Richardson Genealogy of Attleboro Massachusetts

The Richardson Family, of which the late Henry A. Richardson was a descendant, is an old and well-known family of Bristol county, Mass., the line being traced back to

1. Samuel Richardson, who was born not far from 1610, in England, and came to this country, his name being first of record July 1, 1636, in Charlestown, as an inhabitant there in 1637. That same year the town granted him a house-lot. He was admitted to the church there – Feb. 18, 1637-38, in consequence of which he was made freeman of the colony, May 2, 1638. He was chosen surveyor of highways March 17, 1636-37. He and his two brothers and others were chosen by the church in Charlestown as agents for the settlement of the new town – Woburn – and the church there. When the church was constituted in Woburn Aug. 14, 1642 (O. S.), Samuel Richardson and his two brothers with four others were the nucleus around which the church was to be gathered. The three brothers Ezekiel, Samuel and Thomas Richardson lived near the present line of Woburn and near each other. Samuel was selectman of Woburn in 1644, 1645, 1646, 1649, 1650 and 1651. In 1645 he paid the highest tax of any man in Woburn. His wife, whose Christian name was Joanna, united with the church in Charlestown, Sept. 9, 1639. Mr. Richardson died March 23, 1658. Children:
   1. Mary Richardson, baptized Feb. 25, 1637-38, married Thomas Mousall
   2. John Richardson, baptized Nov. 12, 1639
   3. Hannah Richardson, born March 8, 1641-42
   4. Joseph Richardson, born July 27, 1643
   5. Samuel Richardson, born May 22, 1646
   6. Stephen Richardson, born Aug. 15, 1649
   7. Thomas Richardson, born Dec. 31, 1651
   8. Elizabeth Richardson
2.  Stephen Richardson, son of Samuel, born Aug. 15, 1649, in Woburn, Mass., married Jan. 2, 1674-75, in Billerica, Abigail Wyman, daughter of Francis and Abigail (Read) Wyman, of Woburn. Mr. Richardson was freeman, in 1690. He lived in Woburn and died March 22, 1717-18, aged sixty-nine years. His widow Abigail died Sept 17, 1720. Children:
   1. Stephen Richardson, born Feb. 20, 1675-76
   2. Francis Richardson, born Jan. 19, 1677- 1??8
   3. William Richardson, born Dec. 14, 1678
   4. Francis Richardson (2), born Jan. 15, 1680-81
   5. Timothy Richardson, born Dec. 6, 1682
   6. Abigail Richardson, born Nov. 14, 1683
   7. Prudence Richardson, born Jan. 17, 1685-86
   8. Timothy Richardson, born Jan. 24, 1687-88
   9. Seth Richardson, born Jan. 16, 1689-90
   10. Daniel Richardson, born Oct. 16, 1691
   11. Mary Richardson, born May 3, 1696
   12. Rebecca Richardson, born June 10, 1700
   13. Solomon Richardson, born March 27, 1702
3. William Richardson, son of Stephen, born Dec. 14, 1678, in Woburn, Mass., married Sept. 15, 1703, Rebecca, born March 26, 1683, daughter of John and Hannah (Green) Vinton, of Woburn. Mr. Richardson was a husbandman, resided in Woburn until 1709 or 1710, when he removed to “Charlestown End” – the present town of Stoneham. He removed to Attleboro, Mass., about 1718, where his sons William and Stephen and his daughter Abigail lived for many years. He bought land in Attleboro of the proprietors, Dec. 25, 1710. Children:
   1. Rebecca Richardson, born Aug. 4, 1704
   2. Hannah Richardson, born Oct. 28, 1706
   3. Abigail Richardson, born April 18, 1709, married John Shepard (all born in Woburn)
   4. William Richardson, born April 17, 1712
   5. Stephen Richardson, born Sept. 7, 1714
   6. Mary Richardson, born April 18, 1717 (all born in Stoneham)
   7. John Richardson, born Nov. 27, 1719
   8. Joanna Richardson, born Sept. 17, 1722 (both born in Attleboro)
4. Stephen Richardson (2), son of William, born Sept. 7, 1714, in Stoneham, Mass., married Nov. 11, 1736, Hannah, daughter of Caleb Coy, of Beverly, Mass. Mr. Richardson went with his father to Attleboro, where he passed the remainder of his life. Children, all born in Attleboro, were:
   1. Stephen Richardson, born Aug. 6, 1737, married (first) Hannah Fuller, and (second) Mary Fuller
   2. Caleb Richardson, born July 7, 1739, married Esther Tiffany
   3. Daniel Richardson, born March 26, 1742
   4. Hannah Richardson, born Oct. 22, 1744
   5. Elizabeth Richardson, born Oct. 16, 1747
   6. Rebecca Richardson, born April 18, 1750
   7. Henry Richardson, born in 1752
5. Daniel Richardson, son of Stephen and Hannah (Coy) Richardson, born March 26, 1742, in Attleboro, Mass., married Sarah Read. They lived in Attleboro, Mass. Children:
   1. Sarah Richardson, born Nov. 26, 1762
   2. Rebecca Richardson, born Feb. 17, 1764
   3. Daniel Richardson, born April 6, 1765
   4. Abigail Richardson, born Aug. 9, 1767
   5. Alice Richardson, born Aug. 20, 1769
   6. Selene Richardson, born Aug. 24, 1771
   7. Alfred Richardson, born Dec. 8, 1773
   8. Noah Richardson, born June 27, 1780
   9. Roxana Richardson, born Dec. 8, 1782
   10. Philena Richardson, born Sept. 20, 1784
   11. Lucinda Richardson, born July 12, 1788
6. Daniel Richardson, father of Henry A., is evidently the son of Daniel and Sarah (Read) Richardson, born April 6, 1765, in Attleboro, Mass. He married Ann E. Bowen, of Rehoboth, Mass. He lived in Attleboro.
7. Henry A. Richardson, son of Daniel and Ann E. (Bowen) Richardson, was born in Attleboro Falls. He made his home at North Attleboro, where he was engaged in the jewelry business. He married Emily Porter Read, daughter of the late Paddock Richmond Read, and she died March 15, 1905. He died Feb. 17, 1910. Both are buried in the Plain cemetery, Taunton, Mass. One child was born to them, Linda, born in North Attleboro, Mass. She attended the local public and high schools, after which she entered Brown University, taking the degree of A. B. in 1897 and the degree A. M. in 1899. She took up the work of teaching, becoming an instructor in the Mount Hope private school, Fall River, and then at North Attleboro high school. For the past five years she has been instructor in the Fall River high school in Latin and history.