Riddle Surname

sammarroq wrote: Another link toshare on this surname.

http://www.allourhistory.com/riddle/d1.html

Excerpt:

1. Moses Riddle was born about 1735 and died after 1785.

General Notes: The first record which appears to definitely be this William Riddle is the 1767 tax list, Tithables of Pittsylvania County, 1767 of persons residing in the newly formed Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He is listed as “William Ridle” and next to him on the list is “Moses Ridle (Indian).”

As far as can be determined, Moses Ridle was the father of William Riddle and was of Scotch-Irish, Indian and Portuguese (Melungeon) ancestry. “Indian” – Pittsylvania County, VA Tax List – 1767; “malato” – Orange County, NC Tax List – 1755.

The term “mulatto” as it was used in the 1700’s in this area of the Southern States referred to persons of skin color darker than European white, and evidence suggests included persons of American Indian, Portuguese, Mediterranean, and Moorish ancestry – anyone who looked “darker” to the individual census or tax list taker. Persons of African black ancestry were generally listed as “negro” on these same tax lists (see Orange County Tax List – 1755). Melungeon people were often labeled “mulatto” or “free persons of color,” but also often were called “white.”

In the Riddle family of Utah there is a tradition that the family was of “Portugee” ancestry, which is a common tradition among people of Melungeon ancestry.

See also Jack H. Goins, “Melungeon Families – Sizemore, Minor, Goins, Fisher and Riddle,” Families of Hawkins County, Tennessee (1786-1994), (Rogersville, Tn. Hawkins County Genealogical and Historical Society, 1994), pp. 537-540.

The spellings “Riddle,” “Ridley,” “Ridel,” “Ridle,” and “Riddell” can all be found in various documents in connection with both William Riddle and Moses Riddle. For conciseness I will use the spelling “Riddle,” indicating when a document spelled the name otherwise, but it must be recognized that spelling of surnames in the 18th century was very fluid.

Moses married Mary GIBSON, daughter of Thomas GIBSON and Mary. Mary was born about 1720 and died after 1740.

Thanks for sharing this. I have actually spoken with Rose and need to write her.

For the record, John Riddle was said to have been born in Goochland, VA in 1775, married Sarah Johnson in Bledsoe County, TN, moved to MO around 1830, and died in Pulaski County, MO not too long after. He is the ancestor of many, many Riddles in MO. 🙂

According to Pat Spurlock Elder, the Riddles weren’t necessarily what we now call Melungeon, but were certainly close to those who were. After William was hanged in 1781, Happy married Will Ingraham and lived near Kyle’s Ford, TN (not far from the Melungeons on the ridge). The Riddle kids moved to Bledsoe County, TN, before heading off to MO. One of them, Johnson “Rake” Riddle, went to MO, only to move back east, settling in Alabama. He is the ancestor to many, many Riddle cousins in Alabama.

Sure will.

I try to post most everything I can find that isn’t too specific to my family. It might help someone who has hit a wall or will simply be found by myself again in the future, having forgot it. 🙂

BlondeyeLaurie wrote: Hello all…thank you for thread starting Shirley…I posted this list at our Bryson Gibson family site but wanted to thread forward to here some of the RIDDLE folks that MD into our maternal lines to hopefully examine further etc…those that I show are as follows:

1. A Charles Gibson MD a Mary Riddle…she was purportedly the d/o

Moses Riddle.

2. I believe it was Thomas Gibson, son of Old Thomas Gibson who also

md as such:

“GIBSON, THOMAS large planter in VA, owned land in Culpeper

and’Prince Edward Counties. Married MARTHA RIDDLE 1774 in Goochland

Co.VA. ” (Source: Rootsweb PAF, located July 2006). *Note: I only thus far have one maternal

unattached child for younger Thomas, he being Archelous.

3. Mary Gibson, d/o Old Thomas Gibson married Moses Riddle in abt

1739 in Louisa Co, VA. I show their CH as: Moses, William Thomas,

Sarah, Thomas, Isaac, John, & Randolph/Randall.

4. Moses & Mary (Gibson) Riddle’s daughter, Sarah Riddle…married a

William Nichols in abt 1770…place UNK, issue UNK…this same

William Nichols was hung in 1781 by the Tories during the

Revolutionary War along with her brother, William Thomas

Riddle…this hanging occurred at the Mulberry Fields Meeting House,

in Wilksboro, Wilkes Co, NC.

