RUSSELLS

Ralph Russell was one of the first settlers of Dartmouth, Mass, now called New Bedford. He came from Rontpool, County Mommouth, England. He was interested with the Leonards in an iron furnace. His son John,(born 1608 married Dorothy ? was on an important committee for distributing contributions from Ireland in 1695. The Russell house was known as the Garrison House on Castile. John died June 1, 1676.

John and Dorothy’s son Joseph born May 6,1650 married Elizabeth Forbes in 1682. Elizabeth was the daughter of John Forbes and Constance Mitchell. John and Elizabeth’s daughter Mary , who was born on July 10, 1683 in Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts married John Lapham on April 03, 1700, at Dartmouth.

The Russels were engaged in the whaling business extensively in fact established in New Bedford.