Person talk:Thomas Richards (61)

Two Thomas Richards (second cousins). [19 March 2019]

The Thomas Richards who died 23 July 1760 and was buried in Watertown was the son of John and Mary (Welton) of Waterbury, born 17 October 1699 at Newark, NJ, not of Thomas and Mary (Parsons) Richards of Hartford. Thomas and Mary also had a son Thomas, born 3 April 1694 at Hartford, who married Abigail Turner, sister of Susanna Turner, wife of Thomas (1699-1760). See Source:Ward, Anna L. Town and City of Waterbury, Connecticut, from the Aboriginal Period to the Year Eighteen Hundred and Ninety-Five, pp. Ap112 & 113Ap.

Thomas and Abigail of Hartford had, among others, John, baptized at the First Church of Hartford 30 August 1724 (First Church records) and Samuel, "[s. Thomas & Abigail]", born Oct. 22, 1726 (Hartford Vital Records.

At the same time, Thomas and Susanna of Waterbury had, among others, John, born 26 and died 28 July 1724, and another John, born 23 June 1726 (Waterbury Vital Records).

Barbour's sketch of Thomas, son of Thomas and Mary, confuses these two Thomases and also their wives, the sisters Abigail and Susanna Turner. He further confuses the record by including a death date of 1750 for Thomas son of Thomas & Mary. One Deacon Thomas Richards of Hartford died in 1749, estate going to probate 1 September 1750 per Manwaring. Since Thomas son of Thomas and Mary was recommended to the church in Newington by the church in New Britain, along with his second wife, Rebecca (Andrus/Andrews) Orvice, on 23 September 1750, he is not the same man as the Deacon Thomas of Hartford.

See also the Thomas Richards sketch in the History of the New Britain church

I'm going to try to straighten this out, but it will take some time.--jaques1724 00:38, 20 March 2019 (UTC)