James Richardson1

(circa April 1775 - 27 January 1841)

BMDB data

     James Richardson was born cir. Apr 1775 ?ROX, SCT, A prior 1770 date came from "New Brunswick Lineages" which gives Christian's husband as "1770, Edinburgh -1850, Lower Canada", source for this not (yet) found.
The current revised date comes from a headstone in the Beechridge cemetery, which church included Williamstown in its catchment - where James is documented as living when son Adam born.1,2,3,4
     James Richardson married Christian Outterson on 29 Apr 1820 Eckford, ROX, SCT, two films, slightly different formatting, of this marriage, both show: "James Richardson in the parish of Morebattle Christian Outterson in the parish of Eckford gave up their names for proclamation in order to Marriage Given to the poor 1/-", ie no indication whether or not James was a widower.1,5,6
     James Richardson died on 27 Jan 1841 Williamstown, Seigniory of Beauharnois, QUE, CAN; This date based on the assumption that the headstone at Beechridge is this James.
Certainly the church is mentioned as being built to "serve the needs of the early Scottish pioneers in the Beechridge and Scotch Settlement areas of Williamstown, Seigniory of Beauharnois, now known as Sainte-Clotilde and the neighboring Municipality of Saint-Urbain Premier. "
Williamstown is where James is documented as being a tailor when son Adam's birth was recorded in 1835.
Elizabeth RICHARDSON, wife of Samuel MOFFAT is also buried in this cemetery, Elizabeth being the daughter of James & Margaret MABON, where my theory is that these are one and the same James.4,7 He was buried Beechridge Cem., Sainte-Clotilde, QUE, CAN, Monument #191: In memory of James Richardson. who died Jan. 27,1841, aged 66 years and 9 months.4
     Who were James' parents?
IF Christian is James' 2nd wife, with the first being Margaret MABON, the naming pattern of his children with Margaret may give some clues.
AND IF William the dancing master doesn't belong to this James, we are looking for a John.8
Is the James married to Christian OUTERSON in Eckford, 1820, the James who would by then be the widower of Margaret MABON?
Evidence (circumstantial) for the prosecution are a couple of naming coincidences, and a proximity coincidence that may be just that, coincidence, or deliberate.
James and Christian's youngest son born in Scotland is named Archibald Moffat RICHARDSON (1832).
By 1832 his son James by what would be his 1st marriage to Margaret, has married, 1824 Leeds, Mary MOFFAT, daughter of tailor Archibald MOFFAT of Leeds (whose wife was born Scotland), and had emigrated to Bermuda, and later (1838) has his own, short lived son, Archibald Moffatt RICHARDSON.
George, a son from what would be his first marriage, also emigrated, and in 1860 is living in Omro, Winnebago, Wisconsin, not far from Robert from the assumed second marriage, who has Christian living with him.

The family of Adam, now known to have been born Quebec to James and Christiana, has connections to Bermuda where James assumed first family, settled.

Occupational coincidences occur with Adam's descendants setting up a photography business in Bermuda, and a descendant of James assumed first marriage was also a photographer - back in Wisconsin whence Adam's descendants returned.
Along with Adam's baptism showing James as a tailor, the occupation of his possible son James in Bermuda.

Another naming coincidence is that David, believed to be son of James & Christian, names his daughter Ella Meldrum RICHARDSON. George's wife was Margaret MELDRUM. With a place coincidence for David that in 1850 he is living about 12 miles from where Thomas from James assumed first marriage, lives shortly thereafter (Oneida, NY).
Additional even more circumstantial evidence is that at least one tree thinks Christian was born in Yorkshire (where James in Bermuda married), and that a google books snippet from New Brunswick Lineages provides dates of 1770-1850 for James (Edinburgh - Lower Canada), ie could have had a 1st family.
Aug 2015 update: It looks highly likely that the 1770-1850 dates could be a bit optimisitic. The headstone transcriptions for Beechridge churchyard, which congregation covered Williamstown, has a James RICHARDSON dying 27 Jan 1841, aged 66 yrs and 9 mths. This places James as slighty younger than Margaret MABON and a lot older than Christian OUTTERSON and thus doesn't rule out a first family.

