Descendants of James Rigby, schoolmaster, d. 1801The Rigbys of Pennsylvania

Chester & Delaware Counties, PennsylvaniaSeven generations, from a rented schoolroom at Village Green.

James Rigby kept school at Village Green and was clerk of a chapel on the Delaware for thirty-one years. He rented every roof he slept under. His grave has never been found. This is his family.

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People  ·  d. 1801

James Rigby

Schoolmaster at Village Green; clerk of St Martin’s Church, Marcus Hook, from 1760 to 1791. Taxed in seven townships and landless in all of them.

People  ·  c.1736–1824

Hannah Brown

His wife, and daughter of Daniel Brown of Upper Chichester. Concord Monthly Meeting disowned her in 1758 for marrying an Anglican, and restored her nine months later.

People  ·  1771–1859

Eli Rigby

Their son, a nail maker of Doe Run and then Concord. Eight children, and a will that divides his estate into eighths but distributes only seven.

Journal

The research log

Shorter pieces: a single document, a correction, a dead end.

By subject

Section

People

One page for each person, with dates, places, family and sources.

Section

Religion

An Anglican chapel at Marcus Hook and a Friends meeting at Chichester. This family belonged to both at once for fifty years.

Section

Livelihoods

Schoolmaster, nail maker, millwright, undertaker — and what each was assessed at.

Section

Land

Tenancies, rates and acreage across Chester and Delaware counties, 1760–1800.