Looking for more information about the early
Riddle's & Welsh's Families of Maryland & West Virginia& Virginia
& North Carolina
File is from Roy Lockhart a Goff & Riddle
researcher
Background
James
Riddle (Riddel) was born December 10, 1740 and died Feb. 26, 1816 in what is
now Gilmer Co., WV. His wife was Ann Welsh whose sister
Elizabeth was the wife of John Turton Goff.
They lived at one time on the Maryland side of the Potomac River not far
from Georgetown, which is now included in the District of Columbia.
From here
they went to Fredericksburg, Virginia, later moving to what is now Tucker
County, West Virginia and finally to what is now Gilmer County, West Virginia.
The 1869
Bible of Rev. Joseph H. Goff (1822-1893) states his grandfather James “Ridel”
and his wife (not named) were buried at the mouth of Leading Creek, in Gilmer
Co., WV.
Their
children were: Benjamin, Dorcas who married Joseph Hardman, James Jr., John,
Elizabeth who married Alexander Goff Sr. and Jeremiah. Benjamin married Ann “Nancy” Goff, daughter
of Salathiel, and John married first to Tamar Goff, daughter of John Turton
Goff, and half-sister of Alexander Goff.
Jeremiah Riddle married Margaret Hardman, sister of Joseph.
See “History
of Ritchie County, West Virginia”, Minnie Kendall Lowther, 1911, pages 276-278.
Riddle Ancestry
Prince
George's County, Maryland land records (Liber HH, Folio 98) show that on
April 22, 1785 (recorded Apr. 18, 1786)
John Riddle of Prince Georges Co., planter, made a deed of gift to his son
James of Prince Georges Co. and his wife Ann of a negro girl named Dark and
after the decease of James & Ann the negro girl to go to granddaughter
Dorcas Riddle, daughter of James.
Prince
George's Co., Maryland land records
(Liber JRM, Number 4, Folio 383) also show that on Mar. 19, 1796 (recorded May
20, 1796) James Riddel of Washington, Maryland (now DC) made a deed of gift to
his son Benjamin Riddel also of Washington, Maryland (now DC) of a negro girl
named Dorcas (apparently the same slave as the 1785 deed).
This deed
also mentions James’ wife Anne and wife’s daughter Dorcas Harding. (Harding should probably be Hardman as
Dorcas Riddle and Joseph Hardman were married before this deed was made.) Prince George Co., Maryland land records
also include these deeds: John Riddell
to daughter Elizabeth, wife of Anthony Beck, Jun. 28, 1768; John Riddle, Sr.
& Lucy Riddle, widow of his son Samuel, Oct. 21, 1774; and John Riddle, Sr.
to son Jacob, Feb. 15, 1791.
The
1785 deed above shows the father of James Riddle was John. “Prince George’s County Maryland Index of
Church Registers 1686-1885”, Helen W. Brown, 1988, Volume I, page 190 (Queen
Anne Parish) shows that John Riddle, Jr. and Elizabeth Lentall were married
Feb. 9, 1729 and had these children born to them: John, Nov. 16, 1734; George (no date); Samuel, May 7, 1737; a
child, Aug. 15, 1739; a child, Dec. 10, 1740; Basil (no date); Jeremiah (no
date), Elizabeth (no date) & (Susan)nah (no date). (The child born in 1740 is likely James.)
The “1776
census of Maryland”, Bettie Stirling Carothers, 1992, page 124, Prince George's
County. (St. John’s & Prince George
Parishes) lists John Riddell age 72, Elizabeth 70, 1 female 17 & 7
negroes. “Index to The Tithables of
Loudoun County, Virginia and to Slaveholders and Slaves 1758-1786”, Margaret
Lail Hopkins, 1991, page 66, includes the following Riddles/Riddells: Bazell, 1772; Benjamin, 1785; George, 1763,
1765-66, 1768, 1770, 1771-85; George Jr., 1779; John, 1770, 1772-1777; and
Samuel, 1780-85.
“Prince George’s County Maryland Index
of Church Registers 1686-1885”, Helen W. Brown, 1988, Volume I, page 190 (Queen
Anne Parish) shows that John Riddle, Jr. (father of James) was born Jul. 25,
1708, son of John & Elizabeth Riddle, his first wife, and that he had a
brother, George, born Sep. 10, 1710.
