Introduction

It was the early 50's when my siblings and I were placed in our Aunt and Uncle's care. Their house in East Killingly, CT became our home until each of us moved on to a new home and began our own life journeys. That is another story.

I am a third child, and whether because of that distinction or simply because of a need to know, as I neared my 30's I started researching family history. There was a lot of information already put together by distant relatives on the Richardson (father's) side of the family and handed to me by my brother, Joseph, who was doing some research of his own. However, the only thing we knew about our mother was her name, Eunice Terwilliger, so I decided to start there.

Research was hard at first, I couldn't find anyone who knew anything about Eunice or, at least, anyone who would tell me anything. I got discouraged and set it aside for a few years. Then, the research bug bit me again (about 15 years ago) and I have continued that research right up to the present.

My research has taken me on an incredibly exciting and interesting journey. During my travels to various parts of the country, I found valuable, factual information and have had the opportunity to meet some wonderful people. Now, I want to share it because family relationships are the most important relationships we have. Hopefully, family members from all over the United States will see this blog and be able to recognize the part they have played in the lives of their family.

Next: The Richardson history as far back as I know...

In Search of Terwilligers

In the beginning, I, like several other family members, had no idea how, where or when we  would find any information regarding Eunice Elizabeth Terwilliger, our biological mother.  Seemed like every time there was a possible lead, it was just a dead-end.  Finally, a friend said yes to traveling to upstate New York with me and that's what it took to finally find some answers.

1. Around 10:00 in the morning, we drove from Livingston Manor, New York (where I lived at the time) to Chateaugay, NY (my birthplace).  This trip (339 miles) took us a little more than 6 hours. We stopped for lunch at a quaint little diner with excellent food.  Upon our arrival in Chateaugay, the first stop was the town clerk's office.  I was told all the records had been placed on microfilm / microfiche and were in archives in Malone, NY (birthplace of Deb and Joseph - my older brother and sister).  Arriving in Malone, we went straight to the town clerk's office where I searched for information on Eunice and Leroy Richardson.  I did find a newspaper birth announcement:  "Malone Evening Telegram, Malone, NY," dated July 18, 1946 -  under Malone Briefs - Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy H. Richardson, Chateaugay, are parents of a girl born Wednesday at the Alice Hyde Hospital (this is Deborah Marie - my sister).

And, finally, I found something that gave me information I was looking for -  Register of Births in the Town of Chateaugay, NY  for Martha Louise - this lists where Eunice was born:  Waterloo, NY- I was allowed to print it. After years of searching, I finally found a resource I could use to continue my research!  Was I excited!

We were also directed to a nearby business run by an elderly woman, who might be able to shed some light on the Terwilliger family as she had lived there most of her life. We discovered the shop, right around the corner.  It was called "Hug Bugs Gallery Gift Shop run by "Ruth Alden Jones Ryan ".  She was a petite little white-haired lady in at least her late 80's.  She claimed she knew our mother (Eunice) and that Eunice's father was a preacher.

Next morning, my friend suggested we take an alternate route home so we traversed Route 11 from Malone , NY to Route 81 S into Syracuse and west into Waterloo.  We stopped the car on the main street.  Excitedly, I raced across the street into the town hall and approached the desk.  I explained I had traveled some distance and was trying to locate information about my mother who was born in Waterloo in the early 1900's.  The gentleman at the desk, turned around and lifted a large book from a shelf and placed it on the counter in front of me,  it's title read   "Village of Waterloo Register of Births - 1900 to 1950". He handed it to me and, carefully, I turned the pages and here the exact wording from the register:  (I asked if I could have a copy of the page, however, clerk stated the book was not in great condition and because of its' age, they could not make a copy)

                 May 7, 1908, Eunice Elizabeth  - F Waterloo
                 Mother - Mary E Crisler (n) Age 40 B.P. New York (S)
                 Father -  Melville Terwilliger, Minister  Age 33 - B.P. NY
                 Medical Attendant - E.R. Zimmerman - Registered 6/6/1908

Waterloo is a charming village, great place to visit.  They have walking tours with maps, and an interesting fact:  Waterloo was the birthplace of Memorial Day and where the women's rights movement was conceived.

