Richard Rice of Concord

From McCracken, George E., "Richard Rice of Concord, Massachusetts," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 112 (January 1958), pp. 65-67:

Richard Rice of Concord, Mass., was not one of the more prominent figures in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He left rather few records behind him, and the most remarkable feature of his life was its length. Consequently, little will be found about him in the standard manuals. From examination of the Middlesex County land and probate records, now preserved in the East Cambridge Registry, and a few references to him in Suffolk County records, we may, however, present a somewhat fuller account of his family. ...

Family

From http://www.frostandgilchrist.com/getperson.php?personID=I44096&tree...

MARRIAGE: (1) By 1641 Elizabeth _____ (assuming she was the mother of all the children). She was living on 4 January 1693/4 [MLR 12:358-59].

(2) By an unknown date Mary _____. "Mary Rice the wife of Richard Rice" died at Concord on 13 October 1698 [CoVR 57]. (This record could be defective, and intended for Rice's wife Elizabeth. Note that this record comes less than five years after the last known record for Elizabeth.)

CHILDREN:

With first wife

• i ELIZABETH RICE, b. Concord 27 October 1641 [CoVR 3]; m. (1) by about 1661 Joseph Lambson, son of BARNABAS LAMBSON {1635, Cambridge} [GM 2:4:226-28]; m. (2) Concord 31 December 1685 John Billings [CoVR 28; NEHGR 112:67-68].
• ii JOHN RICE, b. Concord 23 February 1643[/4?] [CoVR 3]; no further record.
• iii HANNAH RICE, b. say 1646; m. by 1666 Samuel Wilcockson (eldest known child b. Windsor 15 April 1666 [CTVR 23]), son of WILLIAM WILCOCKSON {1635, Concord} [FOOF 1:691-92; FOOF Supp 38; TAG 59:40-43].
• iv ABIGAIL RICE, b. say 1648; m. by 1671 Philip Reade (eldest known child b. Concord 13 May 1671 [CoVR 23]) [NEHGR 112:119-32].
• v SARAH RICE, b. say 1650; m. by about 1681 William Cooksay (see COMMENTS below).
• vi PETER RICE, b. say 1652; m. Concord 29 October 1683 Mary Ford [CoVR 26].
• vii TIMOTHY RICE, b. say 1654; m. Cambridge or Concord 27 April 1687 Abigail Marret [CoVR 27].
• viii PAUL RICE, b. say 1656; m. perhaps by 1696 Hannah _____ (three known children, one of whom married in 1720 [NEHGR 112:69]; "Hanah Rice the wife of Paul Rice died June the 16th day 1709" at Concord [CoVR 74]).
• ix MARY RICE, b. say 1658; "Mary Rice the daughter of Richard Rice died May the 15th 1709" at Concord [CoVR 74].

Notes for Richard Rice:

His origin is unknown, however the presence of Edmund Rice of neighboring Sudbury might suggest a possible relationship. Richard is found first in Cambridge, MA in 1636 and then in Concord, MA in the same year. He is made a freeman in Concord on June 2, 1641. He left few records, he did, however, convey land to his son Peter in 1695 which he signed with his mark, while his wife Elizabeth signed her name. The births of only two of his children have yet to be found in records, it is probable though, that all of his children were born in America.

When Richard died in 1709 it is claimed that he was 100 years old, records in previous years give evidence that he was indeed 100 years old at his death.

will

The will, signed by mark, was executed 27 Dec 1708, probated in Middlesex Probate Court, where it is still extant (file 18793), 8 Aug 1709. As we should expect, no wife is mentioned, and the children are named in the following order: Paul, Mary, Hannah, Elizabeth, Abigail, Peter , and Sarah, John, and Timothy being not named, as they were dead. The e xecutors were to be the son Paul and daughter Mary, but, as we shall se e, Mary preceded her father in death: witnesses: Noah Brooks, James Har twell, and John Meriam, Jun.r, all of whom testified at the probation.

From Anderson, Robert Charles, The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Vol. VI, Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009, pp. 49-57:

• RICHARD RICE
• ORIGIN: Unknown.
• MIGRATION: 1635 (based on appearance at Cambridge on 1 March 1635/6 [CaTR 19]).
• FIRST RESIDENCE: Cambridge.
• REMOVES: Concord 1636 [MLR 9:105].
• OCCUPATION: Cowherd (on 1 March 1635[/6], the town of Cambridge agreed "with Richard Rice to keep 100 cows for the space of three months to begin when he shall be appointed and is to have ten pounds paid him within ten days after the ships be come in or in June" [CaTR 19]; on 4 April 1636, the town of Cambridge "ordered that Richard Rice shall begin to keep the cows the 1191 of April 1636" [CaTR 21]). Planter [MLR 12:25].
• CHURCH MEMBERSHIP: Admission to Concord church prior to 2 June 1641 implied by freemanship.
• FREEMAN: 2 June 1641 (fourth in a sequence of five Concord men) [MBCR 1:379].
• EDUCATION: Signed his agreement with the town of Cambridge by mark [CaTR 19]. Signed his deeds and will by mark.
• OFFICEHOLDING: Sergeant of Concord train band [MCF Folio #82, Folio #88].

On 16 December 1679, "Samuel How, aged 26 years or thereabouts, and Samuel Heartwell, aged about 34 years, testify that when the constable called to Sergeant Rise to let him into his house, he answered you shall not come in till day, calling us a parcel of rogues, that had beset his house, and said directly he did not know, but we would knock him on the head, and several times calling us a parcel of rogues and said that he knew none of us, but called many of us by our names, and after the constable had read the warrant to Sergeant Rise he the said Rise did strive by force to take or tear the warrant out of the constable's hand" [MCF Folio #88]. On the same day, "Richard Rice & Richard Nage appearing before the Court & being convicted of refusing to assist Joshua Brook constable in the execution of his office, when lawfully summoned, are sentenced to pay ten shillings apiece fine & costs" [MCR 3:316].

In records

History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877: With a Genealogical Register
by Lucius Robinson Paige. Page 38. Archive.Org

March 1, 1635-6, " Agreed with Richard Rice to keep 100 cows for the space of three months, to be^n when he shall be appointed ; and is to have ten pounds paid him within ten days after the ships be come in, or in June. Also he is to have 2 men to help him keep them the first 14 days, and one man the next 7 days ; also to have them kept 2 sabbath days, and he one, during the time. Also he is to fetch the cows into the town every morning out of the common, half an hour after the sun is up, at the farthest, and to bring them into the town half an hour before the sun goeth down, and to pay iii*. a cow for every night he leaveth out any. Also he ia not to keep any cattle for any man except he have leave from the TowTismen, upon the forfeiture of T*. a cow ho shall so keep. Also he hath liberty to keep his own heifer without pay.

References

• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=ted%5Fric...
• http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/a/n/Norb--Bankert/BOOK...
• http://www.bankert.org/genreport/p63.htm#i1573
• NEHGR, George E. McCracken, "Richard Rice of Concord", 112(1958):66.
• Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages, Richard Rice entry.
• NEHGR, George E. McCracken, "Richard Rice of Concord", 112(1958):67.
• NEHGR, George E. McCracken, "Richard Rice of Concord", 112(1958):65-70.
• The Pioneers of Massachusetts Pope. Page 383

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• Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees via son Peter Rice by SmartCopy: Jan 28 2015, 23:07:31 UTC