RIGGS SURNAME STUDY: Descendants of Thomas Riggs, of Gloucester, Essex Co, MA, USA
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FAMILIES IN AMERICA Stars and Stripes

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THOMAS of GLOUCESTER
Charting the Descendants of
THOMAS RIGGS c1631-1722
of Gloucester, Essex County,
MASSACHUSETTS, USA
including those who migrated to
MAINE
This page Generation 2 Generation 3 Generation 4 Generation 5 Generation 6 Generation 7 Notes Sources
Updated
17JAN
2006
Updated
17JAN
2006
Updated
17JAN
2006
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17JAN
2006
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17JAN
2006
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17JAN
2006
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17JAN
2006
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03AUG
2003
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17MAY
2004
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Map of Maine
bullet THOMAS'S UK ORIGINS
bullet THOMAS of GLOUCESTER
bullet STEPHEN GRIGGS
of MARBLEHEAD MA
bullet SAMUEL of VIENNA ME

(NB:   the numbers in brackets below, e.g."(2:452)", refer to the volume and
page numbers of the entries in the Vital Records of the town concerned) [S9]

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Return to Top THOMAS  RIGGS'S  ORIGINS  IN  THE  UK Go to next Section


NOT RELATED TO EDWARD RIGGS OF ROXBURY !

In addition to Edward Riggs of Roxbury and his descendants, Savage documents a Thomas Riggs of Gloucester, Essex Co, MA and his immediate descendants [S5], who are also documented by Wallace in his Appendix [S3].

Thomas is not apparently connected to Edward's family. Wallace made a reasonable assumption in saying: "that Thomas was of Puritan origin there can be no doubt" and adding that the Biblical names of his descendants is "proof conclusive." [S3] But he then applied false logic by continuing: "From this it may be safely assumed that Thomas of Gloucester and Edward of Roxbury were from the same stock of people and probably closely related in blood." [S3]

Wallace's false reasoning may have been what prompted some recent researchers to include Thomas in Descendants Charts as an additional son of Edward. They correctly show Thomas as born about 1631, based on his stated age when he died. But, since Edward and his family did not land in Boston until the early summer of 1633, Thomas would have had to have been born in England. And there is no record of his baptism in Nazeing [S1][S2], nor apparently in the immediately adjacent parishes. Even if the age in death were over-stated, as sometimes happened, neither is there a reported reference in the records of Roxbury of Edward and Elizabeth having a son Thomas born or baptised after their arrival.

NOT APPARENTLY RELATED TO THE RIGGE FAMILIES OF HAWKSHEAD, LANCASHIRE (ENG) !

Other recent researchers note that Thomas was related to the RIGGE families of Hawkshead in Lancashire. Admittedly there was a Thomas Rigge baptised there in the correct time period, but he was one of many to be found in that parish, where the name RIGGE appears very frequently from the start of the parish registers there in 1568. This very tenuous suggestion may have been prompted by the fact that there is a Coat of Arms associated with a member of one of the RIGGE families of Hawkshead, although this was only inherited much later through marriage with a RAWLINSON family.

"RIGGE: This was the second strongest of all the families in Hawkshead in point of numbers and out of 144 Wills proved in the Archdeaconry 97 are of Hawkshead. They were chiefly located about Hawkshead itself, where in fact there appears to be few farms which was not at one period or another inhabited by a Rigge. Further of all they were found at Satterthwaite, Sawrey, Haverthwaite, Watterson-Ground, Penny Bridge, etc. They strayed to Bouth and Nibthwaite but seldom got out of the old parish. Veen-Ground (?), at the beginning of the last century, belonged to a family of the name, which is now represented by the Rigge of Woodbroughton in Cartmel. The family probably grew upon the land, and took their name from some local feature. A place called 'rig' occurs in the boundary of Furness Fells, as set out in the agreement of 1196, between the head of Thurston Water and Crake River, but was also found elsewhere." [S33]

POSSIBLY RELATED TO THOMAS RIGGES OF SOUTHAMPTON (ENG) ?

One recent researcher has linked THOMAS RIGGS of Gloucester to the Descendants Chart of THOMAS RIGGES of Southampton, England. He shows Thomas as being a son of JOHN RIGGS and MARIE BLAKE RIGGS nee HOPGOOD - John, a merchant in Southampton, was the son of RALPH RIGGS of FAREHAM, Hampshire, England, who was a grandson of Thomas Rigges of Southampton. The same researcher also shows THOMAS RIGGS of Gloucester as being a brother to JOHN RIGGS of Norfolk Co, Virginia, and to FRANCIS RIGGS of Calvert Co, Maryland. John and Francis are both mentioned by Wallace in his Appendix.

