#155 Thankful for Thankful

The theme for this week is Thankful.  I thought about blogging about what I was thankful for in terms of genealogy, but decided to take a different route.  I remembered that in the 1700’s women often had names that were virtues—Patience, Temperance, Modesty, etc.  So decided to look and see if I had any female with that kind of first name.  It did not take long for me to find Thankful Stratton. I am the 4th great grandniece of her husband, Ebenezer Richards.

Like most women of that era, there is not much information available of about her, but here is what I could find.  Thankful Stratton was born on December 17, 1721, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Lydia Fuller and Ebenezer Stratton.  Thankful Stratton married Ebenezer Richards in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on December 24, 1741.  They had ten children in 20 years. 

She died on June 1, 1796, in Dedham, Massachusetts, at the age of 74.  She is buried in the Old Village Cemetery  in Dedham, Massachusetts.  Their tombstone reads:

“In memory of  Dean. EBENEZER  RICHARDS who  departed this  life Feb. 27th 1796  Æt. 80 years.    Right panel:  In memory of  Mrs. THANKFULL  RICHARDS, consort of Dea. EBENEZER RICHARDS  who departed   this life 1 June 1796  Æt. 76 years.    Bottom panel:  He performed the office of Deacon  in the first church of Dedham for 27  years.  Blessed are the dead that died in the Lord”