Joseph Ridgway (IV)

ca.1787-aft 1870

Joseph was born about 1787 near Broad Creek in Prince George's County, Maryland, the third oldest of six male children born to Basil and Elizabeth. About 1814, Joseph married Rebecca Lovelace, daughter of William and Elenor Lovelace. By this time the Ridgway family was residing in Fairfax County, Virginia, and Joseph is first listed as a head of household in the 1820 census for that same county. Rebecca was born on November 1, 1787, also in Prince George's County.(1) Joseph and Rebecca moved with the extended family to Warren (at that time Shenandoah) County, Virginia around 1825. In the 1830 census, Joseph is living in close proximity to his brothers Richard, John, William and Judson, and his father Basil.

Joseph, like his brothers and his father before him, made his living as a planter. The 1850 census for Warren County lists Joseph, age 63, as a farmer with real estate worth $1500, not a paltry sum for that period. Rebecca, age 64, is last mentioned in this census. Their son Richard, age 30, is unmarried and still residing in their household at this time. Rebecca probably died sometime prior to 1860. In the 1870 census, Joseph, age 83, is residing with his son Richard, who probably inherited his father's farm. Joseph must have died some time shortly after 1870. Joseph and Rebecca had at least five children.

Children of Joseph & Rebecca Ridgway

  1. Ellenor "Ellen" Ridgway (ca.1814-1875) Ellen was born in Fairfax County, Virginia, and later moved with her family to Shenandoah (now Warren) County, Virginia. There she married Richard Ridgway Lovelace, son of Luke H. Lovelace, Jr. and Mary Vermillion, on December 15, 1836. In the 1850 census for Warren County, Richard Lovelace owns real estate worth $1200 and states his occupation as farmer. Notably, there is a Basil Ridgway (age 33) living in Richard and Ellen's household, who is listed as "Insane" under category 13 of this census. Richard and Ellen had three known children, Elizabeth H., Cyrus and Jane R.
  2. Otho W. Ridgway (ca.1816-ca.1902) Otha was born in Fairfax County, Virginia. He was nine years old when the family moved to Shenandoah (now Warren) County. Otha married Mary Dellinger about 1839. Although he was a farmer, Otho also served as Constable(2) and subsequently as Justice of the Peace(3) for the Fork District of Warren County. Otha and Mary had five children, Richard Van Buren, Elizabeth F., Mary Eleanor, Otho G. "Bert" and Amelia F.
  3. Richard Ridgway (ca.1820-AFT 1870) Richard was born in Fairfax County, Virginia, a couple years before the family moved to Shenandoah (now Warren) County. He married Talitha "Litha" Cornwell about 1854 in Warren County. Richard apparently inherited his father's farm in Warren County and lived there the remainder of his life. They had four known children, Jacob Elias, Susan Rebecca, Saline and Susan Talitha.
  4. William Ridgway (V) (1821-1912) William was probably born in Fairfax County, Virginia, just before the family moved to Shenandoah (now Warren) County. He married his first cousin, Amelia Ann Ridgway, and owned a farm a few miles west of Front Royal. William served in Co. D, 23rd Virginia Cavalry during the Civil War. They had twelve children in all, although six of them died in childhood. The children were Rebecka, Judson A., Amanda Ellen, Mary Jane, Marcus Joseph, Sarah Bell, Thomas William, James Richard, William Thomas, Desiah Westwood, Lucy Virginia and Martha Frances.
  5. Joseph Ridgway, Jr. (ca.1825-1892) Joseph was born about 1825 probably in Shenandoah (now Warren) County, Virginia. He married Martha Frances Mary Salina Tate on December 23, 1851 in Warren County. Joseph was a farmer, and lived near his parents according to the 1850 census. He may have inherited a portion of his father's land. In 1854 he was appointed surveyor of the road from the forks of a road near the residence of John Hough to the foot of a hill near Wm D. Bartlett.(4) In 1870 he was elected and qualified as Overseer of the Poor for the Fork District.(5) Joseph and Martha had at least eight children, Susan, Lucy Frances, Mary Ellen, John William, Louis A., Robert Lee, Martha Jane and Louisnia A. They had another female child born in August of 1858, unnamed, who must have died at birth or shortly after.


Footnotes

1. Index of Church Registers, 1686-1885, Vol. I, King George's of St. John's Parish, compiled by Helen W. Brown, Prince George's County Historical Society.

2. Warren County Minute Books, Book A, Page 211 (appointed Constable for District No. 1 in 1840), County Court House, Front Royal, VA.

3. ibid, Book D, Page 317 (qualified as Justice of the Peace for Fork District in 1871).

4. ibid, Book C, Page 42 (appointed surveyor of the road in 1854).

5. ibid, Book D, Page 317 (elected and qualified as Overseer of the Poor in 1870).