If anybody is researching connections to the Richardson family from Brede, I have a lot of data from the parish registers, census, etc and contacts with others researching their Richardson roots, so may be able to help you.
I have connections via my 3xgreat grandmother Rose Richardson born at Brede in 1796.
Best wishes,
Caroline
25 responses to “Richardson Family”
My 2xgreat Grandmother Ann Richardson gave her place of birth on the 1851 census as Brede but on marriage to Thomas Burgess in 1822 at Ewhurst, she was of Ewhurst.One well respected researcher sugested she was a widow on marriage but having seen the marriage entry in Ewhurst PRs I do not believe this to be so. There are suitable baptisms of Anns at both Brede and Ewhurst. Do you have anythihg that may shed any light on this quandry? if you do I shall be eternally greatful as I’ve been working on this for years without finding any conclusive proof either way.I have researched both families back several generations so am happy to let you have anything that I have which may be of use to you in your research
Rosemary Cheesman
Hello Rosemary
According to the transcript I have, Thomas Burgess was the widower, not Ann Richardson. The fact that she was ‘of Ewhurst’ when she married indicates that that was where she was living and does not mean that that was where she was born. As her birthplace is given as Brede at the 1851 census (and age appears to be 67, but the entry is messy), I would think that Brede is more likely to be accurate.
As you’ll know, there is a baptism for an Ann Richardson at Brede on 11 June 1787, daughter of Robert and Sarah and also one for Ann Richardson on 2 January 1783 at Ewhurst, daughter of John and Mary.
To complicate matters, there was another couple called Thomas and Ann Burgess- Thomas Burgess married Ann Tomsett at Brede on 3 July 1815. There’s a baptism for Ann Tomsett at Brede on 22 August 1790, daughter of Thomas and Mary.
I don’t have anything else for Ann Richardson from Brede, but happy to help further if I can.
Best wishes
Caroline
Hello Caroline, I’ve been tracing my family Richardson for a short while and it currently stops at David Richardson from Brede in Sussex. His trade was that of a Saddler, Harness maker in the early part of the 19th century. According to census he was born in Brede and lived also in Battle Sussex. I was wondering if you have any info on Himself, his relations etc. Thanks Matthew Richardson.
[reveal email]
Hello Matthew
I replied by e-mail to you on 14 February but have not had any response. Did you receive my message?
Regards
Caroline
Sorry Caroline I might have accidently have deleted that e-mail, could you please send it to me once more. [reveal email] thanks for your patience. Matt.
Hello Matt
I’ll reply here so that it doesn’t get lost again.
I think he’s the David Richardson who was baptised at Brede on 31 July 1791, son of Robert and Sarah. David married Mary Levett at Eastbourne on 8 November 1814 and he was ‘of Hastings St Clement’ at the time of marriage.
Robert Thomas Richardson was baptised at Brede on May 1759, son of Henry and Mary.
Robert married Sarah Muddle at Brede on 2 May 1781.
I hope this is helpful. More info in my records if you need it.
Best wishes
Caroline
Hi Caroline thanks for that info, have you got any info on David’s sons and daughters? If any (HA HA), I think I’ve got the right man in the 1841 and so on census to a Mary, however I don’t have visually the marriage details, Iv’e searched various genealogy websites but cannot find details, also I’ve traced the Richardson Family on this line to Richard Richardson born about abt 1674
Of Guestling, Sussex, England married to Ann Watts born about 1678. Richard Richardson was a farmer. I don’t have any info on who his mother and father were, do you have any details? Thanks, Matt
Hello Matt,
The details of the marriage of David Richardson to Mary Levett at Eastbourne in 1814 came from a transcript of Eastbourne marriages 1754 -1837 which I have in booklet form.
If you have the 1841 census entry for the couple at 1841 then you’ll see that they had 3 children living with them then – George, Mary and Charles.
Mary was born 13 May 1816, baptised 20 March 1817 at the Ebenezer Independent Chapel at Alfriston, son of David and Mary of Battle; and Charles was born on 14 September 1823, baptised on 28 June 1829 at the Ebenezer Independent Chapel at Alfriston, son of David and Mary of Battle.
At the 1851 census Mary, George and Charles were still unmarried and living at home, plus there was another son William age 37.
I haven’t seen baptisms for George or William.