Also from
this reference we learn that John Riddle’s second wife was named Margaret and
they had a daughter Elizabeth born Dec. 13, 1721; and that his third wife was
Eleanor Lee who he married May 31, 1735.
Eleanor’s maiden name may have been Thompson as “Maryland Marriage
Records”, Annie Walker Burns, undated, shows John Riddle to Elenor Thompson,
daughter of Christopher & Grace Thompson, Prince George's County Maryland
and Chris. Thompson to Grace Williams, widow of James Williams, Prince Georges
Co.
The will
of John Riddle (father of John, Jr.) was made in Prince Georges Co., MD Aug.
19, 1745 and recorded May 20, 1746 (Liber 24, Folio 402). It names his wife, Elinor; son, John; and
daughter, Elizabeth Linton. “Maryland
Marriage Records”, Annie Walker Burns, undated, “Eliza Riddle, daughter of John
& Eleanor of Prince Georges Co., married George Linton.”
The father of John Riddle is said to have been John
also but this hasn’t been substantiated.
Welsh Ancestry
“Pioneers
in Roane County, West Virginia.”, John A.House, 1906, page 247, “John Goff
married Elizabeth Welch, a sister of James Riddle’s wife...”
“History of
Ritchie County, West Virginia”, Minnie Kendall Lowther, 1911, page 288, “John
Turton Goff married Miss Elizabeth Welsh..., sister of Mrs. James Riddel ...”
The will of Thomas Welsh of Prince Georges
County,Maryland was made August. 30,1799 and recorded October. 28, 1801 (Liber
T, Folio 477).
It names
wife, Dorcas (Darcas); son, Richard; daughters, Rachel Rease, Dorcas Housley,
Anne Riddle, Mary Beck, Elizabeth Prather, Comfort Wood & Deborah
Edmonston; son-in-law, Nathan Edmonston; and grandchildren, Thomas Jones,
Catharine Jones & Samuel Jones.
Other
children may have been Thomas, Jr. and Eleanor who married Henry Brewer.
No marriage
record for Elizabeth Welsh to John Turton Goff has been found but the marriage
of Elizabeth Welsh to Joseph Prather is on record in Prince George's
County,Maryland. It was not uncommon in
early days for siblings to have the same first same so it’s conceivable that
Thomas Welsh could have had two daughters named Elizabeth. (He had two sisters named Elizabeth.) Thomas Welsh Jr., as well as Elizabeth
(Welsh) Goff, were deceased at the time Thomas Welsh made his will and
therefore would not have been included.
The “1776
census of Maryland”, Bettie Stirling Carothers, 1992, page 128, Prince George's
County (St. John’s & Prince George
Parishes) lists Thomas Welch age 54, Darcas 53, 1 female 28, 1 male 24, 1
female 20, 1 male 15, 1 female 13, 1 female 11, 2 males 5, 1 female 4 & 6
negroes. (Some of the younger ones
listed could have been grandchildren).
Dorcas was born about 1723 according to the census. Her maiden name is unknown.
Nor is it known if she was the only wife of
Thomas. Prince George's County,Maryland
marriage records show the marriages of several of Thomas’ children, as
follows:::
Mary Welsh
& Osborn Beck, Sep. 8, 1763 (Queen Anne Parish); Joseph Prather &
Elizabeth Welsh, Jun. 12, 1781 (license Jun. 1, 1781); Richard Welch &
Massey Prather, Oct. 1, 1781 (license); Dorcus Welch & Samuel Jones, Nov.
4, 1788 (license); and Deborah Welsh & Nathan Edmonston, Dec. 19, 1788
(license).
The above
marriage licenses are from “Maryland Records Colonial, Revolutionary, County
and Church from Original Sources”, Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh, Volume I, page 166;
the marriages from “Maryland Marriages, 1634-1777”, Robert Barnes, 1975 and “Maryland
Marriages, 1778-1800”, Robert Barnes, 1978.
Thomas
Welsh was born in All Hallows Parish, Anne Arundel County,Maryland January 24,
1721 (baptized Sep. 12, 1722), son of Col. John & Rachel Welsh, his second
wife.
