Sgt Edward Riggs, III

Military rank of Sgt.

1. Name: Sgt. Edward (Immigrant, 1633) Riggs
2. Sex: M
3. Birth: Abt 1614-1619 in Lincolnshire, England
4. Death: 1668 in Derby, New Haven Co., CT
5. Note:

   First Lady Mamie Doud Eisenhower and artist Norman Rockwell are descendants.

   IMMIGRANT, 1633

   VETERAN OF THE PEQUOT WAR

   "Edward came with his family to Boston in the early summer of 1633. He assisted his father in preparing a new home and caring for the sick until April 5, 1635, when he married Elizabeth Roosa. In August of the same year his mother died. In 1637 Edward was a sergeant in the Pequot war, and he greatly distinguished himself by rescuing a body of his companions from an ambuscade into which they had been led by the Indians. He earned the title of Sergeant Riggs, by which he was called the rest of his life. It is not known where he was between 163 and 1640, but in 1640 he had land assigned to him at Milford CT. In 1655, associated with Edward Wooster, Richard Baldwin, John Browne, Robert Dennison, John Burnett and perhaps others, they bought from the Indians the district on the Naugatuck then known as Paugusset, 10-12 miles above Milford, and established the plantation of Derby. His house stood on Riggs Hill, and he built there a strong stockade as protection against the Indians. The first house stood by the rock, a few rods from the present (1901) residence, and in the house Sergeant Edward secreted and protected Whaley and Goff, two of the English Parliament that condemned and executed Charles I, while the emissaries of Charles II were searching for them all along the Connecticut coast in 1661. Edward was not a member of the church, and therefore not a voter, but this brave act shows his character. In 1664 the Province of New Jersey was named as a grant from the Crown, and in 1665 Edward and some of his associated from Derby visited it, and determined to found a new plantation on the Passaic that would be accessible to the outer world by the sailing craft of that day, and the site of Newark was then decided upon. The next year he spent most of the summer there preparing for the proposed colony, and his wife was with him, the first white woman to spend a summer in Newark. Sons Edward and Joseph were designated as Planters, or original proprietors, though Joseph had no home lot immediately, as he was still a bachelor. His son Samuel remained in Derby." --Evelyn Beran

   In August, of the same year, his mother died, and how long he remained in assisting his father is not known, but it is known that he soon set about establishing a home of his own. In 1637, he was a sergeant in the Pequot War; and he reatly distinguised himself by rescuing a body of his companions from an ambuscade into which they had been led by the Indians, and in which they all would have been cut off. By this notable

   act of bravery and skill the name of "Sergeant Riggs" became his well-known designation as long as he lived. Nothing is now known of his location between 1635 and 1640, but in the latter year he became a settler at Milford, Conn., and had land assigned him. In 1655, associated with Edward Wooster, Richard Baldwin, John Browne, Robert Dennison, John

   Burnett and perhaps others, they bought from the Indians the district of country on the Naugatuck, then known as Paugusset, some ten or twelve miles over Milford, and established a plantation which was afterward called Derby. The location of Sergeant Riggs is still known as 'Riggs

   Hill.' On this hill, which remained in the possession of his descendants until 1880-1881, he placed his habitation and built a strong stockade as a protection against Indians. The first house stood by the rock, a few rods from where the present residence stands, and in this house Sergeant Edward secreted and protected Whaley and Goff, tow of the English Parliament that condemned and executed Charles I., while the emissaries of Charles II were making most diligent search for them all along the Connecticut coast, in 1661. While Edward was not a member of the church and consequently not a voter, this brave act in the face of vengeance of the re-established English throne, establishes beyond question two points in his character, vis, that he was governed by his convictions in considering human rights, and that his sympathies were wholly with the Puritans in their struggle for liberty with the mother country. In such character it is not difficult to understand that he should mentally rebel against laws which exluded from the exercise of the rights of citizenship unless he was first a member of the church. Here we find a possible motive for his change of location in the advanced years of his life.

