Thanks, David, Sue ----- Original Message ----- From: DHRiggsLondon@aol.com To: RIGGS-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 8:19 AM Subject: [RIGGS-L] Early Riggs in Washington & Nelson Counties Kentucky Sorry the attachment files I started to send people were poor quality, so I have re-typed the document below. ****************************************************************************** ********* Various Riggs families came from Maryland and / or Virginia and settled in Nelson and Washington Counties in the late 1700's and early 1800's. This genealogical sketch is intended to give a brief summery of what appears to be the five distinct families who settled there up to about 1820. Family heads are identified with capital letters (A-E) and some children are referenced by the capital letter of the parent and an assigned number, i.e., M, C4, Note: only children disgussed in a subsequent paragraph are identified by letter and number. William Riggs (A) married Ann, the daughter of Thomas Stayton, in Nelson County in 1788. They settled near Cartwright Creek and produced a rather large family with the following possible children: Elizabeth (A1) (married Stephen Riggs (C3), Harrison Riggs (married Juliet Froman), Mary (married John Casey), Abraham (married Polly Chamberlain), William (Jr.), James, Nancy, Isaac and Thomas (married Rebeckah Jenkins). William Riggs (A) was involved in a number of legal actions and court records state that he "deserted his family and absconded from" the state of Kentucky (possibly around 1810). John Riggs (B) acquired 30 acres on Simpson's Creek and had settled in Nelson County by 1795. John apparently died about 1814 and his widow, Susannah Knott, was last reported in Nelson County in 1836. According to Maryland Catholics on the Frontier, by Timothy J. O'Rourke, Susannah was born in St. Marys County, MD, the daughter of Basil Knott and Mary Drury. Listed children of John Riggs and Susannah Knott were: Mary (married John McDaniel), Anestasia "Ann" (married Ephraim McDaniel), Sally (married Jacob Carr), Lucy ( married James D. Falkerson), and Rachel (married George Fulkerson). Sarey (Sarah) Riggs (C) (spouce unknown) appeared in the Washington County Census and tax records from 1800 - 1816. Possibible children were: Elizabeth (married Joseph Whitfield), John (C2) (married Mary Newton), Stephen (C3) (married Elizabeth Riggs (A1), Sovereign (C4) (married Hannah Heavrin), Hetty (married William Heavrin), and William ( married Mary Dowling). Marriage records identify Elizabeth, Sovereign and Hetty children of Sarey. Various Washington County Court records suggest a family connection between John, Stephen and William ( but not necessarily children of Sarey). Except for Stephen, all were married by Catholic clergy. John Riggs (C2) and Mary Newton are believed to have produced the following children: Jane (married James A. Mattingly), Leo (married Barbara Whitfield), Henry (married Elizabeth Mattingly, niece of James A. Mattingly), John (Jr.) (married Ellen Mattingly, sister of Elizabeth Mattingly), and William Riggs (married Anistasia Cooper). Once John and Mary Riggs (each age 80) were reported living in the household of John Riggs (Jr.) in Marion County in 1860; Henry and William were living adjacent to John (Jr). Stephen Riggs (c3) and Elizabeth Riggs (A1) reportedly had 14 children who grew to maturity. In about 1836, the family migrated from Kentucky to Des Moines County, Iowa. Stephen served in the militia during the War of 1812 and lived to be age 91. He and Elizabeth are buried in Green Castle, MO. Sovereign Riggs (C4) and Hannah Heavrin, who were married by Bishop Flaget in 1811, produced 12 known children. In the 1840's they moved to Union County, KY and are buried there in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Various Washington County records and The Riggs Family of Maryland, by John Beverly Riggs, identify two other family heads during this early period. Benjamin Riggs (D) and his wife, Dolly, had the following Issue: Benson (buried in Carlisle, Indiana, married Polly Denny), Charles (married Elizabeth Braden), Dowell, Sarah and Charity (married John Dean). Hezekiah Riggs (E) enlisted as a volunteer in the War of 1812, at Springfield "and" was discharged in Indiana, where he then established himself. Hezekiah married Lydia Ingle and is credited with a family of nine children. Hezekiah was a nephew of Benjamin Riggs (per Riggs Family of Maryland). By 1850, most of the Riggs families had moved west. Today, only those who are believed to be descendants of John Riggs (C2) live close to Washington Co. Ky. For the most part, these survivors are congregated in the Kentucky counties of Jefferson, Marion and Taylor. Submitted by: William H. Riggs, Jr. Riggs-McPherson, Mary Frances (Riggs) Mattingly was born Dec 13, 1838 in Springfield, Ky. She was married in 1859 and died 29 Jan 1913 in Bradsfordville, Marion Co, Ky. She married James Harrison Rakes (1827-1882), the son of John Rakes (born 1775) and Nancy Sanders. Parents - Ignatius Riggs, born 1816 in Bourbon Co, Ky. He married a second time to Phoebe Harper on Feb 6, 1939 at Sturgis, Union Co., Ky. He died in Missouri. Lucintha (Green) Mattingly. born about 1818, Springfield, Ky ( consort of Ignatius Riggs) married Joseph Preston. ==== RIGGS Mailing List ==== **************************RIGGS WEB PAGE************************* http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~genea/riggs.html