| Notes |
- RESEARCH_NOTES:
1. The following site shows all the children of Major Ridge specifically listing Nancy married to William "Ritchey" <http://www.cville.com/members/ridenour/MRComplt.htm>. This site notes she died in childbirth. From what I can gather, the child did not survive childbirth neither.
2. The only child of William and Nancy was female according to a letter written by William Richey to Brigham Young. See LDS Archives Film CR 1234 1, reel 32, box 22, folder 18.
3. Name Hester Richey is found per FHL film 170583, pg. 23, St. George LDS Temple Records, 13 Sep 1877, where her father reports her along with his other deceased children prior to 1877 as follows:
Benjamin Richey, dead, Pickens Co., Ala.
Joseph Richey, dead, Pickens Co., Ala.
John Richey, dead, Pickens Co., Ala.
Robert Richey, dead, Noxuba, Miss.
Rebecca Richey, dead, Pickens Co., Ala.
Emily Richey, dead, Pickens Co., Ala.
Mary Ann Richey, dead, Noxuba, Miss.
Hester Richey, dead, Georgia
4. William Richey Letter to President Brigham Young - Feb 1, 1852. Source: LDS Archives [Film CR 1234 1, Reel 32, box 22, folder 18]. At the time of this letter, William's second wife Margaret Ann Adair was still alive when this was written, but she died 10 Feb 1852. Then William was called on a mission to the Cherokee in 1855, and spent 5 years there.
"Payson, U.T. Feb. 1, 1852
President Brigham Young
Sir, I have taken my pen in hand to write some of my feels or rather a narrative of my life. I was born in the State of South Carolina. When I was twenty years old my mind was stirred up to go west; after some previous meditations, I prepared myself to go to the state of Tennessee where I found my cousin, John McNary.. He was married to a half-breed Cherokee Indian. He lived across the Tennessee River, opposite the white settlement. I was very much disgusted to hear my cousin was married to an Indian; however I determined to make him a visit; when I got there, and saw a beautiful woman, possessed of a good education and honest and virtuous principles, and both of them belonged to the Methodist Church, and walking up to the best light that was in the world and when I saw the moral influence they held over the Cherokee Indians, my prejudices were all gone, although I had been raised among the old school Presbyterians, embraced the same principles of religion.
I lived with them about seven months and enjoyed myself first rate. During the time I lived there, Captain Riley stopped there. He was authorized to recommend industrious young men of good moral character, to a missionary establishment, that was organized in the nation. Capt. Riley gave me a letter of recommendation to the Authorities of that Society.
I took my leave of my cousin and started for the missionaries. When I got there I was gladly received by all the authorities of the place. When I learned they preached [Page 2] to the Indians every Sabbath day, when Sunday came I was astonished to see a large house crowded with half-breeds, quateroons, young men and women with fair skin and handsome features, dressed in good apparel, and kept good order. The noble men of the Nation kept bringing their sons and daughters to join the school. When Major Ridge, one of the head chiefs of the nation, came with his son and daughter to join the school, as soon as I saw her beautiful appearance, my mind was impressed to form an intimate acquaintance with her, which embraced every opportunity of being in her company. I found she had a good education, for she had been going to school, ever since she was seven years old, and she was eighteen.
After awhile I told her I was attached to her from the first time I ever saw her, and by investigation I found she had the same impression of mind. She then wrote a letter to her father recommending me to her father and requested him to send for her and me tot come to his house, which done. After I had been there about two months, we was married, which had to be done by mutual consent of her father and mother. When I asked her father for his daughter, I told him I was but a poor young man, but I had always cultivated honest and honorable principles, to which he replied, he had a plenty of prosperity for his daughter; all he wanted, was his daughter to marry a man with good principles and moral character. We was married and lived together in peace and harmony, for eleven months, when she was confined in child-bed. About two hours after she delivered of a fine daughter [Page 3] she died. The child lived six months and four days, and it died. I shall not try to tell my feelings at that time, as I loved her better than any woman I ever saw before, or since. I then concluded to go to Tennessee to see my people, expecting to return at some future period. It was not long till I was married to the wife I now have, and have been absent from them about thirty-five years. I am now come to the items, I wanted to inform you most particularly about.
