The Cover of Earle Epic by Gladys Wright. The photo is the Richards Family home in Earle, Crittenden County, Arkansas.
*UPDATE* - Updates for this post can be found by clicking HERE.
My Richards family is a pretty interesting, intriguing, story. I have been researching them and I have so many questions, some which may never be answered.
Most of the early information I have for the Richards comes from a small book titled Earle Epic by Gladys Wright published in 1981. Though the information is brief, it helped to push the research of the Richards family forward, though not back far enough (yet). The rest is what I have found through research, along with family stories. Though what follows may not include everyone in the Richards family, it will include as much as I have found thus far. Perhaps distant cousins will come forward with more information (and photos!) to share.
The Richards family story that was passed down from my great-grandmother Minnie Virginia Richards to my mother was that our Richards line came from King Richard (probably from “cavorting” in the countryside). Her husband Stephen Para (being of Italian ancestry) found the story amusing and would always say, “Hell, 'Ginia, that’s nothing. Your ancestors were still swinging through the trees while mine had conquered the known world”. There were three Kings of Britain named Richard, so I’m not totally sure which she would have been talking about: King Richard I the Lionheart had no children in his marriage, though there are rumors of him having had at least one illegitimate child, if not more (but then again, there are other rumors of…ah, let’s just say rumors); King Richard II, whose first marriage was childless, as well as his second marriage to a 6-year-old Isabella of Valois; King Richard III did have illegitimate children, but that doesn’t mean that we are descended from him (I wonder how many Richards families out there have the same story?).
The first instance of the Richards family, as far as it was known at the time Earle Epic was published, and as far as I can tell from how far back others have researched so far, is John Richards, born about 1755 (the book gives 1750-60, so we can split the difference and work off that) in Virginia. John Richards was a shoemaker who married a woman by the name of Catherine Cocke and gave her a gold coin as a wedding present. I have been unable to find a place and date of death, though I’m betting Jones County, North Carolina. I have not been able to find a marriage date or location for them either. I do know, however, that they were living in Jones County, North Carolina, as that appears to be where their son John married in the early 1800s.
So, the story goes that John was a shoemaker. He and Catherine had at least two children, John Richards (Jr? the Third?) and William Richards. There were, apparently, more children, according to the census records:
1790 Jones County, North Carolina
Head of Household: John Richards
Free White Persons-Males-16 and Over: 1
Free White Persons-Males-16 and Under: 1
Free White Persons-Females: 5 (no ages!)
Number of Household Members: 7
1800 Jones County, North Carolina
Head of Household: John Richards
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and Over: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25: 1
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and Over: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25: 3
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15: 1
Number of Household Members Under 16: 3
Number of Household Members Over 25: 2
Number of Household Members: 9
In 1810 the shoemaker John was still alive because he appears on the census record as John Richards, Sr, though his age is off:
1810 Jones County, North Carolina
Head of Household: John Richards, Senior
Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44 : 1
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15: 3
Number of Household Members Under 16: 5
Number of Household Members Over 25: 2
Number of Household Members: 7
Also found in Jones County, North Carolina that year listed separately his his son John Richards, Jr with his wife and…someone.
1810 Jones County, North Carolina
Head of Household: John Richards, Junior
Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25: 1
Number of Household Members Over 25: 1
Number of Household Members: 3
Based on the estimated year of birth for John Richards, Jr (about 1790) I am supposing that “Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25” is him and “Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25” is his wife (more on that in a second). But I don’t know who on earth “Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44” could be.
Sometime between 1810 and 1820 John Richards, Sr, the shoemaker, died. The story is so terrible. John, Sr was seasoning some white oak pegs (drying them out, for those not in the “wood” know) and he suddenly had a stroke. He fell into the fire and died as a result of the burns he received. Whether he died in the fire, or hours (or days or weeks) later is not known. At least, I can’t find anything further about it.
John Richards, Jr married Rhoda Metz sometime around 1809/1810, possibly in Jones County, North Carolina. I say “possibly” because I am unable to find a marriage record for them AND because there are no Metz (or Metts) families found in Jones County. Or any of North Carolina at that point.
