Looking Back: An AutobiographyRichardson, Merrick Abner
History
Looking Back: An Autobiography
Richardson, Merrick Abner
Richardson, Merrick Abner, 1841-
Through the first appearance of the Richardsons in Charlestown we have
an unbroken line of nine generations through Ezekiel of Woburn 1630 to
Marvin of Chicago 1917.
Ezekiel of Woburn.
Theopolis of Woburn.
John of Stafford Street.
Uriah of Stafford Street.
John of Devil's Hop Yard.
Warren of Wabbaquassett Lake.
Merrick of Chicago.
Arthur of Chicago.
Marvin of Chicago.
Of course, my brothers and cousins perpetuate this name, the same as I
do. Collins and Gordon, my brothers, with Orino, the son of my Uncle
Orson, alone have raised about twenty boys.
The living male descendants of Ezekiel, Samuel and Thomas, who carry
our name, must now be more than one hundred thousand Richardsons,
and I presume few of them trace back their relation more than three
generations, but they could if they would.
MY GRANDMOTHER'S STORY
My grandmother, Judith Burroughs Richardson, who died in 1859, age 94,
seemed in the evening of her life-day to think, dream and commune with
her ancestors and friends, who long since entered Paradise, and now
seemed to be throwing back kisses to loved ones approaching that land
of delight.
From her experience and traditional reminiscences I here give a
condensed sketch of her apparent and vivid memories:
James Burroughs, her grandfather, was the son of the minister, George
Burroughs, her great-grandfather, who was hanged at Salem, Mass.,
August 19, 1692, for being in league with the devil.
James was arrested soon after, but escaped from Salem jail and,
under the name of Jim Hall, lived in Connecticut for several years.
Later, under his right name, he married Winnie Richardson, a Stafford
Street girl, and they settled near Brattleborough, Vermont, where
grandmother's father, Amos Burroughs, was born.
After James died, her grandmother Winnie came to West Stafford to live
with them. She died before grandma was born and was buried in the
family lot near their house. Her gravestone was still standing when my
father was old enough to go with his grandfather Amos Burroughs and see
them.
The homestead where Winnie died and grandmother was born and married
can be found by following the south road out of West Stafford and
turning the first road to the right, across the brook and up the hill
to the first farm scene.
Winnie's father, Theopolis, son of Ezekiel, and several other men
with their families, came West when she was a little girl and took
possession, or squat, on the northern rise of a highland plain, where a
grand view of the far-away Western mountains can be seen. They called
their camp Stafford.
John, Winnie's brother, who was conducting an Indian trading post at
Medford came on later, with his two brothers, Gershom and Paul, and
opened up the famous Stafford Street, which was laid out twenty rods
wide and about two miles long, the southern terminus being about one
mile northeast of Stafford Springs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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