Family History Dates and Time Lines Drive One Nuts

After hosting small grandchildren for a week am back on BLOG to find yet another piece of the puzzel. After viewing many views of the same family lines, we see there are shortcuts people have made. I am so enjoying this exploration.
Hope to have another story soon.
June

Tracing Family History Leads all the way back to Middle Ages England

Tracing one member of our Family Tree was an amazing journey. We reached back to Philip Astley who was born 1122 and died in 1165. Can you believe we have personal records going back 900 years?

His son, Thomas Astley was born in 1157 in Creek, Northamptonshire, England. He married Maud Camvile.

What was life like so long ago? We actually can't imagine life without all the conviences we know. We rely on history and the following is what I found about life for those who lived in Northamptonshire in the "Middle Ages."

Northamptonshire information:
First of all, about locations. To add "shire" in England history is their word for "County' as we use in the U. S.

Apparently one of the most famous places in Northamptonshire were the Castles.

There was a Castle there named Northampton but sadly it is lost forever.
It is highly likely that Northampton Castle looked similar to this image.

Northamptonshire was a favourite playground of Royalty and King John in particular visited the Castle no less than 30 times in his 17 year rule (1199 - 1216).

Younger brother of King Richard I is most well known as being the enemy of the fictional Robin Hood.
He was imprisoned here just before he signed the Magna Carta.



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE AREA where our forefathers lived.

Keep in mind that the oldest record of our personal forefather, at this time is Thomas Astley's father, Philip Astley. He was born 1122 and died 1165.
AMAZING to actually have these records.

HERE WE GO ~ INFORMATION on life at the time they lived.

The Middle Ages (1154 - 1485)

Without doubt, Northamptonshire was bucking the trend in this era in what was also known as the 'Dark Ages'. Northampton was truly in it's golden age as it rose to become one of the most important towns in the country. Unfortunately this success did not last till the end of the Middle Ages...

It was certainly a mix of fortunes for the folk of Northamptonshire as into this era saw prosperity and population growth. Many of the large houses in the county were built which encouraged visits from the Kings court for entertainment and sport.

Much of the local woodland (e.g. Salcey, Silverstone etc.) was a popular hunting ground for nobles. Nearly 50 Town charters were issued by the various Kings which legitimised commerce at the markets and town centres, a sure sign of a prospering population. Amazingly Northampton becomes the third largest town in England.

Northampton Castle became host to Parliament(Actually in 1131 under the Normans) establishing it as the center of government decision making for the Kingdom. It is hard to believe that this county and town were so prominent in the Kings standing and yet today Northamptonshire and the history of it are largely anonymous.

The castle was also the site for many great tournaments and was truly an important place for the Kings court.
Perhaps this is the reason for the great trades which grew around the county's popularity. Large groups of tailors, weavers and of course shoemakers appearing throughout the county and specifically in Northampton town itself.
Peter the Cordwainer (shoemaker) is noted as the earliest reference to the shoemaking trade in 1202.

A twist in fortunes is evident as a downward spiral begins with comments in historical texts to many villages being abandoned. Poor climate resulting in starvation and deprivation for the commonfolk is mentioned but also the Bubonic Plague (1348-50) took its toll along with other epidemics resulting in the county population being reduced by as much as 40 percent.

These scenes are not hard to imagine as it is this period that is commonly portrayed in the media with the likes of Robin Hood riding to the rescue of no doubt similar folk just some 50 miles North in Nottinghamshire.
Perhaps contrary to these scenes though, the sudden loss in the workforce meant that the local lords were forced to pay a good wage to the peasants and they certainly prospered in the latter years.

We have to assume our forefathers were not among the peasants/commonfolk by the fact their births/deaths were recorded.
June

Bad Hair Day

Yesterday, while chatting with my neighbor across the side fence, a touch on my head told me a branch of the tree, maybe, had been lowered...with my hand, I brushed the top of my head and a tiny bird fluttered to the birdfeeder which was only about 18 inches from me.