John, Jr and Rhoda had at least nine children, all were most likely born in Jones County, North Carolina. The known children are:
John Richards III born about 1811
Susan “Suki” Richards born about 1813
Mary Richards born about 1815
Nancy Richards born about 1819
Julia Richards born about 1821
Edmund Richards born about 1823
William Alexander Richards born about 1825
Rhoda Richards born about 1829
James “Jim” Richards born about 1832
In 1820 John, Jr and family are listed on the census as two adults over the age of 25 and five children under the age of 10.
In 1830 the family was still living in Jones County, North Carolina. They appear on the census as:
1830 Jones County, North Carolina
Head of Household: John Richards:
Free White Persons - Males - 40 thru 49: 1 (John, Jr)
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: 1 (?)
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19: 1 (John III)
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: 1(Edmund)
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: 2 (William Alexander and ?)
Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39: 1 (Rhoda)
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19: 2 (Susan and Mary)
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14: 2 (Nancy and Julia)
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 1 (Little Rhoda)
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 3
Free White Persons - Under 20: 9
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 12
So there are two male children that we are unsure of who they are.
Sometime after the youngest (known) child, Jim, was born in North Carolina the Richards family decided to head west. In a covered wagon, of course. According to the story they would travel for a while and stop in the Spring so that they could farm enough crop to live on while travelling. During one of these stops, in Tiptonville, Lake County, Tennessee, which is in the faaaaar northwest corner of the state, John, Jr died. It was either 1834 or 1835 when it happened. From Earle Epic:
“The crop had been gathered in and he was taking a rest at the end of the day. He was leaning back in a chair on the porch, smoking a corncob pipe when he had a heart attack and died”.
It is thought that the reason no one knows where he is buried is because the family didn’t have enough money for a headstone.
After the death of John Richards, Jr his widow Rhoda and her brother-in-law William decided to push forward and move…across the state line to Arkansas. In 1840 they are found in Jasper, Crittenden County, Arkansas. There are actually two census records:
1840 Jasper, Crittenden County, Arkansas
Head of Household: Rody Richards (Rhoda)
Free White Persons - Females - 40 thru 49: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: 1
1840 Jasper, Crittenden County, Arkansas
Head of Household: John Richards (John III)
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19: 1
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: 1
Colored Persons - Insane and Idiots at Private Charge: 1
Interesting. Anyway, It’s not until 1850 when we can see more information.
The family is found living in Tyrongee Township, Crittenden County, Arkansas (I had to look up the name of this place. I believe it sat where Earle is now on the Tyronza River Bend. There is a town in Arkansas named Tyronza, but it is in a different county). Rhoda is listed as Rhody Richards, age 56 years. Living in the household with her are: Susan (age 37 years, listed as “idiotic”), William (age 25 years) and James (age 18 years). Living next door to Rhoda is her son Edmund and his family. Edmund is shown as Edward Richards, age 25 years. Living in the household with him are: Catharina (Caroline, age 22 years, Edmund’s wife), George (age 3 years), Lucy (age 2 years), Mary Edwards (age 14 years, I don’t have a clue who she is or why she lives with them) and Mary McQueen (age 18 years, Caroline’s sister). John III and his family didn’t live far from Rhoda and Edmund. He is listed as John Richards, age 39 years. Also living in his household are: Lucinda (age 22 years, either a second wife or she lied about her age…see the 1840 census), John (age 11 years), Amanda (age 9 years), Malissa (age 6 years), Julia (age 3 years) and Mary (age 1 year). Also living in Jasper, Crittenden County, Arkansas, not far from either Rhoda and Edmund or John III is John, Jr’s brother William. He is listed as William Richards, age 50 years. Living in the household with him is a man by the name of Amos Page, age 40 years.
It is here where the family starts to split up. I will go down the list of children, filling in as much information as I can, but I am going to leave Edmund for Part Two of The Richards Epic, as he is the line I know more about at this point since he is my 3rd great-grandfather.
