Ary RIDGEWAY

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: LDC9-GYW

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: KNYL-GHF

Benjamin married Mary Ann RIGGS in 1790 in Maryland. Mary (daughter of James RIGGS and Mary Ann JOHNSON) was born on 31 May 1772 in Prince George's County, Maryland; died on 10 Dec 1855 in Brownsville, Monroe County, Ohio; was buried on 13 Dec 1855 in Brownsville Methodist Cemetery, Benton Township, Monroe, Ohio. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: LV7N-BFZ
• Name: Polly RIDGEWAY
• _UID: 9A0A827634034A10BF471CC3CBB60345DB4E
• Residence: 1850, Perry, Monroe, Ohio

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: LZ8D-LGR
• LifeSketch: ; Information in Find a Grave:
• Military Service: ; Pennsylvania Regulars (Lt. Rose's Ranging Company), Revolutionary War
• Name: James RIGGS
• Name: James RIGGS
• Occupation: ; American Revolutionary Soldier
• _UID: B275A01D2FD84E1CA7BBB152F11E4699A810
• Will: Between 29 May 1813 and 30 Jun 1815, Marietta, Washington, Ohio; Probate Record Book I

Notes:

Details from arckrc april 2016:
JAMES RIGGS (son of EDMUND RIGGS and Mary Brook(e)(s))19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 was born September 17, 1742 in Rock Creek, Montgomery Co, MD, and died February 27, 1815 in New Matamoras, Ohio25, 26, 27.He married Mary Johnson on 1773, daughter of Benjamin Johnson.
Notes for JAMES RIGGS:
James served in REvolutionary War from Pennsylvania.He was a Justice of the Peace in Washington Co, Ohio.
His will was probated at Marietta, Washington Co, Ohio on Dec 1, 1815 in Book 1, page 281
REVOLUTION VET
FIRST TO SETTLE
MATAMORAS AREA
by Diana McMahan
Matamoras, Ohio - The first man to settle and build a cabin on the site of the Matamoras was a Revolutionary War veteran. Fort nine years before there was a town here, JAMES RIGGS came with all of his family and two sons-in-law and their families, and made claim to all the land which now encompasses Matamoras, and the territory south and west of town.
Riggs took for his farm the parcel of land which now encompasses Matamoras, going back to the hill, 200 acres in all. His son-in-law, MARTIN SHEETS, took 200 acres of rich river bottom land south of the town. His second son-in-law, ANTHONY SHEETS, took an area partially hilly along cemetery road, and coming to a point behind GARY BRADY'S back yard on Second Street.
INDIAN TERRITORY
JAMES RIGGS had served as a private in LT. ROSE'S RANGE COMPANY out of Bedford County, Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary War. Accustomed to hardship and well acquainted to the Indian ways, he was wary in the new Ohio county. The stories of Indiana massacres were common, and were usually more truth than rumor. So the small RIGGS party, having come down the Ohio River on a flat boat, took precautions against hostile indians in the Ohio County and camped on the Virginia (now West Virginia) side of the river. Each day they crossed over into Ohio and worked on their cabin, and cleared land for the cornfields.
The log cabin they built was the first house in what is now known as Matamoras. Although the forest extended clear to the river's edge, the RIGGS log cabin was built on what now is Front Street in Matamoras. In later years, it was covered with clapboards, and finally torer down about 1920. Those remembering it being tore down remember the huge logs that made up the orginal cabin.
RIGGS FAMILY
JAMES RIGGS was born Sept 15, 1742 at Rock Creek, Montgomery County, MD, a son of EDMOND AND MARY BROOKS RIGGS. James married MARY JOHNSON, also of Montgomery County. Most of their children, excepting those who died in Pennsylvania, came to settle in the northeastern section of Washington County, Ohio or across the river in Tyler and Pleasants Counties of West Virginia.
Riggs children were: BASIL, who married MARY ROBY and gave Raven Rock, West Virginia it's name; HEZEKIAH , of whom there is no further record; SAMUEL, married ELIZABETH ROSS; JOHN, married SARAH WILSON; EDMOND who married ELIZABETH ROBY, a sister of Basils's wife; EMAXIE, who married ANTHONY SHEETS; POLLY; PRISCILLA, who married MARTIN SHEETS; MARY who married BENJAMIN RIDGEWAY; RUTH, died in Pennsylvania at age 19; JANE, married MOSES WILLIAMSON; and MALINDA died in infancy.
Priscilla Riggs Sheet, Martins wife, was the first death in the new grandview Township colony. She died in 1801. (Martun's second wife was SARAH COLLINS.) Priscilla was buried in the orginal Matamoras cemetery, which took in the lots now lived on by Helen Edwards, Mr and Mrs Elwood Hossman, and the Legion Hall Ground, as well as running under Front Street. The early settlers had procratinated and up until the time of the first death, there was no cemetery. So James and James Williams, a newcomer, each gave half of the already cleared land, which they called "the first burying ground".
SHEETS FAMILY
JAMES RIGG'S seond son-in-law, ANTHONY SHEETS , was Martin's brother. He and his wife, Emaxie Riggs, lived out their lifetimes in Matamoras and raised a large family. There children were: NANCY, married BENJAMIN FORT and lived in Indiana; MARTIN, who married NANCY LOVE and died in Indiana (his wife and children returned); POLLY, married JOHN TALBOR, and lived in Indiana; JOHN who died at seas unmarried; RUTH married ISAAC PARR; HENRY who married REBECCA PARR and helped plat Matamoras; MELINDA who married JESSE PARR; and AXIE (also called Achsah and Emaxie) who married WARREN WELLS.
Anthony Sheets and his wife, and Martin Sheets and his second wife, Sarah Collins, are buried in the Old Sheets - Cline cemetery in Matamoras.
JAMES RIGGS died Feb 22, 1815 and is the only Revolutionary War soldier (known) buried in the Matamoras Cemetery on the hill, overlooking the town. He was first buried in the orignal Matamoras cemetery on Front Street with other family members. However, when the old cemetery was disbanded, the family moved all the Riggs graves to the new cemetery on the hill. Riggs's can be seen next to that of his wife Mary Johnson Riggs, who died in 181, that of his daughter Pricilla Riggs Sheets, his grandson Lorenzo Dow Sheets (infant of James Rigg's son, Edmond) and another child's stone too shaled to read.
FAMILY TRADITION
JAMES RIGGS was not the first of his family to open new territory. His great grandfather EDWARD RIGGS , came to America in 1633 and was a sergeant in the PEQUOT INDIAN WAR in 1637.
SERGEANT RIGGS, protected WHALEY and GOFF, two of the English Parliment who had condemmed and executed CHARLES I, and subsequently received a large land grant in New Jersey. He eventually founded the city of Newark, New Jersey., and James Riggs' great - grandmother, Sergeant Riggs's wife,was the first white woman to spend the summer in Newark.
From the Pennsylvania Historical and Musuem Comission - This is to certify that, that under Militia Loan of 1 April 1784, a certificate of public debt, number 15087, in the amount of f2.9.0, was issued in the name of JAMES RIGGS, for a tour of active duty in the Bedford County Militia, which he performed from 5 October to 19 October 1782 as a member of Lieutenant Edward Rose's Company. Volume B, page 116 Militia Loans of 1784 and 1785, "Public Debt," Records of the Comptroller General, at the Division of Archives and Manuscripts Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
1790 Census, Montgomery County, Maryland, Microfilm # M637-3:
Riggs, page 89 and 90-Line 4T , Line 161, John, line 159, Samuel, Thomas, 160, Page 89, line 235 Thomas.
1800 Census Samuel Riggs family with two boys under 16 and Samuel age 45+ plus two girls under 16 and a wife plus 10 slaves.
John, John H, Thomas and Rubin families are listed.Reel M32-11--1st Division, Stamped # 162 AandSioundex R220.