Also there is a baptism at Battle parish church for a James Richardson son of David and Mary on 28 March 1828 followed by a burial for him on 9 April 1828 age 1, son of David and Mary.
Robert Thomas Richardson was bap 4 May 1759, the son of Henry Richardson (bap Brede 1727) and Sarah Sweetlove.
This isn’t my line so I haven’t researched much further back. If I have a chance I’ll look into the earlier Richardsons and let you know.
Best wishes
Caroline
Dear Caroline,
My paternal grandmother was a Richardson, descended from James Robert who arrived in Australia from Brede, followed by Louis Edward and John Gladwish. They all settled in or near Geelong Victoria, and the family spread from there.
I have learned a lot from other Richardson seekers, but am puzzled that no one seems to trace them further back than Richard and Ann (Watts) Richardson at Guestling,abt 1674. Do you know how to discover where they might have come from, and who were Richards antecedents?
Thank you,
Mairi
PS – I live in Melbourne, Australia, so difficult to research from here.
Hello Mairi,
I’m sorry but I’m not going to be of much help with this as I’ve not researched the Richardsons back into the 1600s. It doesn’t look as if they hail from either Guestling or Brede.
The Guestling parish registers begin at 1606 and in the period 1606 – 1700 there are only 2 baptisms recorded for the name Richardson (or variants) – Joane on 2 December 1621 daughter of Thomas, and Ann on 13 June 1624 daughter of Thomas. There is a marriage for Thomas Richardson and Dorothy Godfrey at Guestling on 22 January 1621.
There are only 3 burials for Richardson (and variants) and the earliest is 1749.
At Brede the earliest Richardson baptism is 1729 and the earliest burial (for your Richard Richardstone) is 1712.
I notice that you give a date for Richard’s birth as abt 1674. How was that calculated, do you know? If there is no baptism date and no age at burial I wondered how 1674 was arrived at.
Without any other info it’s difficult to know whether Richard came from another area of Sussex or whether he came from another county (Kent would be my next guess). Richard was a farmer according to his children’s baptism entries but that is all that I can find for him at the moment.
I’m sorry this is a disappointing reply.
Best wishes,
Caroline
Dear Caroline,
Thank you so much for taking the trouble to deal with my query.
I have taken the information re Richard’s birth estimate is from another seeker, and the evidence looks pretty shaky, which is why I wondered if he might have come from outside Sussex. Sussex records seem fairly good with a lot of cross checking, but neither Richard nor Ann seem to appear. I shall take your advice and investigate Kent, and see what I can find.
Richardson are so thick on the ground in and near Brede that I perhaps assumed they must be locals from a long way back, even though early records in fact don’t have many Richardsons at all.
Many thanks,
Mairi
Hello Caroline,
I am looking for Thomas Richardson supposedly born in Brede around 1780. He married Mercy Furner in a Brede in 1829. I am trying to get past a few stumbling blocks. I can not find a death for him, but think it was 1835 in Brede. All 7 of their children (that I know of) migrated to either NZ or Australia. There is a theory that Mercy also migrated to Australia, but was wondering if you have a possible death in Sussex for her … Because I can not find any trace of her in Australia.
Or if any parents turn up for Thomas. On one of his sons death certificate,it says Thomas was a mariner, but not sure if that is correct.
Thank you so much,
Vicki
Hello Vicki,
Thomas Richardson married Mercy Furner at Brede on 30 June 1802. There are baptisms at Brede for 7 children of Thomas Mercy Richardson between 1802 and 1821.
It’s possible that Thomas may have been transported to Australia. I will investigate and see what I can find. There is no baptism for him at Brede.
Best wishes,
Caroline
Hello Caroline,
Thank you so much for your reply – I truly appreciate it.
Could I please trouble you for the names of those 7 children. Gee – I never even thought about transportation for Thomas. Do you know how I could order the marriage certificate for Thomas and Mercy?
Thank you so much again,
Vicki
Hello Vicki,
The baptisms for children of Thomas and Mercy Richardson at Brede are as follows:-
Thomas 17 October 1803
Mercy 25 December 1804
William 29 July 1810
Sarah 22 May 1814
Martha 5 May 1816
James 23 August 1818
Henry 21 October 1821
You won’t be able to get a copy of a marriage certificate for them as they married in 1802, and certificates (for birth, marriages and death) were only introduced with Civil Registration from 1st July 1837. Prior to that date you have to refer to the parish registers of baptisms, banns (only from 1754), marriages, and burials.
