Twelfth Generation

2176. Amos RICHARDSON Sr. Esq. (*) was born on 11 June 1623 in England, United Kingdom. (The identity of his parents must be confirmed. Some sources on MyHeritage.com list them as Ezekiel and Susanna (Bradford) Richardson, but he is not listed with their children on most family tree reports. In addition, he would have been born when Susanna was only 13 years old.)

Life Sketch: Governor Winthrop's papers include a letter dated September 13, 1659 from Amos to "Fitz John Winthrop" and noted "was given me." Amos was a close friend of William Chesebrough as mentioned in William's will. The following biography does not correctly identify the mother of all Amos' children and contradicts the Wildey source about Amos living in Rhode Island at Narragansett Island, where he was one of the original purchasers and members of the Narragansett Company.

Excerpt from "Amos Richardson of Boston and Stonington" (Rose ll L. Richardson, New York, 1906):

"Amos Richardson, the first of the family in America, was born about 1623 in England. He came to America prior to May, 1639, for he was living in or near Boston at that time. He was a merchant tailor, '...A man of great enterprise and good estate.' He was closely connected with the Winthrop family for many years, with a power of attorney for Stephen Winthrop while Winthrop was in England; he was associated with Dean Winthrop as one of the proprietors of Groton; he was the agent for Governor John Winthrop, the younger and with him gave credit to Samuel Winthrop, of St. Christophers, in the West Indies; and he acted for Capt. Wait Winthrop, as umpire of a mill dispute.

During the early history of Massachusetts there were no practicing lawyers and a number of businessmen acted as attorneys. Amos Richardson was one of the three most active attorneys in the law courts during the life of the Massachusetts colony.

Amos Richardson married, in 1642, Mary. Her last name is not known. They had eight children, four boys and four girls, born between January 1650 and 1662. Amos died August 5, 1683, at his residence, Quiambog Farm, Stonington, CT. His wife, Mary, died early in the following month.

Their home was completed in June, 1663, and was located two miles northwest of the railroad station at Stonington, on what is now called Palmer's Hill. The exact location of the house is not known, but was about five or six hundred feet south of the residence of Henry M. Palmer and it was the opinion of Judge Wheeler that part of the framework was used in building the Palmer house.

This is the highest elevation for some miles around and from it a beautiful landscape is presented to every point of view. Lante Hill is 15 miles north, and Pequot Hill, where the state erected a monument to commemorate the overthrow in1637 of the Pequot Indian is about three miles west. The Quiambog farm of Amos Richardson is now the site of many beautiful homes, notably those of Mr. Charles Phelps Williams and Judge Collins, which are adorned with marked evidence of wealth and culture.

After this farm became the property of their son-in-law, Capt. John Hallam [husband of their 8th child, Prudence], a new house which is still standing was erected on it about a mile nearer the harbor. This old Hallam house has been remodeled by Judge Gilbert Collins, of Jersey City, and is now his summer home.

In addition to his business as a merchant tailor, Amos soon became a general trader throughout the colonies, and with his own ship traded in the West Indies. He acquired large tracts of land, probably as many as 5,000 acres, at Stonington, New London, and in the Narragansett country. The first record of a land purchase made by Amos was July, 1642 when he bought a house on an acre of land from George Bromer for seventeen pounds. The lot was situated on what is now the north side of Summer Street in Boston, where Hawley Street has been cut through. It was then a rear lot with no street connection; Summer Street was not laid out until 1645. In 1683 Hawley Street was called Richardson's Lane.

Amos lived in the house for more than twenty years, probably until he moved to Stonington in about 1663. Here all of his children were born. During the next 50 years Summer Street became one of the finest residential streets in Boston. Adjoining the site of his home the first Trinity Church was erected. In March, 1647 he purchased two acres from Francis Smith, fronting the Common at what is now the southeast corner of Tremont and Winter Streets.

He owned other property in Boston, some of it near the Winthrop dock. In June, 1661, Col. Stephen Winthrop deeded to him the northeast corner of Governor Winthrop's home lot. This lot was about 24 feet, on Washington Street, by 54 feet on Spring Lane, and adjoined the Colonel's house. The remainder of the Winthrop estate subsequently became the property of Old South Church, on the southwest corner of which the present historic "Old South" was erected in 1729. In 1679 Amos gave this lot to his daughter Sarah, and her husband, Timothy Clarke.

