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James RIGGS

James RIGGS[1]

Male 1742 - 1815  (72 years)

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  • Photos
    James Riggs Headstone.jpg
    James Riggs Headstone.jpg

  • Name James RIGGS 
    Born 15 Sep 1742  Rock Creek, Montgomery, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    FamilySearch ID LZ8D-LGR 
    LifeSketch   [2
    Information in Find a Grave:  
    Military Service   [2
    Pennsylvania Regulars (Lt. Rose's Ranging Company), Revolutionary War 
    Name James RIGGS  [2
    Name James RIGGS  [2
    Occupation   [2
    American Revolutionary Soldier 
    Will Between 29 May 1813 and 30 Jun 1815  Marietta, Washington, Ohio Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Probate Record Book I 
    _UID B275A01D2FD84E1CA7BBB152F11E4699A810 
    Died 22 Feb 1815  Grandview, Washington, Ohio Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried 27 Feb 1815  New Matamoras Cemetery, New Matamoras, Washington County, Ohio Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Person ID I594761331  Carney Wehofer Feb 2024 Genealogy
    Last Modified 15 Dec 2022 

    Father Edmond RIGGS,   b. 25 Dec 1695, Prince Georges Parish, Montgomery, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 11 Apr 1784, Montgomery, Montgomery, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 88 years) 
    Mother Mary BROOKE,   b. 8 Oct 1709, Prince Georges Parish, Montgomery, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1750, Montgomery, Montgomery, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 40 years) 
    Married 1742  Montgomery, Montgomery, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F14096  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Mary Ann JOHNSON,   b. 10 Jul 1748, Clarksburg, Montgomery, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 9 Nov 1818, New Matamoras, Monroe, Ohio Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 70 years) 
    Married 1768  Frederick, Frederick, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Robert RIGGS,   b. 1764,   d. Yes, date unknown
     2. Thomas RIGGS,   b. 1767,   d. Yes, date unknown
     3. Maxemelia (Achsah) RIGGS,   b. 15 Sep 1768, Frederck, Frederick, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 29 Mar 1846, New Matamoras, Washington, Ohio Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 77 years)
     4. Polly RIGGS,   b. 1772, Shennadoah, Frederick, Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 20 May 1839, Breckinridge, Kentucky Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 67 years)
     5. Mary Ann RIGGS,   b. 31 May 1772, Prince George's County, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 10 Dec 1855, Brownsville, Monroe County, Ohio Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 83 years)
     6. Bazel RIGGS,   b. 12 Jul 1774, Bedford County, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 26 Nov 1850, Tyler County, West Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 76 years)
     7. Ruth RIGGS,   b. 1776, Frederick, Frederick, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1793, Bedford County, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 17 years)
     8. Hezekiah RIGGS,   b. 1777, Bedford, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1813  (Age 36 years)
     9. Priscilla RIGGS,   b. 25 Oct 1778, Bedford County, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 25 Oct 1801, New Matamoras, Washington, Ohio Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 23 years)
     10. John H. RIGGS,   b. 3 Dec 1781, District Of Columbia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 15 Sep 1851, Jennings County, Indiana Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 69 years)
     11. Edmund S. RIGGS,   b. 25 Dec 1783, Colerain, Bedford County, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 15 Feb 1876, St Marys, Pleasants, West Virginia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 92 years)
     12. Samuel Hamilton RIGGS,   b. 13 Jul 1786, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 31 Mar 1875, Fayette County, Indiana Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 88 years)
     13. Sarah Jane RIGGS,   b. 25 Oct 1788, Friends Cove, Bedford, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 18 Sep 1872, Connersville, Fayette, Indiana Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 83 years)
    Last Modified 8 Apr 2019 
    Family ID F14039  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • 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.

  • Sources 
    1. [SAuth] Jim Carney, compiled by James H Carney [(E-ADDRESS), & MAILING ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Buderim, Queensland 4556 AUSTRALIA.

    2. [S1160] FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 15 Dec 2022), entry for James RIGGS, person ID LZ8D-LGR. (Reliability: 3).