Against the id, is that 1812 to 1820 seems a longish time to wait to find a second wife to take care of the young family he had been left with in 1812, but could also account for the fact that at least 4 of his older children by the (supposed) 1st marriage emigrated relatively shortly thereafter!

If this theory was true, a descendant of James & Margaret (MABON) R. should be an excellent dna match to John, descendant of Adam, and also a match, but more distant, to Ralph, a descendant of William of Pringlestead.

Jan 2013 Update: Looks like another theory bites the dust - but interestingly so.
A DNA participant from James & Margaret (MABON) R's line has popped out of the woodwork. Results show that yes there is a relationship between the three trees, but preliminary results make it rather look like he is slightly more closely related to the William of Pringlestead tree than that of James & Christian (OUTERSON) RICHARDSON.

Any RICHARDSON descendants of any of the unrepresented lines of the RICHARDSON trees shown on the RICHARDSON page, or any from different branches of already represented lines, please do consider joining the Richardson dna project to help us explore the relastionships further (a subsidy may be possible).9,3,4

Migration

     James Richardson and Christian Outterson immigrated to CAN in 1832; (assumed to be to Lower Canada, aka Quebec given that's where the earliest information for their children is to be found) Also in 1832, John & Isabella (ANDERSON) RICHARDSON & family emigrated, to Montreal, this John possibly being a son of James from a first marriage to Margaret MABON?10,11

Census/Where lived/Occupations

     James Richardson was a tailor in Feb 1836 Williamstown, Seigniory of Beauharnois, QUE, CAN.12

External links

     James Richardson belongs to a DNA tested line. There may be more information available on DNASurnames under the DNA project for his/her surname/line.

Family

Christian Outterson (cir. 1796 - Dec 1888)
Children
ChartsTimeline for the Morebattle RICHARDSONs
James & Christian (OUTERSON) RICHARDSON of Morebattle
Last Edited5 Sep 2015