5. Moses Riddle, son of Moses Sr. Riddle and wife Mary nee Gibson,

married Mary nee Collins, she was the d/o: Thomas Collins Sr & his

wife Mary Ann MNU.

6. Moses Riddle Sr. and wife Mary nee Gibson’s son John Riddle ,

who’s wife is UNK had a son named Randolph…he MD Elizabeth

Gibson…her parentage is UNK to me.

Thanks again…have a great day!~~~Laurie

Laurie,

Do you have census data or can you point me to a website that has the children of Moses and Mary Riddle? Very interested…

Thanks.

Hello Rock…I hope I am not being redundant in posting some of this data so please bear with me…as I’ll post what I know or have found on this line from Moses & Mary (Gibson) Riddle and their children.

I show Moses being b: 1715 Hanover Co, VA, d: aft 1785 Henry Co, VA, he MD Mary nee Gibson in abt 1739 in Louisa Co, VA, she was b: 1720 in Orange Co, NC, her DOD is UNK to me at this time. I have a notation that states that Mary may have MD a 2nd time to a man named Richard Brooks, but I have no dates or further data. Soem of my Moses notes include the following:

1. “Source: located Dec 2005: from AWT of Betty Harrington email: ciard49@aol.com, notes to wit:

“The Indians in this family are from the Riddles, and possibly Prewitts. This line of Riddles lived among the Melungeons and intermarried with them. The Melungeons were a mixture of Cherokee, (most people like to say Cherokee), Choctaw, Portugese, etc. They lived in SC, NC, VA and parts of KY. This Wheeler line also married into the Cherokee nation. The Riddles and Prewitts lived in Cumberland Co., KY. The Wheeler line lived in Casey Co., KY. The Riddles in Virginia and SC lived amongst the Melungeons and intermarried with them.”

2. “”Melungeons:Examining an Applachian Legend” by Pat Spurlock Elder, “Moses Riddle had descendants in Hancock Co. They were not Melungeons although they lived near the Goins and Minor family. In 1767 he lived on Polecat creek of the Banister River in Lunenburg Co. Va. This area of Luneburg became Halifax”… “it seems Moses was at least part Indian but not Cherokee”… then in her notes she says, “Jack Goins double seventh great grandfather was Henry Fisher b/ 1749, who m/ Happy Riddle 1789 in Russell Co. VA. and Happys father William was hung as a Tory and William’s father was Moses”.”

3. Moses was listed on the VA Tax rolls for year 1740 as Cherokee.

4. Moses was listed on a Pittsylvanie Co, VA Tax Roll in year 1767 as Cherokee.

As to their children I show the following :

1. Moses Jr. Riddle b: abt 1746 VA, d: UNK; MD: Mary nee Collins (she being the d/o: Thomas Collins and Mary Ann MNU; I have no information abt ay CH they may have had.

2. William Thomas Riddle b: 1740 in either VA or specifically Caroline Co, VA ; d: May 1871 Mulberry Fields Meeting House, Wilkesboro, Wilkes Co, NC who MD: Harriet Jane “Happy” Rogers in abt 1770 in VA; their CH: Harriet “Happy”, Moses, William , James, John B., Joseph L “Cephus”, Isaac William, Thomas & Phillip. I show that William Thos. was a Tory Captain in the Rev. War. Soem of my notes on this fellow include the following:

“Source: located Dec 2005: from AWT of Betty Harrington email: ciard49@aol.com, notes to wit:

“1760, He came to America with his brothers, Moses and Dr. James Riddle. He settled in eastern Virginia, then went to Hawkins Co. Tenn.

He was a Tory and a Revolutionary War soldier, under General Marion, 1785, he captured by the British in Georgia and hanged for treason. Other source say it was in Watauga, NC.

Jim Riddle – My research shows that the William Riddle who was captured in North Carolina and hanged from the oak tree at a place henceforth called Riddles Knob was the son of a Tory colonel named James Riddle from Sussex County. I do not know the name of his wife but from all indications he had two orphans named John and James. It is this John that I am researching to see if he might be my ancestor John of Laurens, SC. They both were born in 1775.

