Family:James Richardson and Hannah Reed (1)

Source:Vinton, John Adams. Richardson Memorial seems to make a mess of the various James Richardson's. He believes James Richardson of the Leominster family came to Woburn, married Hannah Read, had two children that died, returned to Leominster and had other children with the same name, then returned to Woburn and died. It doesn't quite fit the facts. There are no death records for the two children. There are two marriages records: James Richardson and Hannah Reed in Woburn, and James Richardson of Leominster and Hannah House in Lancaster (Vinton appears unaware of the later). The death of Major James Richardson is recorded in Leominster, not Woburn.

There were two James Richardson born in Woburn in 1729.

One was the son of James Richardson and Sarah Fowle and this family moved to Leominster about 1735. This James would be probably be the man explicitly identified as "James Richardson Jr. of Leominster" m. in 1753 to Hannah House. This James had several children in Leominster, got divorced, then remarried, then died 1795 age 65 or 66,, all in Leominster according to contemporary records. Meanwhile his widow remarried in Leominster and his first wife died in Leominster. There is no sign he left Leominster.

The other was the son of Phinehas Richardson and Rebecca Fowle. Vinton says this one married Hannah ---, d. 1773 in Woburn leaving a widow Hannah and one daughter Ruhamah. This is confirmed by probate documents. Whether this James had earlier children who died is not evident.

Some James Richardson married Hannah Reed in Woburn in 1749/50 and had children James and Hannah. It is not clear who this was. But it appears that the son James, of James and Sarah (Fowle) Richardson, did not contribute any of them. At least not unless some evidence not yet seen is forthcoming...

1. ↑ Johnson, Edward F. Woburn Records of Births, Deaths, and Marriages . (Woburn, Massachusetts: Andrews, Cutler & Co., 1890-1919)
   Vol. 3, p. 229.

   James Richardson, Jr., and Hannah Reed, both of Woburn, Feb. 12, 1750
   [Note: p. 1:7 of the introduction says years are given as their modern equivalents, so this would be 12 Feb 1749/50, which agrees with Source:Vinton, John Adams. Richardson Memorial.]