   The Province of New Jersey was named as a grant from the Crown, 1664, and it was believed to be a region specially attractive to settlers. In 1665 Edward, with some of his associates in the plantation of Derby, visited it, and were so well pleased with the prospects that they determined to found a new plantation on the Passaic that would be accessible to the outer world by the sailing craft of that day, and the site of Newark was also decided upon. The next year he spent most of the summer there preparing for the advent of the proposed colony, and his wife was with him, the first white woman to spend a summer in Newark. The fundamental agreement was executed June 24, 1667. The colony was quite large, and in it were a number of old associates in the plantation at Derby. His two sons, Edward and Joseph, were designated as 'Planters', that is orginal proprietors. The former did not arrive until later in the year, and the latter had no home lot assigned to him, because he was still a bachelor. The other son, Samuel was provided for at Derby and remained there. In 1668, the next year after the colony was fully organized, Edward. His widow, Elizabeth, still a healthy and well preserved woman, sometime previous to 1671 married Calbe Carwithie. Previous to her marriage she conveyed to her son Joseph one half of her home lot." --John Wallace

MOVE TO MILFORD, CT, 1640. In 1640, 3 years after the act of bravery at Fairfeld, CT, Edward became one of the original planters at Milford, CT [S3], only 15 miles or so from Fairfeld. Citizen soldiers, especially those who had gained fame and notoriety from it, were given grants of land in the territory where that war was essentially fought.[S69] Atwater [S66] states that Edward was an "after planter" and received lot #63 of 3 acres on the west side of West Town Street, Milford. Having been baptised in October 1619, he would have been 21 by October 1840 and old enough by then to receive a grant of land.

   WARNING: Some show Edward died in Newark, NJ. Edward and his father have been confused with one another in many sources.

   Sources:

   1) Evelyn Beran Database, 19 Apr 2004

   http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED &db=sanford-shulsen&id=I32697&style=TABLE

   2) Genealogy of the Riggs Family, by John Wallace, 1901, pp. 2-6

   3) Families of Early Milford Connecticut, by Susan Woodruff

   Abbott, Baltimore MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979, p. 52

   4) Lloyd A. Horrocks Database, 7 Nov 2004

   http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=horroc ks&id=I26157

   5) rcp Database, 17 Jun 2005

   http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET &db=rcp53&id=I86184

   6) A Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England,

   Before 1692, By James Savage, Volume #3

   http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/newengland/savage/bk3/ridgeway- robie.htm

   7) Jessica Johnson Database, 16 Mar 2005

   http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET &db=:3070001&id=I06373

1. _UID: 0FF5CDF92F6F4207ABD74EE5E7526F4B5933
2. Change Date: 23 JUN 2005
3. http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~riggs/USAEdw2.htm#D2
4. http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~riggs/USAEdw2.htm#U7

Father: Edward (Immigrant, 1633) Riggs b: ABT 1590 in Lancashire, England Mother: Elizabeth (Immigrant) Holmes b: Abt 1592-1595 in Essex, England

Marriage 1 Elizabeth Roosa b: ABT 1618 in England

   * Married: 5 APR 1635 in Boston, Suffolk Co., MA

   * Change Date: 24 JUN 2005

   * Note: 20:51

Children

1. Thomas 1632
2. Edward (Norman Rockwell Ancestor) Riggs b: ABT 1636 in Boston, Suffolk Co., MA
3. Samuel (Mamie Eisenhower Ancestor) Riggs b: ABT 1640 in Milford, New Haven Co., CT
4. Joseph 1642
5. Mary 1644
6. Lydia 1646
7. Hannah
8. Elizabeth 1648
9. John 1650

   ---

   
   

Arrived in America in early summer 1633

Settled in Roxbury

After marriage, Moved to Wethersfield, CT

Fought in Pequot Indian War of 1637, cited for bravery

One of first planters in Milford, CT in 1640

Helped establish Derby plantation in 1655

Helped found Newark, NJ in 1666, leaving Derby because the influence of the royalists supporting Charles II were not strict enough for the Puritans

---

Our 9th Great Grandfather Edward was born in England about 1614 and came to this county along with his father and family, landing in Boston, Mass. in 1633. He assisted his father in preparing a new house and in taking care of the sick until April 5 1635, when he married Elizabeth Roosa, whose family also came from England.

In 1637 he was a sergeant in the Pequot war, and distinguished himself by rescuing a body of his companions from an Indian ambush. In latter years he became a settler at Milford, Conn. and had land assigned to him.

In 1655, associated with Edward Wooster, Richard Baldwin, John Browne, Robert Dennison, JohnBurnett and perhaps others, they bought from the Indians the county on the Naugatuck, then known as Paugusset, some ten or twelve miles above Milford. They established a plantation which was afterward called Derby. The Riggs family lived on what was known as "Riggs Hill".