Rachel’s
maiden name is unknown. The “Genealogy
of The Welsh and Hyatt Families of Maryland and Their Kin”, Luther W. Welsh,
1928, page 20 states Rachel, daughter of John & Ann (Greenberry) Hammond,
was born 1708 and married Hon. John Moale rather than Colonel John Welsh as
stated in “The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland”, J.D.
Warfield, 1905, page 92.
The will of
Colonel John Welsh of Anne Arundel County,Maryland was made Feb. 4, 1733 and
probated March 5, 1733-4 (Liber 21, Folio 102). It names his wife, Rachel (with child); sons, John, Thomas,
Benjamin & Henry O’Neale; daughters, Sarah Warfield, Sophia Hall, Ann
Hammond, Rachel, Elizabeth & Comfort; brother, Robert; and cousin, Richard Snowden.
Colonel
John Welsh had married first in Anne Arundel County, Maryland March 13, 1700 to
Thomasin(a) Hopkins Hopkins and their children (all born in All Hallows Parish,
Anne Arundel Co., MD) were: Elizabeth (baptized Mar. 7, 1703); Sarah born
November 26, 1711 married Anne Arundel County, Maryland October 24, 1727 to
Samuel Warfield; and Sophia born November 10, 1713 married Prince George's
County, Maryland in 1731 to Benjamin Hall.
Colonel
John Welsh and Rachel, his second wife, were married about about 1715 and their
children (all born All Hallows Parish, Anne Arundel County, Maryland) were:
Ann(e) born Jul. 10, 1716 (baptized Feb. 16, 1718)
married Anne Arundel County, Maryland January 30, 1731 to Nathan Hammond;
Rachel born February 11, 1717 (baptized February 16, 1718); Captain John born
February 3, 1719; Thomas; Mary born November 25, 1723 (baptized May 6, 1724);
Benjamin born July 8, 1725; Elizabeth born December 10, 1726; Henry O’Neale
born March 18, 1729; Comfort born January 24, 1730; and Richard born 1734. Births are from “Anne Arundel County
[Maryland] Church Records of the 17th and 18th Centuries”, F. Edward Wright,
undated; marriages are from “Maryland Marriages, 1634-1777”, Robert Barnes,
1975.
Colonel
John Welsh was a Justice, Commissioner and High Sheriff of Anne Arundel
County,Maryland. He was born in Anne
Arundel County, Maryland about 1673, son of Major John Welsh & Anne, his
first wife, widow of Honorable Roger Grosse.
He had an older brother Sylvester Welsh born about 1670.
Anne died
before 1675 and Major John married second to Mary, daughter of Damaris and
stepdaughter of Nicholas Wyatt. Mary
remarried to James Ellis. The children
of Colonel John & Mary were:
Elizabeth
who married Dec. 4, 1691 to Daniel Richardson; Sarah who married Anne Arundel
Co., MD Oct. 1, 1695 to John Giles; Mary who married Josias Toogood; Benjamin
who married Anne Arundel County, Maryland Nov. 20, 1701 to Elizabeth Nicholson;
Damaris who married Anne Arundel County, Maryland Apr. 9, 1700 to Thomas
Stockett; and Robert born 1684 who married Anne Arundel County, Maryland,
February 24, 1706 to Catherine Lewis.
"Marriages are from “Maryland Marriages,
1634-1777”, Robert Barnes, 1975".
Major
John Welsh, English immigrant, was born about 1622. He served in the Nanticoke War; was High Sheriff of Anne Arundel
County and a Commissioner of Anne Arundel County,Maryland. His will was made in Anne Arundel
County,Maryland, January 6, 1683 and recorded March 3, 1683-4 (Liber 4, Folio
35). It names his wife, Mary; sons,
Silvester (oldest), John & Benjamin; and daughters, Mary, Eliza, Sarah
& Damaris; unborn child [Robert]; and brother, Henry.
More
detailed information on the Riddle and Welsh families can be found in the
references cited, particularly “Genealogy of the Welsh and Hyatt Families of
Maryland and Their Kin”, Luther W. Welsh, 1928.
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