Citations

  1. Online search: assorted surnames, International Genealogical Index (IGI), RICHARDSON May 2001 Source: Batch C118014 1818-1855 1067950 , 0102300 Film 6901638.
  2. Census images, Ancestry.com, 1860 Omro, Winnebago, Wisconsin; Roll: M653_1437; Page: 520; Image: 226; Family History Library Film: 805437, hsehold of R C & Charity RICHARDSON, extracted Aug 2012.
  3. Google Books online at books.google.com, "New Brunswick Lineages: the ancestral charts of over 250 researchers who trace their lineage to New Brunswick, Canada", D F Johnson, (1988), extracted Aug 2012.
  4. Various authors, Assorted RICHARDSON Web searches/Correspondence, H/stone James RICHARDSON d. Jan 27 1841, aged 66 yrs & 9 mths, Beech Ridge Cem, QUE, from http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~qcchatea/cemeteries/…
  5. Online search: assorted surnames, International Genealogical Index (IGI), RICHARDSON May 2001 Source: Batch M117872 1694-1820 1067934 Film 6901589.
  6. Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Marr. 29 Apr 1820 James RICHARDSON ( Morebattle) & Christian OUTTERSON (Eckford), Eckford, ROX, 787/0A0020 0100 & 0237, copies d/loaded Aug 2012.
  7. "Lorna's Family History Musings", Aug 2015.
  8. Lorna Henderson, "FAIRBAIRN Analysis", Aug 2015.
  9. "Lorna's Family History Musings", Aug 2012, updated Jan 2013.
  10. Various authors, Assorted RICHARDSON Web searches/Correspondence, 1832 James & Christiana (OTTERSON) RICHARDSON, emigration to Canada, from Personal Sketches: Robert C RICHARDSON, of Omro & Winneconne, 1826- , from Randall, Geo. A. / Illustrated atlas of Winnebago County, Wisconsin : containing outline map of the county, map of each township in the county, with village and city plats. Also maps of the world, United States and state of Wisconsin, together with other valuable information (1889)
    (http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx), extracted Aug 2012.
  11. Various authors, Assorted RICHARDSON Web searches/Correspondence, "Letter to my children", from John RICHARDSON, from the Valetta Presbyterian Sesquentennial Book, posted online by Meg Statton (Lawrenceville, GA) at http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/t/a/…, last updated Oct 2000, extracted Aug 2012.
  12. Drouin Collection, 1621-1967 (QUE) online at http://ancestry.com, Birth 10 Feb 1835 Bap. 27 Feb 1836 Adam Brown s/o James RICHARDSON, tailor, Williamstown, & Christian OUTTERSON, Seignory of Beuharnois, QUE, extracted Aug 2012.
  13. Morebattle, ROX: Gateshaw Associate Session & Free Church Records: Item 4 (Gateshaw 1775-1907) & 8 (Free Church 1847-52), Bap. 15 Jul 1821 David s/o James RICHARDSON & Christian OUTTERSON, extracted Jul 2008.
  14. Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Birth 25 Dec 1820 Bap. 25 Jan 1821 David s/o James RICHARDSON, tailor, and Christian OUTTERSTON, Morebattle, ROX, 801/00 0020 0010, copy d/loaded Aug 2012.
  15. FamilySearch Labs Record Search (LDS) online at http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/, Dth 17 Apr 1898 David s/o James & Christina RICHARDSON, La Crescent, Houston, MN, from Minnesota, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1990 batch B53042-3 film 1316884, extracted from index Aug 2012.
  16. Morebattle, ROX: Gateshaw Associate Session & Free Church Records: Item 4 (Gateshaw 1775-1907) & 8 (Free Church 1847-52), Bap. 4 Feb 1824 Henry s/o James RICHARDSON & Christian OUTERSTON, Morebattle, ROX, extracted Jul 2008.
  17. FamilySearch Labs Record Search (LDS) online at http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/, Birth 27 Mar Bap. 6 May 1826 Robert s/o James RICHARDSON & Christian OUTTERSON, Morebattle, ROX, from Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 batch C11801-4 film 1067950, extracted Aug 2012.
  18. Morebattle, ROX: Gateshaw Associate Session & Free Church Records: Item 4 (Gateshaw 1775-1907) & 8 (Free Church 1847-52), Bap. 21 May 1826 Robert s/o James RICHARDSON & Christian OUTERSTONE, by the Rev Robert CRANSTON, extracted Jun 2008.
  19. FamilySearch Labs Record Search (LDS) online at http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/, Marr. 25 May 1887 R C s/o James & Christian RICHARDSON; Emma Elizabeth BELLING d/o Seth B & Maria DUSTIN, from Wisconsin, Marriages, 1836-1930 batch M00333-5 film 1275614, extracted from index Aug 2012.
  20. Various authors, Assorted RICHARDSON Web searches/Correspondence, Personal Sketches: Robert C RICHARDSON, of Omro & Winneconne, 1826- , from Randall, Geo. A. / Illustrated atlas of Winnebago County, Wisconsin : containing outline map of the county, map of each township in the county, with village and city plats. Also maps of the world, United States and state of Wisconsin, together with other valuable information (1889)
    (http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx), extracted Aug 2012.
  21. FamilySearch Labs Record Search (LDS) online at http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/, Birth 9 Feb 1828 Janet d/o James RICHARDSON & Chrstian OUTTERSON, Morebattle, ROX, from Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 batch C11801-4 film 1067950, extracted Aug 2012.
  22. Morebattle, ROX: Gateshaw Associate Session & Free Church Records: Item 4 (Gateshaw 1775-1907) & 8 (Free Church 1847-52), Bap. 2 AUg 1849 Samuel s/o James RICHARDSON & Christian OUTERSTONE, extracted Jul 2008.
  23. Morebattle, ROX: Gateshaw Associate Session & Free Church Records: Item 4 (Gateshaw 1775-1907) & 8 (Free Church 1847-52), Bap. 9 Jan 1831 Christopher s/o James RICHARDSON & Christian OUTERSTONE, by the Rev Robert CRANSTON, extracted Jun 2008.
  24. Morebattle, ROX: Gateshaw Associate Session & Free Church Records: Item 4 (Gateshaw 1775-1907) & 8 (Free Church 1847-52), Bap. 25 Nov 1832 Archibald Moffat s/o James RICHARDSON & Christian OUTERSTONE, by the Rev Robert CRANSTON, extracted Jun 2008.

E. & O. E. Some/most parish records are rather hard to read and names, places hard to interpret, particularly if you are unfamiliar with an area.