Nathaniel Richards, Hartford Founder

Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist

NATHANIEL¹ RICHARDS, HARTFORD FOUNDER was born abt. 1604 in England, and died bet. 07 Oct 1681 - 09 Feb 1681/82 in Norwalk, CT d. s. p.. He married (1) _____ _____, poss Widow HAYES. She died aft. 22 Sep 1659 in Norwalk, CT. He married (2) ROSAMOND _____, widow of HENRY LINDALL. She died aft. 12 May 1682 in Norwalk, CT.

The date and place of birth of Nathaniel Richards is unknown. He emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1632 aboard the ship “Lyon”, first taking residence in Cambridge. He was made freeman 06 November 1632, and in the Cambridge land inventory of 10 October 1635 held four parcels of land.

He removed to Hartford in 1636, where in the land inventory of February 1639/40 he held: two acres on which his dwelling house stood with other outhouses, yards or gardens located on the road from the Meeting-house to the Mill; two roods and three perches in the Little Meadow; one acre, two roods and sixteen perches in the North Meadow; eight acres, one rood and eight perches of meadow and three acres, one rood and twenty perches of swamp in the North Meadow; thirteen acres in the Old Oxpasture; four acres, two roods and twenty-three perches in the Cow Pasture; one acre, two roods and twelve perches on the east side of the great River; and fourteen acres, one rood and twenty perches of woodland. He later acquired two additional parcels of land.

He was a planter, and served on the Connecticut Particular Court jury in 1643 and 1646, and was Hartford Constable in 1650. He removed to Norwalk, Connecticut in 1652 where he held eleven parcels of land, and was Deputy from Norwalk to the Connecticut General Court in 1658.

His will was dated 7 October 1681 and the inventory of his estate was taken 9 February 1681/2.

Genealogy: not applicable, as he had no children