After her death, he wishes it all to go to his son Samuel and his heirs.

John is to be paid 40 shillings for 3 years, after both his mother and father die.

James is to be paid 12 pence and his son Thomas will get 3 pounds, to be paid within 5 years of his and Katherine’s death.

In other words, after Thomas and Katherine are both dead, he wants Thomas to be paid 3 pounds within 5 years.

To his beloved with Katherine, he gives her all his movable goods for her life and thereafter they should go to his son Samuel who was named his executor. The will was witnessed by Richard Baker and Philip Baker.

You’ll also notice that in his will he leaves everything to Samuel and not John. Back then in England, they left everything to their eldest son. That means that John and James would have probably died prior to the creation of the will, sometime prior to March 4, 1630.



Thomas Richardson of Standon and Katherine Duxford of West mill were married 24 Aug. 1590. 

Elizabeth y^ daughter to Thomas Richardson baptized 13 Jan. 1593. 
John son to Thomas Richardson baptized 7 Nov. 1596. 
James, y'' sonne of Thomas Richardson baptized 6 Apr. 1600. 
Samuel y® sonne of Thomas Richardson baptized 22 Dec. 1602 [or 1604], 
Margaret ye daughter of Thomas Richardson baptized 19 April 1607. 
Thomas ye sonne of Thomas Richardson baptized 3 July 1608. 

Catherine the wife of Thomas Richardson buryed the x*** of March 1631. 
Thomas Richardson was bui*yed the viii daye of January 1633. 

It would naturally be supposed that the will of Thomas Richardson would 
be found in the Commissary Court of Essex and Hertfordshire, but the 
Archdeaconry Court of Huntingdon, or that portion in the Hitchin Reg- 
istry, had jurisdiction over part of Hertfordshire, and included 77 parishes. 

The original will of Thomas Richardson of West Mill, Herts, found at 
Hitchin, reads : . 

March the 4'^'^ Ano domini 1630. In the name of God Amen I Thomas ) 

Richardson of Westmill in the County of Herts, husbandman, being sick / 

in bodye but of good an perfect memory thanks be to God doe make and 
ordeyne this my laste will in manner and forme following, firste. I bequeath 
my soull unto the hands of God my maker and Redeemer by whose merits 
I only truste to be saved, and my body to be buryed in the i^lace of Chris- 
tian buryall and Touchinge my temporall goods I doe dispose of them as 
followeth. 

First. I gyve unto Katherine my wife duringe the tearme of her natu- 
rall life my littell close of pastm-e called little hunnymeade cont half an 
acre and after her decease I give the same to my sonn Samuell and his 
heyers for ever. 

Item. I give to my sonn John forty^ shillings to be payed to him within 
the space of three yeares next ensueing the decease of me and Katherine 
my now wife by my executor. 

Item. I give to my sonn James Twelve pence. 

Item. I give to my sonn Thomas three pounds to be payed to him with- 
in the space of fyve yeares next ensueing the decease of me and Kathy- 
rine my now wife. 

Item. I gyve unto Katherine my wife all my movable goods to use for 
and during the terme of her life and after her decease I gyve the same 
unto my sonn Samuel whom I doe ordeyne and make my sole executor. 
In Witness whereof I have sett my hand and Seal the daye and yeare 
above sayd. 

Sealed and declared vSig™ Thomas 

in the presence of us [mark] Richardson 

Richard Baker. 

Philip Baker, 
proved 31 July 1634 at Hitchin presented by son Samuel Richardson." 

The three brothers, Ezekiel, Samuel and Thomas Richardson, are known 
as such by the will of Ezekiel, who names the other two as his brothers. 

Ezekiel, evidently the oldest, was the first to come to New England, and 
was a planter in Charlestown in 1630. His departure previous to the 
making of the will, perhaps against his father's wishes, or possibly having 
received his share of his father's small estate, maj' account for the name of 



Ezekiel not appearing in the will. His baptism is not found at "West 
Mill, as are the baptisms of Samuel and Thomas. 

Ezekiel probably came with Winthrop, he and his wife becoming mem- 
bers of the Charlestown church, 27 Aug., 1630. 

Thomas Richardson, baptized at West mill, 3 July, 1608, had wife Mary, 
who joined the Charlestown church, 21 Feb., 1635-6, and he joined, 18 
Feb., 1637-8. 

Samuel presented the will of his father for probate ^t Ilitchin, England, 
31 July, 1634. He had previously married ; and had baptized, at West 
Mill, a son Samuel, 3 July, 1633, and a daughter Elizabeth, 22 May, 1635. 

Samuel Richardson's name does not appear in the Tithe Book of West 
Mill after 1635. Against Over Green, where he (and also his father, 
Thomas) lived, is written " none." It was, therefore, after that date he 
and his brother Thomas sailed for New England, with their families ; and 
we find, on 1 July, 1636, the brothers were on a committee to lay out lots 
of land in Charlestown, for hay. There is no record of the birth or bap- 
tism of a daughter Elizabeth to Samuel in Woburn, but the will of his 
wife Joanna, in 1666, mentions a daughter Elizabeth, who was probably 
the one baptized at West Mill, 22 May, 1635. 

Doubtless the register of the parish of Standon, which is but a few 
miles south of West Mill, would, if it existed, give further particulars of 
the Richardsons, or at least of Thomas who married in 1590 ; but the ear- 
liest entry to be found is 1671. Braughing, just east of West Mill, has 
a register which begins in 1563, but it gives no items of the Richardson 
name. Great and Little Hormead, north-east of West Mill, was the 
home of some of the Wymans in the past, but there are no traces of 
the Richardsons there. Just east of this locality is the border of Essex, 
and there are many of the name in that county, though the name is com- 
mon in aU the counties of England. From Nazing, Essex, about ten miles 
from West Mill, came John Eliot, the apostle, and many of the settlers of 
Roxbury, Mass. 


St. Mary the Virgin Parish Church in Westmill, where Thomas was married and buried has been around for a thousand years. The church still stands to this day.

It has the oldest bell in Hertfordshire, it’s 600 years old and still rings. Below you’ll find a video about the effort to rebuild the roof.

He made a will on 4 Mar 1630/31 at Westmill, Hertfordshire, England.1

Thomas RICHARDSON357, 9G Grandfather. Born abt 1565-70. Buried on 7 Jan
1633/4 in Westmill, Hertfordshire, England. Will dated on 4 Mar 1630/1 at Westmill,
Hertfordshire, England. Will proved on 31 Jul 1634.

According to Threlfall’s GMC50358, “THOMAS RICHARDSON was born about 1565-70. On
24 August 1590 [Threlfall gives this date as 25 August on p. 536] at West Mill, Hertfordshire,
he married Katherine Duxford of that parish. The marriage record states that he was of Standon,
which is the next parish to the south. She was the daughter of Richard and Joan Duxford, and
was born about 1565-70. They settled down in West Mill.

“Katherine was buried 10 March 1630/31 [Threlfall gives this date as 1631/32 on p. 536] at
West Mill. Thomas was buried there 7 January 1633/4. An abstract of his will follows.”

Thomas Richardson’s son Ezekiel had been comprehensively documented in Anderson’s
GMB359 where it is noted that “Samuel Richardson and Thomas Richardson, brothers of
Ezekiel, arrived in New England by 1635; Francis Wyman and John Wyman, sons of Ezekiel
Richardson’s sister Elizabeth, also came to New England [Sarah Hildreth Anc 25-27].”

Thomas Richardson and Katherine Duxford are ancestors to U.S. Presidents Bush, Coolidge,
Hoover (probably), and Pierce,360 and to suffragist Susan B. Anthony.281

Gary Boyd Roberts, Ancestors of American Presidents: First Authoritative Edition, Santa
Clarita, CA: Carl Boyer, 1995 (published in cooperation with the New England Historic
Genealogical Society).

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It would naturally be supposed that the will of Thomas Richardson would be found in the Commissary Court of Essex and
Ilertfordshire, but the Archdeaconry Court of lluntingdon. or that portion in the Hitchin Registry, had jurisdiction over part of
Tlertfordshire, and included 77 parishes.
The original will of Thomas Richardson of West Mill, Herts, found at Hitchin, reads:
March the 4th Ano domini 1630. In the name of God Amen I Thomas Richardson of Westmill in the County of Herts,
husbandman, being sick in hodye but of good an perfect memory thanks be to God doe make and ordeyne this my laste will in
manner and forme following, llrste. I bequeath my soul1 auto the hands of God my maker and Redeemer by whose merits I
only truste to be saved. and my body to be buryed in t.he place of Christian buryall and Touchinge my teniporall goods I doe
dispose of them as followeth.
First. I gyve unto Katherine my wife (luringe the tearme of her naturall life my littelI close of pasture called little
hunnymeade cont half an acre and after her decease I give the same to my sonn Samuel] aud his heyers for ever.
Item. I give to my sonn John forty shillings to be payed to him within
the space of three yeares next ensueing the decease of me and Katherine
my now wife by my executor.
Item. I give to my sonn James Twelve pence.
Item. I give to my sonn Thomas three pounds to be payed to him within the space of fyve yeares next ensueing the decease of
me and Kathy-
rifle my now wife.
Item. I gyve unto Katherine my wife all my movable goods to use for and during the terme of her life and after her decease I
gyve the same unto my sonu Samuel whom I doe ordeyne and make my sole executor. In Witness whereof I have sett my hand
and Seal the daye and yeare above sayd.
Sealed and declared Sigm THOMAS
in the presence of us [mark] . RICHARDSON
Richard Baker.
Philip Baker.
proved 81 July 1634 at I-Iitchin presented by son Samuel Richardson.” He was married to Katherine DUXFORD on 13 Jan
1593 in , West Mill, Herts, England. (1288)

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Bluffs/2806/d1841.htm

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Thomas Richardson

What I love most about genealogy is that it’s like a mystery and you have to dig and figure out how to solve this puzzle – these puzzle pieces just so happen to be parts of my very existence.

Today we delve into the mystery that is Thomas Richardson. Now there are a lot of Thomas Richardson’s out there today and there were a lot of them back in the 1800’s as well.

This makes it quite complicated when you are trying to find the exact Thomas Richardson that belongs in your family tree.

The Thomas Richardson we are looking for today is the father of John Durk Richardson.

Thomas Richardson was born on January 12, 1826, in Moore, North Carolina. He is my 4th great grandfather. He died on May 18, 1898, in McAlester, Oklahoma.

What we don’t have though is a death certificate to prove it.

Oklahoma became a state in November 1907. The state began accepting birth and death records for filing in October of 1908. The filing of these records became mandatory in 1917, however, the practice of filing birth and death records with the state did not become routine until the 1940’s when they began to be used for identification purposes.

Going this far back in history it isn’t always so easy to find answers with proof. I’ve been trying to piece together his life but it hasn’t always been easy.

We know that Thomas Richardson is the father of John Durk Richardson. But even that simple fact gets muddled and confused when digging that far back in history.

We know that Thomas Richardson was born in North Carolina based not only on several US census records which each time state place of birth being North Carolina. His place of birth is also listed on his son William’s death certificate.

William Bruford Richardson Death Certificate

This document should serve as a reminder that if you can’t find information on your own direct relative start doing some research into their brothers and sisters.

Let’s take a look at the 1850 US census. This document tells us that in 1850 he was 24, which puts his birth year about 1826. This matches perfectly with other data we have found.

It tells us that he was born in North Carolina and that at the time he was living in Moore, North Carolina. So far it all checks out.

