"Years ago when I first began working on the Kidder genealogy, a distant relative gave me a copy of a printed Kidder genealogy which contained quite a number of handwritten notes and other material not contained in the original publication. Among the additional pages inserted in the book was a couple of genealogical letters written by Thomas Kidder of London, England to Samuel Kidder, Apothecary, Charlestown, Mass. U.S.A. The first letter was written 1816 and the second in 1822. Perhaps many of you have seen these letters (?), but I found them very interesting so thought I would pass along to you at least the first one. " Here is the second letter: London, April 18, 1822 Mr. Samuel Kidder Dear Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your favor dated Aug. 10, 1816 and was sorry I am that I did not return and answer at a more early period, but as I had give up every idea of ever hearing or seeing of my brother William for that was his name and some other reasons I have deferred writing till the present when an opportunity offered I embraced and endeavored to fulfill the promise I made you in my last. There is a Kidder at New York and some at Halifax, their father went with the army to America in the first war taking his son at New York with him another son William he left in London from whom I received this information. The other born at Halifax were by a second wife. He was a native of Feversham in Kent. I am happy to observe you wish to serve me respecting my brother and feel very much gratified by your kindness, but do not observe you have any wish or express any desire to be acquainted with your namesakes in this part of the world. I shall take the liberty hoping it will be acceptable to send this short history of the families of the name Kidder. The City of Canterbury seems to have been in the dwelling of one family as appears by a will dated 1543. There are some farmers within a few miles of that city whose father and fathers for four or five generations were tradesmen of that city. The postoffice was held by them for above a century. There are also a few in Lincolnshire. They are millers. I know nothing of them but by hearsay. There are also three or four families in different parts of London who are related and whose great grandfather came from somepart of Kent. His name was Gilbert Kidder, born somewhat about 1670. The obscure village of Maresfield in Sussex, it is entirely an agricultural parish - papers purporting of land being held by Richard Kidder senior and Richard Kidder 1492. They have been very numerous and have migrated to different towns in the neighborhood as Lewis, East Grinstead and other places, to London as the leading star for all countrymen. There are some scripture names in the will and registers of East Grinstead - Jeremiah and Nicholas are common. I have thought whether your ancestor did not go from that place, as the people of Sussex were very religious at that period of time. They were Saddlers by trade. I examined a will very lately of Samuel Kidder hoping I might get a clue to your town. He was a Seaman in the Royal Navy died 1694 at Blackington, Sussex. He leaves his little all to persons of the name of Lewes and wife, no mention of any family whatever. There have been two of the name who have been known by their writings: The first Richard Kidder, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Richard Kidder, a wealthy inhabitant of Lewes died 1603, left three sons, Richard, Robert and Thomas. Richard the Eldest styled Gentlemen died 1647 left his estates to Richard son of his brother Thomas who was admitted a Sizer June 5th, 1649 at Emmanuel College, Cambridge and was successively Vicar of Stranground, Huntingtonshire, Rector of Baine, Essex of St. Martins, Outwick, London. In 1681 a prebend of Norwick, 1689 Dean of Peterborough, June 13, 1691, Bishop of Bath and Wells, He perished in the violent storm Nov. 27, 1703 being with his wife at prayers in their chamber in the palace of Wells, one of the chimneys driven by the fury of the blast fell through the roof of the apartment and buried both in the accumulated ruins. He left two own brothers ten pounds each, their names are not mentioned. In the will which was dated 1694 his property was bequeathed principally to his two daughters, Susanna married Sir Richard Everard, Bart. The other, Ann, died unmarried 1728 and requested in her will that a monument should be erected to the memory of her father in Wells Cathedral. It is very elegant with a figure of Ann in a reclining posture on the tomb and Latin inscription of his rise and progress to the See of Bath and Wells. The other, Edward Kidder born at Canterbury, he kept a pastry cook shop next Fummorals London and wrote a treatise on the art of cooking and making pies and pastries. The custom was fashionable for the notable