#75--Nathan Aldis--Oops I Lost You

This week’s blog theme is “oops.”  I have had lots of oopses while doing genealogy.  I have researched the wrong person, attached the wrong person as a spouse, and had multiple people, who turned out to be one person.   I have also misplaced paper docuemnts, only to discover them later. Several years ago, I decided that I would write some brief sketches about my emigrant ancestors.

I did do all of my Richards grandfathers.  Then, I began to branch out and do some of the collateral lines.  I guess something else came along that occupied my time and by the time I got back to genealogy, I had forgotten I written them.  Imagine my surprise when looking for something else to find them neatly written on a yellow pad.  So that is my oops for this week’s blog.  One of my bio was of Nathan Aldis, so for this week I am sharing his oops bio with you.

Nathaniel Aldis is my 8th great grandfather.  He was born in Fressingfield, Suffolk County, England about 1596 to Francis Aldous and Sarah (Mary) Gooch.  In 1638, he immigrate to the colonies and settled in Dedham with his wife, Mary and his children:  Lydia, Mary, Ann and John. He signed the Dedham Covenant and became a member of the church on February 11, 1640 and a freeman on May 13, of the same year.

Nathaniel Aldis was a selectman for two years (1641 and 1642). He was one of the first deacons of the Dedham Church.  He served as a member of the meeting house and pastor’s salary committees.  In 1642 he bought one sixth interest in the watermill in Dedham.  Seven years later, he sold that interest to Nathaniel Whiting.  He was the appraiser of several estates.  .  Nathaiel died on Mary 15, 1676.  His son, John, and his wife, Mary, were the executors of this estate of was valued at 223 pounds.  His wife, Mary died on January 1, 1677.

#74 Seth Richards--A Man of Many Occupations

Last week I blogged about Silvanius Richards.  While reading about him, I became interested in his son, Seth.  I knew of Seth Richards because my great grandfather, Abiathar Richards is listed as living with him and his wife, Fanny, in the 1850 census.  However, I have really never taken the time to research Seth.  So now is that time.

Newport,

According to the History of Newport, New Hampshire, from 1766 to 1878 by Edmund Wheeler, Seth Richards was born on February 20, 1792 to Sylvanius and Lucy Richardson in Newport, New Hampshire.  Early in his life, Seth engaged in a variety of occupations:  first, he was a farmer, and hotel keeper in the west part of Newport.  Later he moved into Newport and ran  the Rising Sun hotel with his father.

After his stint at the hotel, He became a clerk in Eratus Baldwin’s store.  He must have learned a lot and liked selling as in 1835 he bought the stock and store from the Cheneys.  He and his sons kept that store and ran it until 1853.  Leaving the retail trade, Seth with his son, Dexter became a manufacturer.  They produced  flannel material at the Sugar River Mills.

Seth was not only a business man, he also was active in the affairs of Newport.  He was a selectman, a state representative and post master.  In addition, he was a Captain in the town militia.

Seth married Fanny Richards of Dedham, Massachusetts on April 8, 1;817.  They had eight children:  Dexter (1818-1898); Emily (1820—); Elizabeth (1821--)Fanny (1823--) Abiathar (1825—1899); Helen (1828-1868); Ann (1832--) and Catherine (1834--).  His wife Franny died on  August 11, 1854.  Seth Richards, then, married Martha B. Dow on March 24, 1859.  Seth Richards died on October 30, 1871.

If I could talk to Seth, I would like to ask him about why and how long Abiathar Richards, his wife’s nephew lived with them and why.  Was he visiting for a while?  Was he there to work in the store and learn the retail trade?  I do know that in the 1860 census, Abiathar is living with his brother, Abner, in Brooklyn, New York and that he worked in the wholesale shoe business.  Did he learn some of those skills from Seth Richards?  So many questions, so few answers.

#73--Happy Birthday, Silvanus Richards

Blogging about someone whose birthday is in October was the task for this week.  So the first thing I had to do was figure out who had October birthdays.  The second person I looked at was born in that month.  That worked for me so  I am blogging about Silvanus Richards, who is one of my great-great uncles.

Silvanus was born on October 16, 1765, in Dedham, Massachusetts to Abiathar and Elizabeth (Richards) Richards.   He married Lucy Richardson on November 13, 1788, in Newport, Massachusetts.  Their first son, Leonard, was born in 1789; in 1792 their son, Seth, was born, with Abiathar born four years later in 1796 and Silvanus in 1811. Shortly after 1800, the family moved from Dedham to Newport.  At that time, Newport was part of Massachusetts, but later became part of New Hampshire.

I was able to find a biography of Silvanus in The Sketches of Successful New Hampshire Men edited by John Badger Clark.  So I learned that Silvanus lived in the western part of the town on a large farm.  In addition to farming, he also ran tavern or wayside inn.  In about 1812 he moved Newport Village and ran the tavern, The Rising Sun, which previously had been run by Gordon Buell.


In 1816 Silvanus was involved in the establishment of the Coranthian Lode, No 28.  In addition, during an epidemic he served on the Board of Health to establish sanitary measures and make sure that those who were sick were taken care of.

Silvanus Richards died on March 5, 1837, when he was 71 years old and is buried in the North Newport Cemetery.

Researching Silvanus opened up a part of my Richards line that I had not explored before.  I now want to research his sons so stayed tuned for more information.