1. John Richards III was born about 1811 in Jones County, North Carolina. I can’t say for certain if he married once or twice, but by 1850 he had married Lucinda Parker (born 1825-1828). It is said that Lucinda may have been Native American. John and Lucinda had the following children:
John M Richards (though, as stated before, Lucinda may not be his mother), born about 1839. It doesn’t appear that John M ever married. In 1860 he is found living with his uncle William Alexander Richards and employed as a laborer. I am unable at the moment to find him in 1870. In 1880 he is found living with his sister Rhoda and her family and is employed as a farmer. I do not have a date or place of death for John M Richards.
Amanda Richards was born about 1841. I have no further information.
Melissa Richards was born in December of 1845 (according to Find a Grave). In 1860 she is found living in Eastland County, Texas with her uncle Edmund Richards and his family. She married Joseph Hinshaw in Texas sometime after 1860. According to History of Eastland County, Texas (1904) by Mrs. George Langston Joseph was on the roster as part of a required militia company for the County of Eastland. He was listed as Joe Henshaw. Between 1876 and 1880 Joseph died leaving Melissa a widow. She is found at that census living in Coryell County, Texas with her children: George, John, Celia and Benjamin. I can see that other’s trees have an Eva listed as being born in 1882. This is either the wrong birthdate or she is a child born out of wedlock. By 1900 Melissa and her children had made their way to Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, though it’s not clear why at the moment. Melissa passed in 1930 in Carter County, Oklahoma.
Nelia (?) Richards was born about 1847, according to Earle Epic. I have no further information.
Mary Richards was born about 1849. I have no further information.
Rhoda Richards was born January 6, 1851. She married James Carroll David about 1869. According to census records and others’ trees she and James had at least three children: Florence, Julia Eva and John H. James died in 1908 and Rhoda died a year later.
2. Susan Richards was born about 1813 in Jones County, North Carolina. Susan, or Suki as she was known, had suffered an illness and her mind had never matured (according, again, to Earle Epic). She lived with her mother in 1850, where she is listed as “idiotic”. In 1860, after Rhoda had passed (I suppose?) Susan was living with her sister Rhoda and family, again listed as “idiotic”. I am unable to find Susan on a census record after 1860, so I can only assume that she died sometime prior to 1870.
3. Mary Richards was born between 1815 and 1819 in Jones County, North Carolina. I can find no records on her at all, yet her name is listed in Earle Epic. I’m supposing it is possible that she married in Tennessee and never actually moved to Arkansas.
4. Nancy Richards was born between 1815 and 1819 in Jones County, North Carolina. She is another I cannot find any records for, yet she is listed in Earle Epic.
(note: in 1840 there is a female between 20 and 29, but I am assuming that is Susan. If you notice, Rhoda only has five of her children living with her in 1840)
5. Julia Richards was born in 1821 in Jones County, North Carolina. It is thought that she might possibly be the “Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19” on the 1840 census in the household with her brother John Richards III. And this goes back to his wife Lucinda having been only 11 years of age when his son John M Richards was born. So it is commonly thought that he must have been married previously and his wife died, therefore Julia went to help take care of the baby. On June 22, 1847 Julia married George M Merriman, though there are two interesting things to note: 1. George’s last name on the marriage record is (and this is how it was transcribed) Maryman, and 2. Julia is listed as Julia Lea, leading some to believe she may have been married before. I really doubt that. I can’t view the actual document, but I’m guessing it’s very possible that Lea may have been her middle name. I looked up Lea families all around the area of Crittenden and Lake counties, and I can’t find any that can’t be tracked, but then again, I wasn’t there. Anyway, so Julia appears on the 1850 census with her two children, George M Merriman, Jr and Nancy Serena Merriman, but no husband. It’s assumed he died in late 1849/early 1850 since he had petitioned the courts in late 1849 to gain guardianship of a 15 year old boy named John Shelfer. I don’t know who John Shelfer is, but he and a boy named Edward Page, aged 9 years, are both living with Julia in 1850. In 1851 Julia married Hiram Campbell, a widower and single father from New York. Together they had a son named Albert Hiram Campbell born in 1852 in Crittenden County, Arkansas (died in 1890). Hiram died sometime before 1854 because it was that year that Julia married Joseph Lyles. Together Julia and Joseph had one child, Julia Florence Lyles who was born December 11, 1856.