James married Mary Ann JOHNSON in 1768 in Frederick, Frederick, Maryland. Mary (daughter of Benjamin Franklin JOHNSON and Rachel SUMMERS) was born on 10 Jul 1748 in Clarksburg, Montgomery, Maryland; died on 9 Nov 1818 in New Matamoras, Monroe, Ohio. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: GDXD-XGL
• Name: Mary Ellen JOHNSON
• _UID: 7EBDD3EE1536453896146121BB4EBD9D539F

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: L7J5-KJJ
• Name: Edmond RIGGS
• _UID: E9DEE2ED3BDF466AAD07DF9F8F405729E187
• Land: 3 Apr 1750, Frederick Co., MD; Edmond leased from Lucy Brooke, widow, of Prince George's County, 100 acres of "Dann",
• Land: 10 Sep 1750, "Holding Springs" on Dry Seneca Run, Frederick (later Montgomery) Co.,; purchased from William Coats
• Land: 1772, "John's Delight", Frederick Co., Maryland; purchased from John Harris, Sr.
• Will: Between 24 Nov 1783 and 11 Apr 1784, Montgomery Co., MD; Will Book B, p. 132

Notes:

A Patriot of the American Revolution for MARYLAND. DAR A113320

Edmond married Mary BROOKE in 1742 in Montgomery, Montgomery, Maryland. Mary (daughter of Thomas BROOKE and Lucy SMITH) was born on 8 Oct 1709 in Prince Georges Parish, Montgomery, Maryland; died in 1750 in Montgomery, Montgomery, Maryland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: GJVX-54M
• _UID: 685A990F70BA4AD093524156D9D2A0E0555D

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: LC8K-PMG
• TitleOfNobility: ; twin
• _UID: 867AF67F79584A118D521AEB03339352A054
• MilitaryService: Between Jan 1782 and Apr 1785, Pvt in the Army/Militia; Revolutionary War
• Probate: 10 Jan 1795, Montgomery County, Maryland

Benjamin married Rachel SUMMERS in 1740 in Maryland. Rachel (daughter of John J. SUMMERS, III and Mary E. MOORE) was born in 1721 in Maryland; died in 1795 in Tazewell County, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• FamilySearch ID: GZF6-LKN
• _UID: 33B29A5152A54B36BA1DE83BE95AA2AAD1BC