"Did you see that?" I asked my neighbor. The bird didn't fly as I talked. It was a tiny and young bird that began to peck out the bird seeds. My presence didn't seem to matter at all.
My neighbor and I marveled at this unusual sight. We soon resumed our chit-chat...the little bird continued to feed.

"Is he blind?" A close look actually didn't scare him or answer the question.
I soon forgot about him and stepped forward and RAN INTO him at the feeder. He fluttered but wasn't giving up his spot at the feeder.

We wished the little bird well and left him feeding.
Later, I talked with my cousin Olivia, and she immediately told me ..."It was an angel."
Did that mean something good? or otherwise?
She said it meant something GOOD. That angels come to us that way.
What do you think?

Looking at my hair, I decided that I should get a perm today. Sort of embarrassing when a bird thinks my hair is a landing spot.
June

Thomas Sherrod Richards Burial Site

The unnamed Cemetery is in a remote location in Chambers County, Alabama.
I am in the process of having the Cemetery marked and named.

Location is Chambers County in NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of section 9, township 24, range 25 E. It is 1000 feet S. SW of western end of the CSX railroad bridge crossing the Tallapoosa River. From the intersection of highways 77 and 22 in Wadley, proceed 1.1 miles west on 22. Turn left onto Chambers Road 135. Continue 1.0 mile to gate. Once through the gate, at 0.4 miles is the old Richards home place marked by several large oak trees.
After another 0.1 mile take a logging road to the right and proceed 100 yards to the grave sites.

At one time there were as many as perhaps twenty graves, but at the time there are only four remaining. These are the graves.

Thomas S. Richards
b. 10/12 /1767
d. 09/30/1846 (age 59)

Elizabeth Richards
b. 01/18/1805
d. 06/25/1890 (age 85)

Rufus S. Richards
b. 07/13/1838
d. 03/21/1864 (age 26)

James F. Richards
b. 08/30/1835
d. 11/19/1906 (age 61)

Rufus S. Richards was the younger brother of George Washington Richards. Rufus joined the Confederate Army on April 20, 1862 along with George and two of Amanda Lee's brothers. To George and all the descendants until 1975, his fate was unknown.
The family just said, "He never returned and we don't know what happened to him." This point grieved George W. Richards who named his first born son after his younger brother.
(My grandfather is Rufus Stonewall Jackson Richards.)

In 1975 searching the Military Records in the National Archives, June Richards Daab discovered his fate. He had been captured and had died in a Union Hospital in Richmond, Virginia of dysentery.
Now, we discover that his widowed mother and brother in Chambers County knew his fate. An example of no communication in those years after the Civil War. Times were very hard for all of them. How I wished my father and his generation knew what we know now.
PHOTOS TO BE ADDED

William Richards Sr

Last week, cousins and I went to explore the land where our family began here in the "New World". We drove to Jamestown, Virginia, crossed the James river, where our forefathers had done some 400 years ago. We wanted to see the land that was granted to our g.g.g.g.g.g.g.g.g.grandfather and see if there was a court house. Without any problem, we located a large reseach room within the Land Office of the Court House for Isle of Wight, Virginia. There we found a treasure chest of information.

At Jamestown, Virginia and crossed the river by Ferry over to Smithfield, Virginia and only a couple of miles, we found the Isle of Wight Courthouse.

To our great surprise, there in the records, we found a missing link...William Richards Sr. Can't wait to wade into this information. I plan to go back at the end of this month to document all the information for our records.

This photo is made crossing the James River and looking back on the ships that are docked with the ships in 1607 landed.

You are looking at the area of the river our g.g.g.g.g.g.g.g.g. grandfather crossed some 400 years ago.
As stated before, England is a small country. As the population grew, opportunities lessened. All the land by the year 1600 was owned. English tradition was to pass down the family land to the oldest son.