Edward built a strong stockade as a protection against the Indians. In this house Edward secretly hid and protected Whaley and Goff, two members of the English Parliament that had condemned and executed Charles I. Emissaries of Charles II were making a most diligent search for them in 1661.

The province of New Jersey was named as a grant from the Crown in 1664. In 1665, Edward, with some of his associates in the plantation of Derby, visited New Jersey and were so well pleased with the prospects that they founded a new plantation on the Passaic and the site of Newark was decided upon. The next year he spent most of the summer preparing the colony with his wife and family. Our 9th Great Grandmother was the first white woman to spend a summer in Newark. The fundamental agreement which organized the colony was executed on June 24, 1667. His sons Edward and Joseph were designated as "Planters", that is, original proprietors. The other son Samuel remained at Derby.

In 1668, the next year after the colony was fully organized, Edward died. His widow then married Caleb Carwithie (sometime before 1671)

In a letter to William Bradford dated 28 July 1637, John Winthrop wrote of the exploits of Edward Riggs in the Pequot war:

   ... they gave order to surround the swamp, it being about a mile about; but Lieutenant Davenport, and some twelve more, not hearing that command, fell into the swamp among the Indians. The swamp was so thick with shrub wood, and so boggy with all, that some of them stuck fast, and received many shot. Lieutenant Davenport was dangerously wounded about his armhole and another shot in the head, so as fainting, they were in great danger to have been taken by the Indians, but Sergeant Rigges, and Jeffery and two or three more rescued them, and slew diverse of the Indians with their swords"

Source: http://atropesend.blogspot.com/2011/05/our-9th-great-grandparents-e...

---

Edward Riggs (son of Edward the immigrant) was born in England about 1614, and came to this country along with his father and family, landing in Boston, Mass., in the early summer of 1633. He assisted his father in preparing a new habitation and in taking care of the sick until April 5, 1635, when he married Elizabeth Roos a, quite a young girl, a daughter of a family of that name who had come over from England and settled in Boston. In August, of the same year, his mother died, and how long he remained in assisting his father is not known, but it is known that he soon set about establishing a home of his own. In 1637 he was a sergeant in the Pequot war, and he greatly distinguish ed himself by rescuing a body of his companions from an ambuscade into which they had been led by the Indians, and in which they all would have been cut off. By this notable act of bravery and skill the name of " Sergeant Riggs " became his well-known designation as long as he lived. Nothing is now known of his location between 1635 and 1640, but in the latter year he became a settler at Milford, Conn., and had land assigned him.

---

Edward Riggs (1614-1668) married Elizabeth Roosa (103.). Edward, born in England, came to this country in the early summer of 1633 with his family. He settled first in Boston where he assisted his father in caring for the sick. In 1635, he married Elizabeth Roosa. In 1637, he was a sergeant in the Pequot War, rescuing a group from an Indian ambush. Because of this, he was always considered a hero and called Sergeant Riggs. In 1640, he was a settler at Milford, Connecticut, coming from Boston where he had located earlier. He and some others purchased Indian land and started Derby, Connecticut, where the site of his home is still called Riggs Hill. He built his home and a stockade there. In 1661, he housed in secret and protected Whaley and Goff, two of the English Parliament that condemned and ordered the execution of Charles I prior to Cromwell’s Puritan reign and who were sought by agents of Charles II after the Restoration. Edward was not a member of the church, but apparently considered himself a Puritan .
In 1665, Edward visited New Jersey, then spent a year preparing for the proposed colony there, his wife with him as the first white woman to spend a summer in Newark. He and his sons Edward and Joseph were original proprietors there. Agents had recruited new settlers for Newark from Milford, Guilford and other communities. Edward oversaw the building of the Common Pound, was viewer of fences, had charge of draining swamps, surveyed lots, laid out roads and owned a wolf pit in the new colony. In 1668, a year after the colony was organized, he died there. Elizabeth remarried to Caleb Carwithie.

The children of Edward and Elizabeth were:

Edward b. about 1636 m. Mary ______ Samuel b. about 1640 m. Sarah Baldwin m. 2nd Sarah ___ Washburn d. 1738 Joseph b. about 1642 m. Hannah Browne d. about 1689 Mary b. about 1644 m. George Day

http://freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~northing/dodd/doddxt...