The original registers for the parish of Brede are held by the East Sussex Records Office (ESRO) at The Keep near Brighton, Sussex website at www.thekeep.info
As far as I know the Brede registers have not been microfilmed, but you can order and buy digital images. If you send an enquiry by email to ESRO they will tell you the charges for copying the register entry for you.
The marriage entry will give the couple’s names, the parish where they were living at the time of marriage, and marital status. The couple and two witnesses signed the register or made their mark. The witnesses’ names can be helpful but sometimes one of the witnesses will be the parish clerk. There is no info about their parents or where they were born etc.
Martha Richardson married Thomas Bateup on 14 December 1836 at Hastings, Sussex (All Saints parish) and they emigrated with daughter Sarah (Sarah Richardson Bateup bap at Brede on 25 June 1837) to NSW (Assisted Passengers) arriving 3 April 1839 aboard the ship Morayshire. Her parents were recorded as Thomas and Mercy Richardson, both of Brede, and no mention that they were dead.
I hope this is helpful but happy to help further if I can.
Best wishes,
Caroline
Hello Vicki,
I’ve had another look at Brede and found a burial for a Thomas Richardson there on 24 August 1835, age 58. That would give a birth of c1777.
There’s no baptism at Brede for a Thomas Richardson in that time-frame.
Best wishes,
Caroline
Hi Caroline,
Thank you for that – that is the death I had noted for him.
Thank you so much again,
Vicki
Hi Caroline,
thank you for that – It is more than helpful. There was a Mary Richardson who immigrated on the same ship as Martha – I wonder if that was actually Mercy.
It is so frustrating not to be able to find a birth for Thomas – his wife Mercy nee Furner is no easy to track back from – but these Richardsons are not so easy!
I don’t suppose you have a death or marriage for their daughter Mercy – I can’t find any trace of her at all.
Cheers,
Vicki
Vicki,
I am descended from Thomas Richardson son of Thomas and Mercy, who came to NZ in 1841, and would like to make contact. Where do you fit in.
I too have not had much luck in finding anything on the Richardson side beyond Thomas who married Mercy. Plenty on the Furner side.
Ian C
Hello Vicki,
In my foraging for Brede Richardsons I came across a census for 1841 which might be relevant to your line. It shows Mary Furner 75 yrs (rounded down), living in Cackle Street with James and Mary Richardson both 20 yrs (also rounded down), and what are likely to be their children, Mary Richardson 2 yrs and James Richardson 9 months. James is an Ag Lab.
Is Mary Furner the mother of your Mercy?
I have a digital image, but I don’t have an email address for you.
I hope this helps.
Mairi
Hello Ian,
I am from William’s line; the brother of your Thomas who came to Australia. Yes, there is stacks of info on the Furners but nothing on Thomas and Mercy, or any Richardsons further back. I don’t even know where to look for Thomas prior to his marriage. There is no mention of him in any of his kids obituaries. The only thing I have is that he may have been a stone mason. Other researchers say Mercy came to Australia and died at Waterloo, but there is no record confirming that. Her daughter Martha lived at Redfern, so it is possible I suppose that Mercy was at Waterloo.
Take care,
Vicki
Hello Ian,
She is Mercy’s mother; Mary Furner nee Coleman. The James living with her is the son of Thomas and Mercy Richardson (brother of your Thomas). He also went to NZ.
Thanks,
Vicki
Vicki,
I think Mercy died Oct 1837 at Rye. Have ordered a death certificate for her, she was aged 52 which fits with being born 1785. There is a Lucy Richardson buried at Brede in Oct 1837, probably a mistranscription.
Reluctant to post an email address here but would like to send you some more Richardson info.
William arrived in Sydney on the Augusta Jessie in Oct 1837. He was a stone cutter.
Ian C
Hello Ian,
I would love any info you have. I have a bit on the New Zealanders. Dont have much on William after the birth of 2 more children in Sydney, but have stacks on his children.
My email address is [reveal email]
Cheers,
Vicki
Vicki,
If you join the forum at www.rootschat.com you will find my post in the Australia section about Thomas and Martha Bateup. We can then exchange contact details if you wish.
Ian C