We know from his death certificate that my Great Great Grandfather Richard Richards was “killed by horses running away instantly” in 1874. According to a gravestone at Bell’s Cemetery, this was the same year as the death of his daughter Etta and only a short time after the death of his wife Eliza – nee Hinton.
Delbert Connell & wife Ethel May (Richards) with daughter Della Jean Connell (my mother age 14) in front of the Richards House. Family photo taken on Sept 1, 1930.
The gravestone at Bell’s Cemetery is situated almost directly across from the family’s home at Lot 15 Con 10 in Elizabethtown Township.
This is just a stones throw west of the Peer Homestead we visited recently at Bells Crossing, where Lucy Adeline Peer (Ethel May Richard’s mother) grew up. Lucy married William Henry Richards, the Richards’ eldest son who inherited the property twenty years after his father’s death.
Land Record (Lot 15 Con 10 Elizabethtown)
Thanks to the land records for Lot 15 Con 10, we now know quite a few details of this inheritance. Because the children were all so young when their father died, William had to wait until he was of age before he could legally inherit the property on behalf of his younger siblings. This was complicated by the fact that the children’s mother Eliza had died, perhaps in childbirth to youngest son Edward in 1872 and that Richard had died intestate (without a will).
What surprised me was that the land transaction took place with the help of Richard’s brother John and with Richard’s “second wife” Caroline who I knew nothing about prior to examining this record as the grantor.
Instrument 23-2346 (B&S) dated Feb 13, 1874 and registered Dec 24, 1874 lists grantors “Caroline Richards (widow of Richard Richards) (William H. Richards, Margaret E. Richards, & Edward Richards infant children heirs & heiress at law of Richard Richards) (Names ruled thru in red are grantees only W.J.E.) to grantees William H. Richards, Margaret E. Richards & Edward Richards, infant children, heirs to Richard Richards”. The transaction was subject to the “condition for payment of $400 by one John Richards”.
As far as I know, John was Richard’s brother (a Pump Maker, age 51 in the 1881 Canada census living with the Widow Mary Richards and Edward Richards age 9) who I take it paid Caroline the $400 on behalf of the children.
A second instrument, 25-4686 (Grant) dated and registered Feb 10, 1894 exists between grantors “Margaret E. Garvin & husband & Edward Richards (unmarried) two of the three only lawful children & heirs of Richard Richards (an intestate) to grantee William H. Richards (the other of such children & heirs) for $800. Could this be William taking full ownership of the land and re-paying his uncle John for his part in the transaction? It seems likely.
But who was Caroline Richards, I wondered? I had never heard her mentioned by the family before, but then this generation was a little beyond the living memory of my immediate family growing up and the story has so many tragic elements to it that it is not surprising that it was forgotten in the mists of time.
Richards – Gorland Marriage – 1873
Ruth and I searched on Ancestry for a marriage between Caroline and Richard and found it with no trouble. They were married at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Smith Falls on August 6th, 1873 (co-incidentally today’s date) . Her name is listed as Caroline Gorland age 32, spinster of Wolford. Her parents were Thomas Gorland and Eliza Impey. He is listed as Richard Richards age 35, widower and yeoman of Elizabethtown. His parents are listed as Edward Richards and Mary Tackaberry. This is the first piece of paper that I personally have found that identifies Richard’s mother Mary (aka The Widow Richards) as being a Tackaberry, and confirms everything we had heard from other Tackaberry researchers.
Garvin – Richards Marriage – 1892
The other genealogical gem that comes out of this land record is the inferred marriage of Margaret E to someone named Garvin. Sure enough, we find the marriage and discover James Garvin, a 27 year old Spinner from Almonte, Born North Elmsley of parents George Garvin and Catherine McKay has married Margaret Eliza Richards, a 22 years old spinster from Rockspring, Born Elizabethtown of parents Richard Richards and Eliza Hinton. Witnesses were Addie Reynolds and George Reynolds. May 24, 1892 in Merrickville by Licence.
So far so good. Time for so more searching:
Death Certificate for Etta
It occurred to me that there might also be a death certificate for Etta, the child listed on the gravestone above. Sure enough, it too was easy to find. Contrary to the headstone which says she died in 1874, Etta’s death certificate says she died at 6 1/2 years of age on April 23, 1873, less than 4 months before Richard’s marriage to Caroline. Her full name was Charetta Jane Richards. Cause of death was listed as consumption (pulmonary tuberculosis) after 18 days of illness. It is likely that Etta was named after her maternal grandmother Charetta Shaw (aka Charity Hinton) and Aunt Jane Hinton. Perhaps this also references another Jane back in Ireland.
The gravestone above is also from Bells Cemetery across the road from the Richards House and next door to the old school house where my Grandfather Delbert Connell told me he went to school. Him, and many other relatives I would imagine.
Edward Richards Family – 1911
Edward Richards, the youngest child of Richard and Eliza can be found on the 1911 Canada Census at Lot 19 Con 11, Elizabethtown as the owner of a cheese factory born in 1872, the year his mother Eliza died. While I could not find a death record for Eliza, it seems plausible that she died in childbirth or from complications related to the birth of Edward. In 1911, Edward age 39 is living with his wife Mary A. age 26, daughters Stella age 14, Eva S. age 3, and nephew Howard Richards, also age 26 and a cheese maker in Edward’s factory.
The House Today
Taken during our recent field trip to Bells Crossing. I tried to shoot this from the same angle as the photo above with just my memory to go on. Click on this to enlarge and then click on photo again (left hand side only) to move back to the old shot.