Coincidence or synchonicity or whatever you want to call it, I find this important enough to include here:

1. My brother Joseph (Joe) had moved to Rochester, NY several years previous when he married Sue, who was from there.  My family moved to NY from Connecticut because my husband had been recruited by a head hunter for a position with a company there.  Little did Joe or I know that we would be living in the same areas where our ancestors had been born, lived, gone to school, worked, and died.  Rochester is  56 miles from Waterloo and Sullivan County, NY where I was living and working (Livingston Manor, Greenfield Park, Woodridge and Monticello) is 161 miles from Waterloo.  Terwilliger ancestors and current family lived in and around New Paltz, NY which is 54 miles from Livingston Manor (where I lived prior to moving to Washington State) by way of Route 52.  Our grandfather, Melville Terwilliger was a Methodist/Episcopal Minister in the Northern New York Conference.

Rev. Joseph Richardson - Grandfather - What I know!

Joseph Richardson was my grandfather...I was born in October 1949 - he died in June 1953 - I don't remember ever meeting him - maybe I did!  I have pictures at different times in his life - given to me by other family members and have copies of the following US census records:

In the Providence, RI 1880 Census, I found:
 
      Gr. Grampa Joseph, age 55, Farm Laborer, born in Massachusetts
      Gr. Gramma Eunice, age 31, Wife, born in Massachusetts
      Joseph (Grampa) listed at 10 years of age, and his sister Martha, 9 years - both born in Minnesota, sister Alice, 3 years and brothers Samuel, age 7 and Elias, age 6 all born in Massachusetts,  and finally, baby sister, Elsie 1 month (listed as 1/12 of a year) born in Rhode Island
   

Moving on to the US Census of 1900, Addison, Vermont:

    Joseph (Grampa) age 30, occupation-clergyman with                                
    Adelaide, wife age 36 with children all born in Connecticut
        Edith, daughter, age 4
        George, son, age 3
        and the triplets, Lewelyn, 1 yr;  Leroy, 1 yr;  Lucretia, 1 yr.

Joseph and Adelaide and family Year - I'm not sure

 Next - 1920 - Killingly, CT

    Joseph - 50 yrs
    Adelaide - 55 yrs
    along with Edith, George, Lewellyn, Leroy, Lucretia,- born in CT;
    Jesse - born in NY, Edna born in NJ and Nelson - born in Massachusetts


1930 Town of Killingly, Windham County, CT

   Starts with Nelson F - Head - age 25
                    Elsie D -    Wife  - age 25
                    Joseph (Grampa)- age 60

First Generation - Richardson

*NOTE: The First through Fourth generations are taken from "The Richardson's of Uxbridge" by Richard N. Pierce of Bloomfield, CT and a book "The Richardson Memorial" by John Adams Vinton pages 712-724 which can be viewed and / or downloaded here: Richardson Memorial
Throughout the blog wherever you see a name in italics and bolded, that person is our direct ancestor!

First Generation

1. John Richardson - born 1617 in England

Among the early inhabitants of Watertown, WA, were two men bearing the names of George Richardson and John Richardson. Not improbably, they were brothers. However, there is no proof, save what may arise from their residence, for a short time on the same territory. From records of ship passengers, we know that George Richardson arrived in New England in 1635, and it is probable that John did also. Possibly he is identical to that John Richardson, who at the age of 18, embarked at London for Virginia in July 1635 in the ship Assurance. Since at that time, emigration to New England was being sharply restricted, it was not uncommon for Englishmen to sail to Virginia and then travel up the coast to New England. George Richardson emigrated from Watertown to Farmington, CT, settling what is now Waterbury. John seems to have found his way to Medfield, MA.

He had the following children:

• 2. John Richardson - born 1649 / 1650 and died May 29, 1697.

Second and Third Generations - Richardson

Second Generation

2. John Richardson (John) was born 1649 / 1650. He died May 29, 1697.
John married Rebekah Clark. Rebekah was born August 16, 1660 in Medfield, MA, the youngest daughter of Joseph and Alice Clark. She died February 17, 1739.

      

Children of John and Rebekah:

• 3.  *John, born August 25, 1679, married Esther Breck
• 4.  Elizabeth, born September 20, 1682
• 5.  Daniel, born August 31, 1685, married Hannah Underwood
• 6.  Joseph, born about 1687, married Hannah Barbour
• 7.  Mehitabel, born June 16, 1689, died previous to 1711
• 8.  Benjamin, born 1693, married Elizabeth
• 9.  Rebekah, born February 28, 1697,  married Eleazar Hill of Sherborn, August 12, 1712.