6. Edmund Richards (see The Richards Epic: Part Two)
7. William Alexander Richards was born in 1825 in Jones County, North Carolina. He married Saphroney (or Safroney) Gilmore in 1855. He held the office of Justice of the Peace. William and Saphroney had two children: James Emery born 1857 (died. February of 1900) and William Alexander born 1862 (died in January of 1900). In 1860 Edward Page was living with William and family, along with Williams nephew John M Richards, and two men: Green McDaniel and John Blocker. Saphroney died in 1864. William then married Sarah H Rose in 1866. Together William and Sarah had two children: Robert E Lee Richards in 1867 (died about 1869) and Clarence Addice “Addie” Richards born in 1869 (died in 1950). The 1870 census really confuses me. William and Sarah are listed, along with; JE Richards (James Emery), WL Richards (age 18, born about 1852, a male…who is this!?!?!?!?), CA Richards (Clarence Addice), RE Rose (a 17 year old female that I can only assume is a sister of Sarah) and Nick Wooley or Worley (a farmhand). Who is WL Richards? It’s driving me crazy not knowing! Anyway, William Alexander Richards died January 10, 1875.
8. Rhoda Richards was born August 15, 1829 in Jones County, North Carolina. Though the exact date of marriage isn’t known (from what I understand the marriage records are missing), Rhoda married Sterling Hood about 1849, most likely in Crittenden County, Arkansas. Rhoda died on March 11, 1911. The children of Rhoda and Sterling are:
Nancy J Hood was born about 1850. I have no further information.
James W Hood was born in August of 1853. He married Ester S (surname unknown). James and Ester had the following children: Sterling Hood, Parker E Hood, Rosa Lee Hood, Julia F Hood and James W Hood, Jr.
Hillary or Hillowry E Hood was born about 1855. I have no further information.
Robert S Hood was born in 1858. He married Minnie M Newton on July 24, 1890. Robert and Minnie had the following children: Olive W Hood, Bluford K Hood, Nancy Rhoda Gertrude Hood, Ida Bell or Isabell Hood, Jessie Caroline Hood and Rachel Hood.
Laura Hood was born about 1865. She married WT Wilkins on December 19, 1886. I believe I found her on a 1940 census living in Houston, Harris County, Texas with her granddaughter, but I can’t be certain. I have no further information.
Edmund P Hood was born about 1871. Edmund married Dora Jane Place on October 8, 1893. Edmund and Dora Jane had the following children: Jerome R Hood, Clarence R Hood and Everett P Hood.
9. James “Jim” Richards was born about 1832 in Jones County, North Carolina. The closest I can find for him on census records after 1850 (where he is found in Crittenden County, Arkansas living with his mother) is a JJ Richards living in Bossier, Louisiana. I have no further information.
…to be continued!
My grandmother, Kate Richards(Hale) was the daughter of Wm. Alexander Richards and Sarah Rose. Kate b. 1874 . Mother of James C. Hale of Marion, Ar. You left her off... Tks.
Posted by: jeanie hale martz | 09/01/2013 at 09:14 AM
I will make sure she is on this blog and not forgotten! :)
Posted by: Stephanie | 09/01/2013 at 10:00 AM
Edmund's great granddaughter Laura married Carl E Speight and raised their family in Memphis. They are my grandparents on my mother's side.
Just starting to track this. Fascinating. Thanks for all your work.
Posted by: Michael McCormick | 09/07/2016 at 08:46 PM
Stephanie,
My sister, Laura McCormick, tells me that you are our Aunt Minnie's great granddaughter. Your mother's name Ginger?
Michael McCormick
Posted by: michael mccormick | 09/09/2016 at 12:18 PM