When Brother Clapp preached the everlasting Gospel to me, when he preached on the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, and showing the promises and blessings of the ancient fathers and the Lamanites being the literal descendants of Jacob. My mind was struck with astonishment to see and hear the field of light and knowledge, that was brought forth by the Book of Mormon. This was the strongest testimony I had of the truth, before I was baptized for the remission of my sins. After I was baptized for the remission of my sins, I received a testimony by the revelation of Jesus Christ, that the Book of Mormon was true, and that Joseph Smith was a true prophet. I had a testimony by the same spirit to come to Nauvoo. I had a testimony by the same spirit to come to the valleys of the mountains. About three years ago I was traveling to collect means to make a fit out for the valley. I stopped at my brother-in-law's, living in the south west corner of Missouri.
I heard that the Cherokee nation was about twenty-five miles from there. It struck my mind, how glad I should be to go and preach the Gospel to them, if the time had come; however, I concluded to go and see some of them, which I [Page 4] did. I went to John Weighty's, a cousin of my wife, that was dead. Having been absent thirty-five years, at first he did not know me, until I told him who I was. He gladly received me into his house, which gave me great consultation, when I found that my moral influence was the same as it had been when I lived with them. As I was not sent to preach the Gospel to them, at last I concluded to make inquiry if they knew anything about a people called Mormons.
They said they had heard a great deal said against the Mormons, and he had seen some few of them, and had read a little in the Book of Mormon. I then told him that I was a Mormon. There being about five or six young men present, which raised a spirit of enquiry. I sat down by the fire and gave them a few items on the first principles of the Gospel, telling them that the time was close at hand when the Gospel would be sent to them.
They rejoiced in what I told them, and said, if that was Mormonism, they were always Mormons. The winter was cold and I went no further. They are a wealthy people, and the sects have pushed their conquest among them to preach for hire, and divine for money, that have got in confusion. They have churches of many denominations among them.
I add no more, but remain your humble servant,
William Richey."
BIRTH:
1. Per SGEOR temple ordinance info for mother in 1877: mother's birth given as 1799 in Georgia and death as 1817. Father was still alive at time and living in S. Utah and probably submitted the data.
DEATH:
1. Per SGEOR temple ordinance info for mother in 1877: mother's birth given as 1799 in Georgia and death as 1817. Father was still alive at time and living in S. Utah and probably submitted the data.
2. Refer to the William Richey Letter to President Brigham Young - Feb 1, 1852 (Source: LDS Archives Film CR 1234 1, Reel 32, box 22, folder 18) quoted in a separate note.
Judging from the time periods therein, it was almost 35 years before that she died. The letter is dated Feb. 1, 1852, which would make Feb. 1, 1817 if fully 35 years before. On the other hand he was 20 when he went to Tennessee. This would then be sometime after Feb. 20, 1816. He was 7 months with his cousin and then 2 months before he got married (not counting how long he was age 20 before going to Tennessee nor how long in going from his cousin to the Indian school). At the very earliest it would not be before Nov. 20, 1816. They were then married 11 months which would make Nancy's death and Hester's birth no earlier than Oct. 20, 1817. Hester then lives another 6 months and dies no earlier than late Apr. 1818. William mentions Nancy was 18 when they married, which gives credibility to the 1799 birth year he gives the St. George Temple for Nancy. Paul Ridenour's estimate of 1801 appears erroneous. If she was born 1799 and was 18 when married, then we have 1817 (or early 1818) for the marriage. With 11 months of marriage, she was most likely 19 when she died. Paul's estimate of Hester's lifespan of 8 months is incorrect now that we know she was only 6 months old. I am not estimating Nancy's death and Hester's birth as abt 1818 and Hester's death as abt 1819.
3. Email dated 1 Jul 2014 from Preston Richey . I concur with the uncertainty of the location, but I defer to William Richey's St. George LDS Temple record for dates since he was both the groom of Nancy and father of Hester:
"I noticed that you put the place of death for Nancy Ridge and her daughter Hester Richey at Oothcaloga. I've been in contact with Paul Ridenour, who maintains an extensive website on the Ridge family (he is married to a direct descendant of Sarah Ridge). He passed on the following information:
"From Chieftains. From the NPS report for the house and property, we use the year 1819 as the "official" date that the Ridge family moved into the house on this property. However, the archaeologist that conducted the digs here at the site found items that date from 1817. We have never confirmed that Nancy Ridge is buried anywhere on the original farm, but that has always been the rumor.
"This is what I have about Nancy: Nancy Ridge - born circa 1801 Calhoun, GA - died circa 9/1818 - married William Ritchey or William Ritchie circa 1817. One daughter born circa 9/1818 - died circa 5/1819 Cherokee Nation East, now GA."
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Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy
Abt 1818 - Abt 1819 (~ 1 years)