young ladies of the day to learn of Kidder. And his price for teaching was two guineas, a considerable sum in those days. He died in 1730 and left two daughters who both died unmarried. Vincent Kidder, the son of George Kidder of Maresfield, Sussex, a yeoman was a silversmith in London and at the time your ancestor most probably left England he joined the Parliament Army and in the course of events went to the reduction of Ireland where he married Ellen Loftus, granddaughter of Sir Thomas Loftus of Killin Co. of Meath fourth son of Adam Loftus Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland 1548 (See Lodges, Peerage and Others.) July 10, 1668 Vincent Kidder had granted him and his assigns 901 acres and 26 perches at Roches Town in the county Kilkenny Auditor General's office. He left two sons living and six daughters. Vincent's second son was also a silversmith a lieutenant in Cottinghams Company at the battle of Boynes Master of the Goldsmith Company. 1696, Colonel of the Dublin Militia and besides was the assay master for proving the standard of the Gold and Silver articles that were made in Dublin. A whole length picture of him is in the Goldsmith Hall holding in his right hand an assay with the word Standard wro te upon it. Adam his eldest brother and him both died intestate 1736. Their sisters and husbands administered to their effects. My father his last and only child living was then not ten years old and at school at Wicklow. He was put to a tanner and when his time was expired came from thence to Lancashire married and went into business having eight children of whom I am the fifth. I have two sisters living one of the name Stover the other Crosby. There is a family of Westerham, Kent, where I visit every year. They are distant relatives and left Maresfield about the beginning of the last century. And now I believe I have given a more general account or history of the families of the name Kidder than any that was ever written yet I wish it was much better or I could have procurred more ancient materials for it, but as it is if it gives any satisfaction, pleasure or answered to any of the family, I shall be sufficiently rewarded and gratified. I have enclosed two prints of my great grandfather taken from an old copperplate in my possession. My father was an exact profile of his ancestor and my late brother, Edward, was the exact resemblance of his grandfather from the picture in the Goldsmiths Hall; and indeed we all have a very strong resemblance to each other. It is the common wish of all mankind to be thought to come of a good family and every name must have a beginning or root from which the branches shoot out in the course of time. It is though by some that everyone of such a surname must be distantly related: some surname in some ancient period of time or other, and as the gentlemen of every country have always been but few compared with the bulk of the people and arms having been granted to them and pedigrees kept in the Herald's Office as an honorable distinction. It is customary now and has been for time past for persons to assume the arms of the same name or of some name spelled like it for by far the greater number of names have been no arms at all. There is none genuine but what is recorded in the office of arms, the rest are spurious and without authority. The arms which our family can use or bear when required are depicted on the shield in the print - "Vert", three crescents, or, two and one. "For crest a hand couped below the elbow, proper vested azure holding" a packet thereon the word "Standard" and for motto Boyne. They are recorded in the Herald's office, Dublin and there is none other. The name has been spelled Kyddur, Kydder and in the reign of Elizabeth, to Kidder. Upon enquiring of two learned Welshmen at different times they both agreed that it signified laborer, but in Nash' s History at Worchestershire, Kidderminster is described Kyd, a town upon a hill and Deer, a river or brook; most likely some of them were left in the obscure village of Maresfield through the different invasions of the Romans, Saxons and Normans to the last century. And now with my best regards to yourself and all your family wishing health and prosperity I remain, Dear Sir, most sincerely and truly your most obliged. Excuse all haste. Thomas Kidder 33 Wood St. London The writings of the above letters are now in the possession of Samuel Kidder No. 35 Nesmith Street Lowell Mass. The son of the person to whom the letters were written also the copper plate prints there referred to. Thomas Kidder the writers of these letters died Nov. 23,1829 aged 66 and was buried at Maresfield, The Church Parish Register records the death and burial times. Thomas Kidder, citizen of London descended from the ancient family of the same name in this parish died 23rd Nov. 1829 aged 66.