My preliminary research has confirmed that FRANCIS RIGGS of Calvert Co, Maryland was indeed the son of JOHN RIGGS and MARIE BLAKE RIGGS nee HOPGOOD. And John did apparently have another son THOMAS, though I currently have no record of him migrating. But these claims will be more thoroughly investigated when I complete the Descendants Charts of THOMAS RIGGES OF SOUTHAMPTON and RALPH RIGGS OF FAREHAM.


Return to Top THOMAS  RIGGS  of  GLOUCESTER, ESSEX  CO, MA Go to next Section

1.

THOMAS RIGGS

Thomas was born about 1631, based on his stated age when he died. [S5] He was probably born in the UK, though no linkage to UK records can currently be made.

"Thomas RIGES and MARY MILLITT" were married 7JNE1658 in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA (2:452) [S9] [S5][S6]. Mary had been born 21AUG1639 the daughter of Thomas and Mary (Greenoway) MILLETT.[S5] Wallace quotes the year as 1656, two years before he states that Thomas settled in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA. [S3] Mary's father Thomas died intestate and his estate was eventually divided up equally into 5 parts to be shared between his children - Thomas Riggs of Gloucester receiving Mary's share (Essex Probate Records Vol 3 1675-1681 pp83-84).

"Thomas RIGGS who first appears in Gloucester MA at the date of his marriage 7JNE1658 to Mary daughter of Thomas Millett; who had a grant the same year of six acres of upland lying at Little River, and 7OCT1661 bought of Coe and Lee Wakleys, houses, gardens and home lots on the south side of Goose Cove; who by grant and purchase acquired other lots of land, and was at one time the largest owner in the common territory; who lived a long and useful life here, and whose descendants here and in the neighbourhood have continued to the present day." (written in 1888).[S42:p147]

Map of Cape Ann Map of Goose Cove

After Mary died 23JAN1695N (3:257) [S9], "Thomas, Sr" then married "ELIZA[BETH] FRESE" 30OCT1695 in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA (2:455) [S9] [S5][S6], the widow of James FREEZE, or FRIEZE, of Salisbury by whom she had had a son James, born 16MCH1667[S5]. Wallace quotes the year as 1696 and Elizabeth's surname as "Freese". [S3]

Thomas died at Gloucester, Essex Co, MA on 26FEB1722N aged "about 90, town clerk about 50 years" (3:258) [S9] [S5], Elizabeth his widow died shortly afterwards at Gloucester, Essex Co, MA on 16JNE1722 aged 80 (3:256) [S9] [S5].

A recent researcher [S7] states that Thomas was allegedly educated in England for the profession of scrivener, and his ability in that line made him a welcome acquisition to the community. (The sources for that information were said to be either the History of Gloucester by Babson, FHL 974.45/G3, or Gloucester Vital Records, Genealogical & Family History of ME by G.T.Little VOL II p 696.) He was the Town Clerk of Gloucester, Essex Co, MA for 51 years, a selectman for 20 years, sometime school master and a representative in 1700. [S5]

The Thomas Riggs House

For a detailed description of the history of the house which Thomas Riggs occupied, please see the separate note on Thomas Riggs's house at Cape Ann.

Known children of Thomas and Mary are as follows:

2.
MARY RIGGS.

Born 6MCH1659N in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA. (1:582) [S9]

Mary married "BENJAMEN HASKALL" at Gloucester, Essex Co, MA 21NOV1677 (2:454) [S9].[S6]

Mary died 29JAN1699N. [S5][S6]

3.
THOMAS RIGGS
Born 23JAN1661N in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA. (1:584) [S9]

4.
SARAH RIGGS

Born 16JAN1662N in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA. (1:583) [S9]

On 9MAY1681 Sarah married JOHN TUCKER of Gloucester, Essex Co, MA. [S5][S6]. Their marriage was recorded at Gloucester (2:455) [S9] and at Salem (where they were both described as being "of Gloucester" (4:258) [S9] Their son William, born 11MAY1690, married Dorcas Lane, an older sister of Sarah Lane who married Thomas Riggs the son of Thomas and Ann.[S42:p147]

5.
ANNA alias ANN RIGGS

Born 27APR1664 in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA. (1:578). [S9] She is entered in the VRs as ANNA [S9], Wallace refers to her as ANNE [S3] and Savage as ANN [S5].