Listed on the US Census were

Name Age
Thomas Richardson 24
Nancy Richardson 24
Lydia M Richardson 5
John D Richardson 3
Isham T Richardson 1
    This document tells us that in 1850 John Durk Richardson (or John D) was 3 years old. That matches perfectly with our known date of birth for John Durk. That means we have the right guy. This guy is in fact the father of John Durk Richardson.
    That means we now can confirm that John’s mother was Nancy and Thomas Richardsons’s wife was Nancy. Nancy who though?
    During the course of their marriage Thomas and Nancy Richardson had at least four children.
  • Lydia Martha Richardson (1845-1931)
  • John Durk Richardson (1847-1926)
  • Isham Thomas Richardson (1849-1923)
  • William Bruford Richardson (1854-1924)

We learned from the US Census records that John Durk’s parents were Thomas and Nancy Richardson. In 1850 Thomas and Nancy Richardson were both 24 years old. During that time, three of their 4 children were alive. Lydia was John was 3 and Isham was 1.

This means that our Nancy (whoever she may be was in fact alive in 1850. She however died sometime before 1860.

In 1860 the census records show us that Thomas is married to someone named Margaret. Everything else matches up including Lydia, John, Isham – they are all now 10 years older than the previous one. The newest addition is WM Richardson – which with other documents we would find is William Bruford. All we know about his new wife is that she is 20 years old in 1860 and she was born in North Carolina.

But let’s go back to Nancy. For awhile I thought that the Nancy in question was Nancy Keller (several other family trees said that), whose father in Solomon Keller. But I eventually found an old clipping from a North Carolina archive about her father. In that story it says that Nancy Keller married James Jackson. So that means that John Durk’s mother Nancy isn’t Nancy Keller.

nancy-keller-is-not-nancy-richardson

There is however a Nancy Kelley that could be our mystery Nancy. The William Richardson death certificate doesn’t list the maiden name of his mother. It states he doesn’t know her maiden name or even where she was born at.

There is no known death certificate for John Durk so I began looking for them for Lydia Martha and Isham Thomas, Nancy’s other children. Lydia Martha died in Oklahoma in 1931. I couldn’t however find a copy of her death certificate.

Last but not least I went to Isham Thomas Richardson. I was hoping with such an unusual name it would be easier to find official documents on him. His find a grave listing had a photograph of his headstone which confirms his date of birth and date (April 2, 1849-February 23, 1923).  Sadly I couldn’t find a copy of his death certificate or any other official document stating Nancy’s maiden name. It could be Nancy Kelley, but then again it may not be. Until we have some sort of actual document verifying it, we can’t say for sure. All we can say for sure is that it’s not Keller nor is it Jackson. I just to note that there was in fact a Nancy Kelly who lived in Moore, NC of all places that appears in the 1860 US census. This person is not our Nancy. That Nancy Kelly is married to Salley Kelly, obviously not making that our girl.

Moving forward with Thomas Richardson, we next have a North Carolina, Marriage Records document that show Thomas married his next wife, Margaret McCaskell on May 8, 1860 in Moore, North Carolina.

This means that his wife Nancy seems to have died sometime between the birth of William in 1854 and the 1860 census.

In 1880, the US census tells us that he was 54 years old and was living in Parker, Texas at the time. His birthplace was North Carolina (which we already knew) and that both his mother and father were born in North Carolina as well. He was a farmer and his wife (2nd wife) was 41 in 1881.

At this time they had only two children living with them, King (15) and Julie (11). The King listed is Rufus King and the Julie listed is their youngest daughter Julia Frances. They also have a 11 year old child living with them named Thomas Rogers who is listed as their white, 11 year old adopted son. It says his real father was born in Tennessee and his mother was born in Texas.

What this document tells us is that both Thomas’s parents are from North Carolina. That’s one more clue in the mystery of who his parents were.

There is a John David Richardson who was born in Moore county of North Carolina in 1795 who had a son named Thomas. Is that our Thomas, father of John Durk? I just don’t know. Not yet. 🙂

We know that our Thomas had a son named Isham Thomas Richardson in 1849.