The other siblings got nothing. therefore, they had no opportunity to be a landowners there in England. For this reason, they obviously thought it worth risking their life to come to The New World, which was to come to Jamestown,Virginia.

We know George Sherrod was aboard one of the first ships bringing hopeful young people over in the early 1600's. And as you can see from the Isle of Wight Banner, he was one of the first settlers in that Colony.

It is documented that 60% of those who set sail died during the rough three month voyage.

The ships were crowded and only for the strongest survived. These photos were made August 2008
Photo is Alisha Richards Chandler Brandom with actors dressed as the passangers were dressed in 1607 and later.
The topography there is flat and seemingly ideal for good farm lands. There is a wonderful Court House and very large Land Office in Isle of Wight. The books/records date back to 1647.

Looking back from the Ferry, we could see the ships which are a remarkable re-creation of the first ships to bring the English to the New World and landed at this very spot.

The Ferry ride was about 15 minutes as the James River is wide and beautiful, lined with thick hardwood trees.

This is a close up of one of the ships which we later boarded.

We took a few minutes to look for our great, g. g.g.g.g.g.g.g. grandfathers name...and found yet another name...William Richards, Sr. There is much to research. Plans to go back at the end of this month to document all information for our family.

The Isle of Wight is only a couple of miles from Smithfield, Virginia where they have lodging. I plan to stay for as long as needed.

Do check back, as I will add all information found ...should be here in early September, 08.

June Richards Daab, August, 2008

William Richards Jr and Charity Sherrod II ~Sixth Generation

Now...on with the family story~

SIXTH GENERATION

Charity Sherrod II was born about 1763 in Northhampton County, North Carolina.

This information is from family group sheet received from

Virginia Pepper via Florence Richards Letlow.

To set the time line better for you, she was born 100 years before our Civil War which was immortalized by Scarlett and Rhett in "Gone With the Wind."

Charity actually lived 87 of those 100 years.

In her time, the beds were high off the floor and boxed in with canape top and thick decorative drapes which were functional to hold in heat in the wintertime.

She was in her early teens during the Revolutionary War.

There is no way to really imagine how life really was in her time, but we can try.

We know during this time, the women were protected from worrying over such matters...the men handled the business issues handling the extent taxation that had been imposed upon the Colonies.

As stated before, families introduced marriage age daughters to families of like social class.

We know more of the wealth and land holdings of George Richards Jr. had than we acutally know of Thomas Sherrod. We have documentation that he held ownership to a very large plantation there in North Carolina.

Charity married George Richards Jr. when she was 18 years old. George was 27.
The information on Charity's marriage to William came from the Sherrod Family Bible.

The item to the right is a wire frame which the ladies worn to hold out their large skirts to the side.

Charity died about 1850 at the age of 87 in Chambers Co, Gerogia

cont...June

Introduction to the Sixth Generation

The Sixth Generation for us begins with the marriage of Charity Sherrod into the Richards family.

We now pick up the trail

which will be

THE RICHARDS FAMILY HISTORY

The Blogs are an upward spiral as they are posted EARLIEST at the bottom and latest on top.

To start the story, scroll down to Generation I

Enjoy!

June

Before I write about Charity and William, it is appropriate to acknowledge Joe and Sandee Richards Lloyd. Sandee is a distant cousin to me...we decided 5th cousins. We spent time on the phone as she and Joe had researched this generation and gifted me with a copy of William Richards Last Will and Testament.
These people, this generation held special interest to Sandee.
Sandee had a 'love affair" with these distant forefathers saying how meaningful it was to 'touch' their lives and know them.
No doubt she romanticized them which was so wonderful to share with her.
Unfortunately, Sandee died before we met in person ~ I felt a sincere sense of loss.
Joe later visit with us which was quite touching.
I appreciate the work he did for Sandee and all of the Richards Family.
Joe died shortly afterwards.