On 30JAN1684N at Gloucester, Essex Co, MA, Ann married NATHANIEL WHARFF (2:452) [S9], born 1662 [S6] the son of Nathaniel Wharff of Casco.[S5] Savage quotes the date as 30JAN1684 [S5], whilst Torrey quotes the date as 30JAN1683.[S6]. She died 17DEC1701 shortly after the birth of their thirteenth child (including a set of twins). [S5][S6]

6.
THOMAS RIGGS
Born 7DEC1666 in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA. (1:584) [S9]

7.
JOHN RIGGS
Born 25FEB1670N in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA. (1:580) [S9]

8.
ELIZABETH RIGGS

Born 22APR1672 in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA. (1:579) [S9]

On 28APR1692 at Gloucester, Essex Co, MA, Elizabeth married EZEKIALL COLLINS (2:452) [S9] [S6], born 23FEB1665 the son of John and Mehitable (Giles) Collins of Gloucester, Essex Co, MA. [S5]

9.
ABIGAIL RIGGS
Born 29DEC1678 in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA. (1:578) [S9]

10.
ANDREW RIGGS
Born 8JAN1682N in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA. (1:578) [S9]

Return to Top STEPHEN GRIGGS, MARBLEHEAD, ESSEX CO, MA Go to next Section


Map of NE MassachusettsSavage's Dictionary includes a single reference to another Riggs "STEPHEN, Marblehead 1674".[S5] Wallace took the year 1674 as being Stephen's year of birth and, because this fitted between the years of birth of two of Thomas's daughters, he stated "I have very little, if any, doubt that he was the son of the first Thomas, and that his name was omitted by mistake in preparing copy for the press".[S3]

But the year quoted by Savage after each name is the earliest year of reference to that person in the records. And "The History and Traditions of Marblehead"[S36] states that

In 1674 the town had increased to such an extent that there were then one hundred and fourteen householders, whose names, with their commonage, are recorded in the records...
[Footnote] 1. The names are as follows: ... S. Griggs, ...
This in turn has obviously been based on the much earlier work "A discourse on the history of the First Christian Church and Society in Marblehead"[S10] which states that
For it further appears from the same records, that so late as 1660, there had been but fifteen or sixteen houses built, and that so late as 1674, the number of persons called householders, did not exceed an hundred and fourteen, whose names are all registered.
[Footnote] Names not contained in the preceding list: there follows a long list of names, of which the 24th is that of Stephen Griggs.
There is no reference to any Riggs (or Griggs), in the Marblehead VRs to the end of the year 1849, and the only Stephen Riggs in the surviving VRs for the whole of Essex County is one baptised in Ipswich in 1751.[S9]).


Return to Top SAMUEL  RIGGS  OF  VIENNA,  KENNEBEC  CO, ME Go to next Section

SAMUEL RIGGS. ([?], [?]. JEREMIAH, JOHN, THOMAS)

Map of S MaineThe Appendix to Wallace [S3] names Samuel as the son of Jeremiah of Portland, Cumberland Co, ME, Thomas's grandson (the only one of his children that Wallace named). [S3] But no reference to such a Samuel has so far been found elsewhere [S11][S13], and he was more probably further generations removed from Thomas (see below).

SAMUEL RIGGS (according to Wallace) was born in Falmouth, Cumberland Co, ME and migrated to Vienna, Kennebec Co, ME, where he married ABIGAIL TURNER. They settled there and had a family of six sons and one daughter. The third son was named SAMUEL TURNER RIGGS

SAMUEL TURNER RIGGS (according to Wallace) was a blacksmith and settled in New Sharon, Franklin Co, ME, where he married CLARISSA HARDING. They had six daughters (not named) and three sons who were named

  • PARKER L. RIGGS, of Boston, MA, who in turn had a family of four daughters and one son FRED P. RIGGS
  • GEORGE L. RIGGS
  • ALVIN S. RIGGS.
  • SUBSTANTIATING THE FACTS

    Note that references to extracted entries in the IGI, in the following paragraphs, relate to entries extracted by the Church of the Latter Day Saints directly from official records. This is as distinct from entries submitted by individual researchers, which can sometimes be more susceptible to errors in transcription and/or interpretation.

    SAMUEL RIGGS

    A SAMUEL RIGGS married Betsey TURNER at Freeport, Cumberland Co, ME about 1790 (there is no date entered but the entry following it is for 1791).[S19]. This may have been the Samuel Riggs born 4JNE1758 in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA, the son of Aaron.[S13].