 Third Generation:

3. John Richardson (John, John) was born August 25, 1679 in      Medfield, MA. He died May 19, 1759 in East Medway, MA

John Richardson was a farmer, housewright carpenter and a cordwainer (somebody who makes shoes and other articles from fine soft leather. The word is derived from "cordwain", or "cordovan", the leather produced in Córdoba, Spain. The term cordwainer was used as early as 1100 in England. Historically, there was a distinction between a cordwainer, who made luxury shoes and boots out of the finest leathers, and a cobbler, who repaired them)

About 1699, John married Esther Breck, born in Medfield in 1579, the daughter of John Breck, born March 4, 1671.  One of the first of four settlers of Medfield was Thomas Breck (Esther's grandfather according to Rootsweb.com). 

They had the following children:

• 10. Sarah, born April 25, 1700. She married David Pond of Wrentham
• 11. John, born October 22, 1701, married Jemima Gay - John and Jemima were the guardians of Joseph's children (as recorded in the Vital Records of Massachusetts).
• 12. David, born June 19, 1703, died March 9, 1723 (or 1724)
• 13. Jonathan, born February 1, 1704, married Ruth Clark
• 14. Esther, born January 2, 1706(07), married first, May 27, 1728 to Thomas Jones of Holliston,    married second, Nathaniel Clark, probably of Wrentham
• 15. Mary, born September 9, 1710, married James Boyden, Jr. June 4, 1736.  She died before 1759.  She had a son living in 1759.
• 16. *Joseph, born April 3, 1711, married Abigail, died June 3, 1754.

The following are found in "The Richardson's of Uxbridge"  by Richard N. Pierce of Bloomfield, CT, however, I did not find them in the Massachusetts Vital Records.

• 17.  Samuel, born January 3, 1713(14), married first, Mary Allen, married second, Sarah Clark
• 18.  Solomon, born April 21, 1716 in Medway, MA, married Rebecca Munn
• 19.  Moses, born February 8, 1717(18), married Abigail Allen
• 20.  Asa, born October 16, 1720, married Abigail Barbour
• 21.  David, born December 5, 1724, married Esther Smith

Fourth and Fifth Generations - Richardson

Fourth Generation

16.  Joseph Richardson(John, John, John), son of John and Esther, was born in Medfield, MA (the part now called Medway) on April 3, 1711.  He died June 3, 1754.  In November of 1759, his minor children were placed under the guardianship of his brothers, John and Asa.  Joseph married Abigail ? and earned his living as a housewright.  About 1753, they moved to Uxbridge, MA.

Children of Joseph and Abigail:

• 22.  Joseph,born October 17, 1739, died August 18,1745 
• 23.  Mary, born February 6, 1741, died ?
• 24.  Esther, born April 1, 1742, died ?
• 25.  Abigail, born October 21, 1744, married Caleb Boynton of Mendon, MA on May 24, 1768
• 26.  Thankful, born November 1, 1746, died ?
• 27.  *Joseph, born November 12, 1748, married first, Ama Adams, married second, Rosanna ?
• 28.  Chloe, born August 15, 2750, died ?
• 29.  Benjamin, born April 13, 1753, died ?

Fifth Generation

27. Joseph Richardson(Joseph, John, John, John) was born November 12, 1748 in Medway, MA. He died in Uxbridge, MA in 1834.

Joseph married Ama (or Naomi) Adams, daughter of Oliver Adams, on May 25, 1795 in Medway, MA. (MA town marriage records).  There is an unconfirmed tradition that he had three wives. However, his wife at the time of his death was Rosanna.

Children of Joseph Richardson:

• 30.  Joseph
• 31.  Dexter
• 32. * Simon, born 1800, married Martha Taft, died August 9, 1841.

Sixth and Seventh Generations - Richardson

Sixth Generation

32.  Simon Richardson (Joseph, Joseph, John, John, John) was born in 1800 and died on August 9, 1841.On April 5, 1820, he married Martha Taft (born February 12, 1799, died August 28, 1884), daughter of Jessie Taft and Margara Mowry.  Simon and Martha are buried in the family plot off South Street in Uxbridge, MA.

