Carney & Wehofer Family
Genealogy Pages
Edward RIGGS, Jr. II
1619 - 1668 (48 years)-
Name Edward RIGGS Suffix Jr. II Birth 17 Oct 1619 Nazing, Essex, England 
Christening 17 Oct 1619 Nazeing, Essex, England [1] Gender Male Death 5 Mar 1668 Newark, Essex, New Jersey Find-A-Grave 1 Jun 1668 Newark, Essex, New Jersey, United States [2] Find-A-Grave MilitaryService [1] MilitaryService Name Edward Riggs [2] Name Sergeant RIGGS [1] Occupation [1] Surveyor, planter Religion [1] Puritan Residence [1] He landowner in Milford colony, Connecticut 1646, and also an original landowner in Newark colony, NJ in 1655 _FSFTID LC8W-CBR _FSLINK https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LC8W-CBR _UID 4FC4C991BA224076BD0401BE86B1A1459C0D Person ID I30599 Carney Wehofer July 2025 Last Modified 19 Sep 2024
Father Edward RIGGS, b. 30 Mar 1589, Lincolnshire, England d. 5 Jan 1671, Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts (Age 81 years) Mother Elizabeth HOLMES, b. 1595, Essex, Yorkshire, England d. 1 Aug 1635, Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts (Age 40 years) Marriage Abt 1614 Alt. Marriage 16 Sep 1618 Nazeing, Essex, England [3] Alt. Marriage Family ID F14299 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Elizabeth ROOSA, b. 1618, Nazeing, Essex, England d. 2 Sep 1669, Roxbury Township, New Jersey, British Colony (Age 51 years) Marriage 5 Apr 1635 Roxbury Township, Morris, New Jersey Children 1. Edward John RIGGS, III, b. 1636, Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts d. 3 Jul 1715, Newark, Essex, New Jersey, British Colonial America (Age 79 years)2. Samuel RIGGS, b. Abt 1642, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America d. 1738, Derby, New Haven, Connecticut, British Colonial America (Age ~ 96 years)3. Joseph RIGGS, b. Abt 1644, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America d. Bef 27 Nov 1689, Newark, Essex, Colony of New Jersey, British Colonial America (Age ~ 45 years)4. Mary RIGGS, b. 1645, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America d. Bef 16 Dec 1713, Newark, Essex, New Jersey, British Colonial America (Age 68 years)5. John RIGGS, b. 1648, Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, British Colonial America d. Bef 24 May 1670, Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, British Colonial America (Age 22 years)Family ID F14298 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 19 Sep 2024
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Notes - Edward Riggs was baptized at Nazeing, Essex, England on 17 Ocotber 1619 and migrated to America with his parents, landing in Boston in the early summer of 1633 and settling in nearby Roxbury.
Edward married Elizabeth Roosa on 5 April 1635 in Roxbury as evidenced by the Roxbury records and narratives. Edwards father married Elizabeth Holmes, contrary to others who made the mistake of his father marrying a 19 year old when he was 46 years old.
After he married, he probably moved to Wethersfield, CT. No records were found for him at Milford, CT prior to 1646. He later helped establish the Derby Plantation, CT in 1655, before finally moving to Newark, NJ which he helped to found in 1666.
Edward Riggs's death took place in Newark, New Jersey between 1 January1669/70 and 25 January 1669/70, only a few years after moving there from Connecticut.
Records of the Newark Town Meetings of 25 January 1670 and 02 July 1670 both refer to a 'Widow Riggs' (for details, see the note on Edward Riggs's death). Furthermore, Edward of Roxbury's will dated 02 September 1670 makes a bequest to "my daughter-in-law my son Edward Riggs his wife". Admittedly, none of these mention her christian name, and it might be argued that Edward could have remarried, but no evidence has been found to prove Elizabeth pre-deceased Edward or that he married a second time.
In 1637, Edward was a Sergeant in the Pequot Indian War. The following excerpt is from the The Mayflower, by Kate Kafrey: "Captain John Mason commanding a Bay contingent of forty with the promise of 100 more to follow, met in Marragansett territory, where a select group of Indians guided them stealthily through the night toward the chief concentration of Pequots at Mystic Fort. Mason had already had a successful brush with the enemy. For some days past little groups of settlers had been searching for stray Pequots. They had taken some prisoners, killed some, including two Sachems, and gave one prisoner his life if he would guide them to the Chief Sachems. One group, hearing that the Chief Sachems had prudently taken refuse with the Mohawks, came upon an Indian camp with eighty braves and two hundred women and children. ... Close by was a swamp a mile in circumference, and here most of the party got stuck. Mason, with about ten men, including one Roger Ludlow and Capt. Daniel Patrick with about twenty others, started shooting, more to reveal to their comrades where they were than to attack any Indians; and Capt. William Trash heard them and brought his troops of fifty to the rescue. He ordered them to surround the swamp which was thick shrubs. Lt. Richard Davenport got a nasty wound under one arm and one of his companions was shot in the head. About a half dozen others led by Sergeant Edward Riggs and Thomas Jeffery, pulled them out to safety, slaying a number of Pequots with their swords in the process."
During his service in the Pequot War Edward greatly distinguished himself by rescuing his commander and twelve of his companions who had been led into an ambush by the Indians. Reference to this fact is to be found in several of the old histories. It was by this notable act of bravery and skill the name "Sergeant Riggs" became his well-known designation as long as he lived.
- Edward Riggs was baptized at Nazeing, Essex, England on 17 Ocotber 1619 and migrated to America with his parents, landing in Boston in the early summer of 1633 and settling in nearby Roxbury.
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Sources - [S1160] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 6 Dec 2021), entry for Edward Riggs, person ID LC8W-CBR. (Reliability: 3).
- [S1160] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 19 Sep 2024), entry for Edward RIGGS, person ID LC8W-CBR. (Reliability: 3).
- [S1160] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 6 Dec 2021), entry for Edward Riggs, person ID K8S1-WFV. (Reliability: 3).
- [S1160] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 6 Dec 2021), entry for Edward Riggs, person ID LC8W-CBR. (Reliability: 3).