RIDDELLS OF MONSON, MASSACHUSETTS.
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RIDDELLS OF MONSON, MASSACHUSETTS.
[TYRONE BRANCH.]
Thomas Ridel¹ (1), or Riddell, born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in
1739, was brought to New England when a child. He married Rebecca
Moulton, of Monson, Mass., and had issue seven children, of whom here-
after. He was a farmer. Some say he served in the Colonial Army dur-
ing the war of the Revolution. I find no mention of him on the pension
records at Washington, D. C. His surname, with those of his children,
on the town records of Monson, is spelled "Ridel," hence I believe his
real family name was "Riddell," and the contracted form an unauthor-
ized assumption of some scribe. I have not found a family tradition
amongst the descendants of Thomas Ridel by which the connection be-
tween him and any other American branch is assumed, or even suggested;
the prevailing traits, however, so conspicuous in all branches of the old
clan, are singularly prominent in this family, and they are undoubtedly of
the same extraction as the numerous other Scotch-Irish branches in the
United States. Mr. Ridel died in Monson, Mass., in 1809, aged 70 years.*
SECOND GENERATION.
John Riddle (1), eldest son of Thomas' (1), was born in Monson,
Mass., in the year 1761; married to Olive, daughter of Joshua Blodget,
of Stafford, Mass., and settled in Randolph, Vt. He emigrated to Alex-
ander, Genesee County, N. Y., in 1806 or 1807, and was, consequently,
one of the pioneers on the well-known "Holland Purchase."
He was a
farmer by vocation, but served as Justice of the Peace for many years,
and also represented his town as a supervisor for several years. Mr. Rid-
dle died in 1849, aged 88 years; had issue ten children, of whom here-
after. He was reliable and straightforward; a man of honor and high
respectability.
Joseph Riddle² (1), second son of Thomas¹ (1), was born at Monson,
Mass. (according to Pension Records at Washington), in the year 1763;
married to Mary or Polly, and had issue eight children, of whom
hereafter. He resided in Monson until 1808, when he emigrated to the
"Holland Purchase," in the State of New York, and settled as a farmer;
here he lived the remainder of his days. In the summer of 1775 he en-
listed under Capt. Isaac Cotton, in Col. David Brewster's regiment. In
1776 he enlisted under Capt. Joseph Munger, in the regiment of Col. Rob-
ert I. Woodbridge, "Massachusetts Line." July 1, 1777, he entered the
service for three years under Capt. Caleb Keep, and Col. William Shep-
herd, of the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment, General Glover's brigade,
as drum-major; and in July, 1780, was discharged by Capt. Simon Lar-
ned, who was in command of the regiment at "Robertson Farms" near
West Point. He was on a short tour in the militia, and at the surrender
of Burgoyne, but was not in the decisive battle preceding that event, in
consequence of guarding the road to Albany. He was in the battle of
Monmouth, N. J., June 28, 1778, and with General Sullivan, in Rhode
Island, in August, 1778. He was probably wounded, for the Pension Rec-
ords state that he was a cripple. Some say he did service in the war of
1812. I do not know the date of his death.
There are traditions in other families whose Scotch-Irish ancestors settled in
the Middle States, that there were relatives in New England.