Simon and Martha had the following children:

• 33.  Sally, born April 20, 1820, died October 21, 1837
• 34.  Molly, born May 25, 1822, died December 18, 1896
• 35.  Bezaleel, born September 28, 1823, married Frances Rhodes, died March 17, 1905
• 36.  Susan, born January 13, 1824, married Smith Bowen, died January 12, 1911.
• 37.  Joseph, born May 5, 1825, married Eunice Whipple Emerson, died July 28, 1911
• 38.  Louisa, born November 27, 1826, died in infancy in 1827
• 39.  Lincoln, born October 4, 1829, died April 21, 1917 (did not marry)
• 40.  Emeline, born February 12, 1831, died July 5, 1871 (did not marry)
• 41.  Margara M., born March 1, 1833, died September 9, 1912 (did not marry)
• 42.  Amanda, born October 12, 1835, died February 13, 1892 (did not marry
• 43.  Simon and Samuel (twins), born August 10, 1938.  Simon died October 23, 1918; Samuel died December 7, 1917.

Seventh Generation

NOTE:  I have information about the families of Joseph (37) siblings, however have not included them (hence the gaps in numbering from here on) at this time, because I wanted to get the direct lines posted first...I will go back and add these in time

37.  Joseph Richardson,  (Simon, Joseph, Joseph, John, John, John),  was born on May 5, 1825 and died on July 28, 1911, at athe age of 86.  He married Eunice Whipple Emerson, a descendant of Joseph Emerson (1620-1680) of Ipswich.

Children of Joseph and Eunice: 

• 54.  Joseph, born August 9, 1869, married Adelaide Frances Rounds, died June 14, 1953.
• 55.  Martha, born March 12, 1871, never married
• 56.  Samuel, born January 13, 1873 in Portland, Minnesota married Carrie Adele Darling 
• 57.  Elias, born May 11, 1874, married Laura May Ballou
• 58.  Alice Maria, born November 25, 1876, married Eugene F. Nutting, died March 19, 1911
• 59.  Elsie, born June 28, 1879, married a Mr. ? Hollingsworth (no children)
• 60.  Fernando Cass, born August 19, 1882, married Mabelle Ramsey of Uxbridge, MA (no children)
• 61.  Eunice, born August 9, 1891, married William Everett Mitchell, died July 21, 1928

Seventh and Eighth Generation

 54. Joseph Richardson (Simon, Joseph, Joseph, John, John, John) was born on August 9, 1869 and died June 14, 1953.

Joseph married Adelaide Frances Rounds (born March 8, 1864; died March 11, 1930), daughter of Jabez Rounds, a Providence cobbler, on May 25, 1893, in Burlington, Vermont.  They traveled to Burlington so the wedding ceremony could be performed by a friend).  Joseph and Adelaide are buried in Westfield Cemetery, Danielson, CT.  They had 12 children, including triplets.

Children of Joseph and Adelaide:

• 73.  Joseph Francis, born April 3, 1894, in Providence, RI and died September 26, 1894
• 74.  Edith Adelaide, born July 18, 1895 in East Woodstock, CT.   Married Joseph Krivanec of Willington, DE., died April 18, 1988. 
• 75.  George Adelbert, born January 9, 1897 in Eastford, CT.  married Mary Reynolds (born April 26, 1904 in Machias, ME), died January 1983
• 76. Lewellyn Cass born December 12, 1897 (10:45 pm in Eastford, CT (one of triplets), married Lillian Mosey May 17, 1930, died ?
• 77.  Leroy Hillary, born December 13, 1897 (1:15 am in Eastford) 2nd triplet, married twice - first Luna Mason, second Eunice Elizabeth Terwilliger, died June 1974 in Danielson, CT.
• 78. Lucretia Emerson, born December 13, 1897 (1:20 am in Eastford) 3rd triplet, married twice - first, Byron Randall, second Mr. ? Pierce from Warren, RI, died July 17, 1988 and is buried in Westfield Cemetery in Danielson, CT
• 79.  Victoria May, born May 11, 1899 in Uxbridge, MA, died September 24, 1899 in Leicester, VT
• 80.  Raymond Augustus, born August 7, 1900 in Hopewell Junction, NY, died October 26, 1900.
• 81.  Jesse Stanford, born October 13, 1901 in Hopewell Junction, NY, married Gladys Lancaster in Providence, RI, divorced after 2-4 years, no children; died July 1987 in Southbridge, MA
• 82.  Wesley Albrecht, born October 7, 1902 in Lincoln Park, NJ; died July 23, 1903 in Lincoln Park.
• 83.  Edna Gertrude, born October 4, 1903, married Amasa Dowe Pierce, died January 26, 1996 in Fort Myers, Lee, FL
• 84.  Nelson Fearney, born September 29, 1904 in Uxbridge, MA, married Elsie Rose, from Sterling, CT, died September 1993 in Danielson, CT.