Rebecca Murphy says that he was born about 1753 in Orange County, N. C. She said that he married Happy Jane Rogers.

Wm Thomas died in Wilkesboro, Mulberry Fields Meeting House, Wilkes Co., NC. He along with 2 of his sons were hanged on an oak tree, by Col. Benjamin Cleveland, of the Loyalists.

Mary Hill “Saga of a Southern Loyalist” William Riddle and His Ancestory,

William was said to be an Indian -possibly Cherokee, or a Melungeon, or mulatto.

Wm Thomas Riddle (Tory), married a person of the melungeons and his children, for the most part, married with them.

her book may still be available, email her at maryevhill@attbi.com

Was family given land grant for his services ?

G. T. Ridlon, History of the Ancient Ryedales and Their Descendants in Normandy, Great Britain, Ireland and America from 860 to 1884, C (1884). “Thomas Riddle (1), said to have been born in Scotland or England, came to America about the year 1760, and settled in eastern Virginia. He enlisted in the American Army, and served six years under General Marion, but was finally taken prisoner and hung. He married a Miss Roberts, and had issue seven children. His widow married to “Bill Ingraham”, and removed to Hawkins County, but did not long survive her second marraige. This statement was by Isaac Riddle, of Richland, Pulaski Co, MO, a grandson of the above Thomas, and a man of remarkable memory.”

message from John Riddle of Kanoah, UT. “My grandfather had a brother, Moses, and a relative in Kentucky named William Ruddell, who had sons James, William, Lewis and Valentine. If this statement is correct, the “Riddells of Orange Co. VA” and “Riddells of Boone Co. KY” are of the same family.”

Title: Families of Hawkins County, Tennessee (1786-1994)

Author: Submitted by Jack H. Goins

Publication: Hawkins co.,Genealogy & Historical Society

Page: pg 539″ “

3. Sarah Riddle: b: abt 1742 in Lewis Co, VA, d: 1810 in an UNK location; she MD: William “Bill” Nichols in abt 1770, he was b: abt 1750 in Granville Co, NC and d: 1781…he was also killed / hung by teh Tories during the Rev War. I have no information on any CH they may have had.

4. Thomas Riddle was b: abt 1744 in VA….I have no further data on this son.

5. Isaac Riddle was b: 1749 in an UNK location and I have no further data on this son.

6. John Riddle was b: 1750 Flatt River, Orange Co, NC; hsi spouse if UNK but he had one son that I know tell of named Randolph Riddle who MD a gal named Elizabeth nee Gibson and they had 1 CH that I know of named James Austin Riddle, who was also know under the surname Ridley.

7. Randolph/Randall Riddle was b: 1758 UNK location, d: aft 1840 UNK location; spouse or CH UNK at this time.

That is all that I have or know tell of for now…wish I knew more abt this family as they appear to be regularly connected with the Collins, Gibson and Nichols families…Pehaps Pat or Jack can shed more light on them for you. I am not particularly “versed” on how to locate and research OLD OLD documents or even where to begin to do so. Best of luck to you…please let me know if you locate anything further…thank you in advance. I hope to be able ,sometime this upcoming weekend, to try and review these Riddle lines via ancestry searches etc. I will, of course, let you knwo if I locate anything further. Have a fine evening~~~Laurie

Very interesting yet strange, my research and according to Jack Goins William Riddle married Harriet Rogers and they had a daughter named Harriet Riddle. Harriet married Henry fisher. This is all shown in the above information. What is differant is that according to Jack and other census papers Harriet Riddle and Henry Fisher had a son – Henry Fisher Jr. which married Elizabeth Bledsoe and they had a daughter Isabel “Ibby” Fisher. Which is my grandfathers great grandma.

yes it sure is. Fielder and Isabel had several children and one of them was John “jahue” Goins which is my grandfathers grandfather. Jahue also had a brother named William which is Jack Goins GG grandpa. You should contact Jack Goins and purchase his book. He has alot of information there.

What I’m actually looking for is information on Rhoda Lawson. Jahue had kids with Rhoda which I only have pictures of, nothing more. Jahue and Rhoda’s daughter Rebekah is mother to my grandfather.