He also obtained a number of grants of land very early in the settlement at Pequot (New London, CT area). e.g. in 1651 Amos Richardson''is to have a lot' per the town meeting records of New London. Also, in October 1661, Antipas Newman, of Wenham sold Amos a large tract of land called Caulkin's Neck, bounded by the Quonaduck farm on the East, Caulkin's brook West, Capt. George Denison's North, and South by the sea. This and other lots were in the present town of Stonington, then called Pequot and later New London, CT. The deed of the Indi sachem Nealewort for a part of this land was dated August 26, 1658, and is recorded at Stonington. It is described as 'a tract of land called Quinabogue lying and being near to the country of the Late Pequed Indians for and in consideration of the great Love and affection I beaqueath unto Amos Richardson of Boston in the Mass. Colony, Englishman. ... contain by measure one English mile and half square on each side of that River called Quinabogue River next Adjoining to ye land or far me granted to John Winthrop Esq. Governor of the English Colony, Connecticut River northward of the said farme and is called by the name of Nayumscut and Quaduecatuck.'

Wheeler's History of Stonington locates this property as 'the land lying between Stonington Harbor, Lambert's Cove and Stony Brook on the east, Fisher's Island South on the south, and Quiambaug Cove on the west up to a point, from which a direct line easterly passing about thirty rods south of the residence of Mr. Henry M. Palmer to Stony Brook, constituted the north boundary line of said tract of land.'

Amos moved to Stonington, CT about 1663, but also retained a residence in Boston for a number of years. His name appears in the list of inhabitants of Narragansett in July, 1663, and of Wickford in May, 1668; but while he had landed interest there it is evident that he never had an actual residence in Rhode Island.

Amos Richardson was one of the most active members of the so-called Atherton Company, later called the Narragansett Company, and he must have taken a leading part in the organization of it. The grant to the Atherton Company was in the present town of North Kingston, RI, in the Narragansett territory which was claimed by Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, and the disputed claims to ownership were not settled for more than fifty years.

Between the colonies of Connecticut and Rhode Island a bitter controversy was carried on which at times nearly resulted in open warfare. Richardson had other large landed interests in the disputed territory, and was very active pressing the claims of Connecticut, probably more so than any other man in the colony.

Major John Mason, the noted Indian fighter, seems to have opposed the action of his colony, probably on account of his friendship for Roger Williams. This so exasperated Amos Richardson that he publicly denounced him as a traitor to the colony. In 1670 Mason sued Richardson for defamation of character and appealed to the General Court for the appointment of a committee to investigate the charge. He secured a judgement for 100 pounds damages in the County Court, but the case was appealed and before further action Mason died, which ended the matter.

In 1667, Amos Richardson sold 180 acres of land located in the disputed territory to Thomas Wells, who agreed in payment to build a vessel of fifty tons. Two years later Wells refused to fulfill his contract until Richardson should make good the title to the land. In 1680 suit was brought against Wells for 300 pounds damages and he was arrested at Westerly by Stephen Richardson, the plaintiff's son, a constable from Stonington.

Early in July following Stephen Richardson was seized at his home by warrant of Governor Sanford of Rhode Island for making the arrest, and carried to Newport. A sharp letter from the Connecticut Council followed, demanding his release and for peace sake agreeing not to meddle on the east side of Pawtucket River till the matter was decided in England. The Governor replied, giving the reason for the arrest and retaining the prisoner for trial. The Council issued a formal protest against the conduct of Rhode Island and in retaliation caused the arrest of Joseph Clarke, of Westerly, on July 21. Stephen Richardson was held by the Rhode Island authorities for about three months and in October released.

Amos Richardson was not a member of the church, either in Boston or Stonington, and that is probably the reason for his not being made a freeman until May, 1665. His wife was united with the First Church in Boston (now Congregational Unitarian) in 1647. The celebrated John Cotton was the minister at this time, and all of her children were baptized by him, in her right. At Stonington, she was an original member of the church, in 1674. Amos Richardson appears to have been a religious man, for he educated his eldest son, John, for the ministry at Harvard College."
He emigrated before May 1639 from England, United Kingdom. After 1647 he was in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America. He was a Merchant Tailor, an Attorney for the Massachusetts Colony and Stonington, and a Member of the General Assembly. Amos died on 5 August 1683 at the age of 60 in Stonington, New London County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America. He was buried in August 1683 in Stonington, New London County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America. in the Wequetequock Burial Ground. He and his wife share a gravestone marker, which is inscribed: "A Memorial To Amos Richardson 1623-1683, Mary Smith, His Wife. One of the earliest settlers in Westerly and Stonington. He was an attorney for the Mass. Colony. A member of the General Assembly in 1665. Attorney for the Town of Stonington. He was a trusted Colleague of Gov. John Winthrop and a man of strong conviction and great respectability."
Mary SMITH (*) and Amos RICHARDSON Sr. Esq. (*) were married in 1642 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America. They had eight children.

2177. Mary SMITH (*) was born in 1617 in Suffolk County, England. She died on 1 September 1683 at the age of 66 in Stonington, New London County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America. She was buried in September 1683 in Stonington, New London County, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America. in the Wequetequock Burial Ground.

Children were: