The Vital Records of Newbury and Gloucester show three marriages between descendants of the Joseph Richardson,2 of Newbury and descendants of Thomas Riggs,1 of Gloucester.

Andrew Riggs,2 and Mary Richardson,3 on Jan. 24, 1703-4
Joseph Richardson,Jr.,3 and Ann Riggs, 3 on February 24, 1711-2
Christopher Richardson, 4 and Anna Riggs,3 on November 3, 1750

Considering the apparent affinity of these two families, despite the considerable distance which separates West Newbury from Gloucester, it seems worthwhile to explore their relationships in more detail.

Unless otherwise noted, all references below are to the Gloucester VR's on the Essex CD (Early Vital Records of Essex County, Massachusetts to about 1850, Search and Research Publishing Corp,Wheat Ridge, CO,
John J. Babson's Notes & Additions to the History of Gloucester, Part First; Early Settlers, pub.1876, M. V. B. Perley, Telegraph Office, Gloucester, MA, and
A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, Showing Three Generations of those who Came Before 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register, by James Savage, Former President of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston 1860-62.

First generation

Thomas Riggs married Mary Millet June 7, 1658 (Savage)

They had the following children

Mary, b. 6 Mar. 1658-9 (1-582)
Thomas, 23 Jan. 1660-1 (1:584) , d. in few days (Savage)
Sarah, 16 Jan. 1661-2 (1:583)
Anna, 27 Apr. 1664 (1:578)
Thomas, again, 7 Dec. 1666 (1:584)
John, 25 Feb. 1669-70 (1:580)
Elizabeth 22 Apr. 1672 (1:579)
Abigail, 29 Dec.1678 (1:578)
Andrew, 8 Jan. 1681-2 (1:578)

Second generation

Thomas Riggs, Jr. married Ann Wheeler November 22, 1687 (Savage)

They had the following children
Mary, September 25, 1688 (1:582)
Abigail, February, 26, 1691 (1:578)
Hannah, January 7, 1695-6 (1:580)
Moses, March 31, 1698 (1:582)
Thomas, January 16, 1689-90 (1:584)
Aaron, January 18, 1700-1 (1:577)
Anna, January 19, 1702-3 (1:578) The Gloucester VR's show an Anna Riggs who died at about 20 years on April 15, 1723 (3:256)
Sarah, August 6, 1705 (1:583)
Joshua, February 26, 1706-7 (1:581)
Lydia, July 4, 1710 (1:581)

Joseph Richardson, Jr. of Newbury and Ann Riggs were married in Gloucester on February 24, 1711-2 (2:451) after filing their intention in Newbury (2:418), but no Ann Riggs of an appropriate age is listed among the Gloucester births.

According to Babson's Notes, Thomas Riggs, Jr. died in Aug. 1756, aged eighty-nine years and eight months. His will, proved Oct. 18, 1756, named the following daughters: Mary Honeybuss, Abigail Elwell, Ann Richardson, Hannah Adams, Sarah Marsh, and Lydia Davis (Essex Probate 336;102). The will is dated September 27, 1750, and it seems curious that Ann is listed among the daughters, even though she had died January 7, 1749 (Newbury 2:706).

One can only speculate that the will was written this way to simplify the wording, and to avoid later revisions as family circumstances changed. He left his real property to his sons, Aaron and Joshua, and tried to equalize the distribution of his assets by asking them to pay "to each and every one of [my daughters] their heirs and assigns thirty pounds in the old tenor".

John Riggs married Ruth Wheeler, January 1, 1689-90 (2:453)

Here are John and Ruth's children -

Ruth, November 4, 1690, (1:583)
John, March 22, 1691-2 (1:580)
Jeremy, October 5, 1694 (1:581)
Mary, June 30, 1696 (1:582)
Comfort, May 3, 1698 (1:579)
Jonathan, January 3, 1699-1700 (1:581)
Jonathan, December 20, 1700 (1:581)
Abigail, September 10,1702 (1:578)
Rachall, August 30, 1704 (1:583)
Elizabeth, June 26, 1707 (1:580)Ruth, February 16, 1712-3 (1:583)

Andrew, youngest son of the first Thomas Riggs and Mary Millet married Mary Richardson, daughter of the first Joseph Richardson, Jan. 24, 1703-4. (2:452)

Their children were --

Mary, born April 24, 1705 (1:582)
Elizabeth, Feb. 6, 1706-7 (1:579)
William, Jan. 23, 1708-9 (1:584)
Anne Jan 10, 1710-11 (1:579) (This Anne/a Riggs apparently married her cousin Aaron Riggs in 1744, see below)
Joseph, Sept. 26, 1713 (1:581)
Margaret, Feb. 4, 1715-6 (1:582)
Patience, Sept. 4, 1718 (1:583)
George, Feb. 22, 1720-1 (1:580)
Anna, July 13, 1724 (1:578) (Strangely enough, there seem to have been siblings named Anne and Anna Riggs, both living.)

This last Anna Riggs apparently married her cousin, Christopher Richardson, born May 16, 1724 (Newbury 1:436), son of Daniel Richardson, and grandson of the first Joseph Richardson. Anna Riggs and Christopher Richardson recorded their intention to marry in Gloucester on October 27, 1750 (2:452)and in Newbury, November 3, 1750 (2:419).

There was another Anna Riggs born about the same time (see below) but she is probably the one who married William Tucker, Jr. on November 3, 1743 (2:452), and had 2 children, John and Thomasine, the latter born June 23, 1746 (1-733). This child's name indicates that Anna Riggs Tucker was the daughter of Aaron & Thomasine Riggs.

Third generation

Aaron Riggs (son of Thomas Riggs, Jr.) and Tampson Wintworth of Dover filed their intention to marry July 18, 1724 (2:452)

The following children are listed for Aaron and Thomasine

Anna, August 4, 1725 (1:578)
Sarah, December 5, 1726 (1:583) d August 4, 1744 (3:258)
Lydia, December 11, 1728 (1:581)
Thowasine, March 21, 1730 (1:584)
Tampson, ch of Aaron, baptized March 29, 1730 CR1 (1:584)
Mary, May 30, 1732 (1731 dup.) (1:582)
Ruth, November 21, 1733 (1:583)
Hannah, July 6, 1735 (1:580) d September 5, 1738 (3:256)
Martha, February 25, 1736-7 (1-582)
Wentworth, August 22, 1738 (1:584)
Hannah, March 7, 1739-40 (1:580)
Elizabeth, baptized December 13, 1741 (1:580)
Elizabeth, December 8, 1742 (1:579)
Aaron, August 15, 1743 (1:578) d August 21, 1743 (3:256)

Thomasine, wife of Aaron died August 21, 1743 at 42 years (3:258)

Aaron Riggs and Anna Riggs filed their intention to marry September 22, 1744 (2:452)

Anna Riggs - actually Anne Riggs - was the daughter of the above Andrew Riggs and Mary Richardson. She appears to be the one born in 1710-1, because according to Babson's Notes & Additions... ,p. 61, Aaron next married his cousin Anne Riggs, daughter of his uncle Andrew. She died Aug. 1, 1773, aged sixty-two.

Gloucester VR deaths state, however: Anna (Riggs), w. Aaron, ------- (Oct. 2, 1820 C.R. 3) (3:256)

According to the Gloucester VRs, they had the following children

Sarah, December 16, 1745 (1:587)
Dorothy Feb. 23, 1747-8 (1-579) d June 4, 1749 (3:256)
Aaron, March 18, 1749-50 (1:578)
Aaron, 1751 (1:578)
Judith, June 9, 1753 (1:580)