Riggs, Jonathan

John married Wheeler, Ruth on 01 Jan 1690 in Gloucester, Essex Co., MA. Ruth (daughter of Wheeler, Henry and Allen, Abigail) was born on 15 May 1677 in Salisbury, Essex Co., MA; died in 1731 in Gloucester, Essex Co., MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The house that Thomas moved into in 1661 is the oldest house in Cape Ann. It had been built by the previous owners in the 1640's or early 1650's, and is still standing, at 27 Vine St. Gloucester, Ma. 01930. As it now offers bed and breakfast accommodation , current descendants of Thomas's have the opportunity to stay in the house in which he lived
Thomas Riggs purchased the squared-log house (one of only three surviving in Massachusetts) for his bride Mary Millett in 1661. Three adventurers, the Wakley brothers and Mathew Coe, built it sometime during the 1640s or early 1650s. On the southern peninsula of Annisquam Harbor, the house looks across to Gloucester's earliest successful settlement. It was an ideal site for ship chandlery (repairing and provisioning vessels) in the protected harbor and for farming. Amazingly, the pasture between Thomas Sr.'s house and that of his son Thomas Jr. (1690) survives to this day.
When Thomas Sr.'s youngest son Andrew married Mary Richardson in 1704, a single-storey cape was added to the log house. In 1753 Andrew's youngest son George built the gambrel roof, accommodating three upstairs bedchambers. The house remained in the Riggs family nearly untouched until the current owner designed a timber-frame wing of 18th-c. handhewn beams that provides a great room and loft as well as the house's first permanent electricity, running water, and heat (save for the six working fireplaces).
George died intestate in 1798, so his household inventory was taken by the usual three assessors. He had 7 children, 3 sons who had their own properties, and 4 daughters who did not. His daughters inherited the house:
Rachel received the "end of the house adjoining on kitchen with the garret above", i.e. the log house; Lydia inherited the "southwestern or unfinished chamber [known as grandfather's room--undoubtedly because it was the warmest and sunniest in the winter; it is the drawing room or parlor], also the chamber over the great kitchen with the northern side garret as partitioned off". Lydia finished this room ca. 1800 in Federal style with a nice chimney breast and dado; Mary received the "northwestern [dining] room and the chamber above with the closet and selves in the back entryway"; Marsha got the best [bed] chamber with the southern garret and side garret in the kitchen chamber.
The two women that were [probably had been] married got the best rooms. By 1798 any children they had had undoubtedly had left home.
What is so exciting in this house is not only its originality, but that about half the furnishings are Riggs Family, dating from the 17th century through the mid-nineteenth century. The house remained in the Riggs family nearly untouched until recently, when the current owner erected a timber-frame wing of 18th-century handhewn beams and added in 1998 its first electricity, running water, and heat ever (save for the 6 working fireplaces).
The house is actually in Riverdale, a Gloucester hamlet and a large parcel of Riggs land survives. The pasture consists of 7 acres immediately behind the house stretching to Washington Street, which is the main road (Route 127) that rings the island. Across Washington Street is the other 3/4ths of the pasture, preserved as the Goose Cove Reservation. At the end of this is Thomas RIGGS Junior's house, circa 1690, and plank framed. So the whole pasture is framed by these two 17th century (or "1st period") houses! Furthermore, these two houses exhibit all three types of 17th-century building techniques: log, plank, and post-and-beam. Unfortunately, the 7 acre parcel immediately behind the house is currently under threat of development by the separate owner of that land

From Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Boston and eastern Massachusetts, Volume 2
Thomas Riggs, of Gloucester, who must be regarded as the immigrant ancestor of a branch of the Riggs family distinct from those who preceded him in New England, undoubtedly was of a family of position in England. His superior attainments are sufficient proof of this fact, and the tradition that he was educated for the profession of scrivener is substantiated by his capable performance of the offices to which he was chosen in the early history of Gloucester ; for he was perhaps the most capable man among the settlers there for many years. He was town clerk 1665 to 1716, selectman twenty-nine terms between 1669 and 1/05 ; representative to the general court, 1760; schoolmaster many years; and otherwise was identified with the early growth and development of the town in various respects more actively perhaps than any other one of the townsmen. He received several grants of land, aided in the erection and maintenance of both saw and grist mills, inaugurated a system of schools, promoted the welfare and permanency of the church and other of the town's institutions, and by his influence and example contributed largely to the prosperity of Gloucester in the early years of its history ; and the town appears to have appreciated the value of his services and rewarded them accordingly. In defense of the rights and liberties of the people he stood firmly with Jeffrey Parsons, Thomas Millett (his father in law), William Sargent, senior, James Stevens, Timothy Somes, William Haskell and others, and Governor Andros and his oppressive measures of taxation received little favor at their hands, although they were all subjected to penalties on account of their action. Thomas Riggs died February 26, 1722, aged ninety years. He married, June 7, 1658, Mary Millett, born August 21, 1(>39. died January 23, 1695, daughter of Thomas Millett and his wife Mary, who came from London, England, in 1635, in the "Elizabeth," and settled in Dorchester, removing thence to Gloucester. He married, second, October 30, 1695, Elizabeth Frese, who died June 17, 1722. Thomas Riggs and Mary Millett had children: 1. Mary, born Gloucester. March 6. 1659, died January 29, 1698; married, November 21, 1677, Benjamin Haskell. 2. Thomas, born Gloucester, January 23, 1660. died February 1. 1660. 3. Sarah, born Gloucester, February 16, 1661 ; married. May 9, 1681, John Tucker. 4. Anna, born Gloucester, April 27, 1664, died December 17, 1701 ; married Nathaniel Wharf. 5. Thomas, born Gloucester, December 7, 1666; (see post). 6. John, born Gloucester, December 25, 1669, died January 18, 1748; married first, Ruth Wheeler ; second, Dorothy

Thomas married Millett, Mary on 07 Jun 1658 in Gloucester, Essex Co., MA. Mary (daughter of Millett, Thomas and Greenaway, Mary) was born on 21 Aug 1639 in Dorchester, Suffolk Co., MA; died on 23 Jan 1695 in Gloucester, Essex Co., MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Henry married Allen, Abigail on 18 Jun 1658 in Salisbury, Essex Co., MA. Abigail (daughter of Allen, William and Goodale, Ann) was born on 04 Jan 1639 in Salisbury, Essex Co., MA; died in 1696 in Salisbury, Essex Co., MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Edward married Holmes, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was born in 1595 in England; died in Aug 1635 in Roxbury, Suffolk Co., MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigration: 1635; On board the Elizabeth

Thomas married Greenaway, Mary on 07 Feb 1632. Mary was born in 1606 in Chertsey, Surrey, England; died on 27 Sep 1682 in Gloucester, Essex Co., MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Yeomans, Agnes. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Goodale, Ann in 1639. Ann (daughter of Goodale, Richard) was born in 1622 in Yarmouth, Norfolk, England; died on 31 May 1678 in Salisbury, Essex Co., MA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]