    STARBOARD T(urner?) RIGGS

    According to the 1993 IGI (extracted entry), a STARBOARD RIGGS married Clarissa HARDING 16SEP1820 at Mercer, Somerset Co, ME. A Monumental Inscription at New Sharon Village Cemetery, Franklin Co, ME states that Starboard T. RIGGS died 12APR1859 at the age of 61 years 8 months, which would mean he was born in 1797, and his wife Clarissa died 28SEP1880 at the age of 80 years 3 months.
    The Monumental Inscription also refers to a Hannah A. RIGGS who died 9APR1801 aged 61 years 7 months 7 days, which would mean she was born in 1739. If this were Starboard's grandmother, however, it would seem to disprove that his father could have been the Samuel Riggs born 4JNE1758 in Gloucester, Essex Co, MA, since Samuel's mother was said to have been named Rachel and allegedly died 7MCH1813.
    The 1997 IGI contains extracted entries for one of Starboard and Clarissa's children:

  • Betsey T. RIGGS was born 8SEP1821 at Mercer, Somerset Co, ME.
  • GEORGE L. RIGGS

    A GEORGE L. RIGGS was born 14MCH1823 at New Sharon, Franklin Co, ME (the 1993 IGI quotes Chesterville), married Eliza C. PINKHAM 25JLY1847 at Mercer, Somerset Co, ME, (the 1993 IGI quotes 2JLY1847), and died 2AUG1893 (possibly at Chesterville, Franklin Co, ME) [S26]; these are the same dates as on a Monumental Inscription at Riverside Cemetery, Farmington, Franklin Co, ME, which also states that his wife Eliza C. was born 16AUG1828 and died 15SEP1891.
    Two of their children were:[S26]

  • Ellen G. RIGGS, born 9APR1852 at Chesterville, Franklin Co, ME and died 7NOV1866 (presumably at Chesterville, Franklin Co, ME)
  • Angelia M. RIGGS born 3JLY1858 at Chesterville, Franklin Co, ME who married Joshua C. STEVENS 31DEC1878 at Kents Hill, Kennebec Co, ME (Joshua having been born at Fayette, Kennebec Co, ME).


  • A GEORGE L. RIGGS is also shown in the 1993 IGI (extracted entry) as marrying Jerusha GROVER at Vienna, Kennebec Co, ME on 19JAN1864.

    PARKER L. RIGGS

    A PARKER L. RIGGS, according to a Monumental Inscription at New Sharon Village Cemetery, Franklin Co, ME, died on 2NOV1879 at the age of 54 years 3 months and 13 days, which would mean he was born in 1825.

    ALVIN S. RIGGS

    According to the 1993 IGI (extracted entry), an ALVIN S.RIGGS was born 3MAY1835 at Chesterville, Franklin Co, ME, and married Abbie L. TILDEN 9OCT1860 at New Sharon, Franklin Co, ME. A Monumental Inscription at Riverside Cemetery, Farmington, Franklin Co, ME states that ALVIN STARBIRD RIGGS was born 1835 and died 1902.
    The 1993 IGI contains extracted entries for two of their children:

  • Annie L. RIGGS born 2SEP1861 at Chesterville, Franklin Co, ME. The Monumental Inscription at Riverside Cemetery states that her married name was Annie CRAIG and that she died in 1945.
  • Harry T. RIGGS born 28FEB1871 at Chesterville, Franklin Co, ME. The Monumental Inscription at Riverside Cemetery states that he died in 1895.
  • OTHERS POSSIBLY RELATED

    JAMES RIGGS married Sarah H. AMES 2MAY1830 at Mercer, Somerset Co, ME, according to an extracted entry on the 1993 IGI. A Monumental Inscription at Weeks Mills Cemetery, New Sharon, Franklin Co, ME states that JAMES RIGGS died 28SEP1872 at the age of 67 years, which would mean he was born in 1805. He may possibly have been a brother of STARBOARD T. RIGGS.

    LUTHER RIGGS married Mary AMES 21MCH1825 at Mercer, Somerset Co, ME, and a LUTHER RIGGS also married Jane N. SMITH 27AUG1841 at Mercer, Somerset Co, ME, according to extracted entries on the 1993 IGI. Possibly therefore he and James were related (two brothers marrying two sisters?).

    ABIGAIL RIGGS married Joshua SAWYER 10AUG1822 at Mercer, Somerset Co, ME, according to an extracted entry on the 1993 IGI. She may possibly have been a sister of STARBOARD T.RIGGS.

    ISAAC A. RIGGS married Mary Jane FRENCH 18OCT1855 at Mercer, Somerset Co, ME, according to an extracted entry on the 1993 IGI. He would appear to be of the same generation as George L., Parker L., and Alvin S. RIGGS (a son of James or Luther?).

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