ANSEL/ALFRED RICH BIOGRAPHY, YATES CO., NY Copyright 1999 By Bonnie Bunce (bmbunce@juno.com) ************************************************************************ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************ Excerpt from HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF YATES COUNTY, NEW YORK, edited by Stafford C. Cleveland, published 1873 at Penn Yan, New York, pp. 1041-43, in the chapter on Town of Starkey. ANSEL AND ALFRED RICH. Among the earlier residents of Reading were Ansel and Alfred Rich. They were sons of John Rrich, [sic] who followed them to the new country from Connecticut, coming two or three years later. The sons settled in the year 1805 on two hundred acres of land near the New Pre-emption Line in what is now Reading, just across the Starkey Line. In 1806 their brother Elias settled adjoining them. When their father came he took one hundred acres, Elias fifty, Ansel fifty of the first purchase. Alfred then moved to Eddy Settlement, and purchased the farm now owned by Peleg Briggs. He afterwards traded that farm with Elisha Clark, for the farm now owned by Rochester Raplee. Fifteen years later he traded with his brother Ansel, who had before traded with his father, and returned where he first settled, and died there in 1847, at sixty-one. Ansel finally settled on the Patrick Quin place near Eddytown, and died there in 1852, at sixty-eight. John Rich, the father settled in "Beartown" and died there in 1815. [From p. 1094: "Starkey Methodist Church. . . ." A revival was held in "Beartown" in 1833, and "a class of seventy-five members was formed," among whose members were "John Rich and wife."] Ansel the oldest of the sons married Rhoda, daughter of John Griswold, at Fort Ann [Washington Co.], N.Y. She died in 1853, at sixty-six. Their children were John, Milo, Richard, Henry, Sanford and Phila Ann. John born in 1808, married in 1823, Lany Horning, and died a farmer in 1848, in Starkey. Their children were Maria, Julia Ann, Theodorus, John, George, Richard, Otis, Alonzo and Melissa. The family reside in Illinois, except Richard who married Elizabeth Fosdeck, and lives in Elmira. Milo born in 1813, married Elizabeth, daughter of John Sutphen of Milo, and moved West. Their children were Rhoda, Polly, Ansel, John, George, Milo and Cass. Richard died at nineteen in 1838. Henry born in 1820, married in 1841, Serepta, daughter of Belden Rich. He died in 1866, in Michigan. His family reside at Grand Rapids in that State. Their children are Nelson, Franklin and Ralph. Sanford born in 1824, married Eliza Van Horn. They live in Dix, Schuyler county, and have two daughters, Emily and Mary. Emily married Henry Armstrong of Watkins, and Mary married James Pope, school commissioner of Schuyler county. [From p. 1113 in section on Early Schools and Teachers: "Subsequent teachers of more or less note in the town have been, . . . James H. Pope, . . ."] Phila Ann born in 1826, married in 1841, Simpson Hallock, and resides on her paternal homestead in Starkey. Their children are Lydia, James H., Stephen K., Martha, Theresa, William H., Elizabeth, Simpson and George F. [From p. 1139-40 in section on Civil History: "Collectors--. . . Simpson Hallock, 1869; . . ."] Stephen K. was a soldier of the 148th N.Y.V., and had a leg amputated on the field in consequence of a wound received at the battle of Fair Oaks. Alfred Rich married first, Sarah Griswold, sister of the wife of Ansel. She died in 1823, at thirty-seven. His second wife was Almy Roberts. She was born in 1802, and died in 1853. [From pp. 1064-65 in sketch on David Thompson family: "Esther, another sister of David Thompson, was the mother of Almy Roberts, second wife of Alfred Rich, Sr."] The children by the first marriage were Harriet, Polly and Sarah Ann; by the second a son, Alfred. Harriet born in 1805, was the wife of Addison B. Lewis. [From p. 989: "Addison B. born in 1798, [son of John C. (1794-1848) formerly of Fredericksburg, Dutchess Co., NY, whose parents came from Holland, and Hannah (Boyd) (1797-1846) Lewis] married Harriet, daughter of Alfred Rich of Starkey, and settled in Starkey. . . . The children by the first marriage were Sally, Adaline, Livia, Polly, David and Joseph; . . ."] Polly born in 1810, married Joseph Reynolds. They reside in Dundee and have abundant means. Sarah Ann born in 1821, married James Hawley, and died in 1852. Their children were Erastus, Edgar, Alfred, Mary and Joseph. They reside in the town of Howard. Alfred Rich, Jr. born in 1824 in Starkey, on the Raplee place, married in 1850, Abigail C., daughter of Thomas Drake and Mary Ann Sweezey his wife. They reside on the original homestead of the Rich family in Reading, a wealthy and excellent family. Their children are Charles B., and Flora A. The son is a student of Starkey Seminary. Elias Rich had two children, Amanda and Richard. Amanda married Luke Olds, Jr., and had three children, Elias, Albert and Frank. [From pp. 1135-36 section on Civil History: "The law erecting the town of Reading was passed in 1806, the first town meeting was held at the house of Abner Hurd, on the twenty-fourth day of June following, and the officers were elected as follows. . . . Constables--Eden Booth, Luke Olds."] Richard moved West. The brothers Rich had an only sister, Clara, whose first husband was one Rich, a sea captain. She had a second husband whose name was Smith. By the first marriage she had a son, Harris, who married in 1819, Sally Ann Bunce, and they had two sons, Harrison and Washington. By the second marriage Clara had a son, Silas Smith, who married Eliza, sister of John Baker. [From p. 1060: "John Baker was a nephew of Gilbert Baker of Milo [formerly of Kinderhook, Columbia Co.]. He married Sophia Longcor. They lived in Dundee from 1823 to 1867. He was a lawyer in justices' courts, and had considerable skill in the practice. He moved west in 1867, and died in 1871, at sixty-eight." He had five children, but there's no mention of him having had a sister named Eliza on p. 1060.] Their children were Albert, Clarissa, Alfred, Almeda and George. The family of Clara Rich lived many years in "Beartown" and her mother, who as a maiden was Elizabeth Aikens, died there at the house of Silas Smith at ninety-seven. [From p. 1049: "William [Clark, brother of Elisha and Phineas of Connecticut] bought in 1803, the land on "Lamb's Run" now lying between Starkey's Corners and the N.C. Railway Station. His first wife was a daughter of John Sears; his second, the widow of Benjamin French; and his third, Clara Rich, also her third marriage. He was Second Lieutenant in the company of Capt. Timothy Hurd, in the war of 1812. He was made Captain of the same company in 1814. He moved to Canada in later years and died there during the "Patriot war."]