An American Family History

Thomas Ricketts & Martha Wilson

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves,
and, under a just God cannot retain it."
― Abraham Lincoln

Ricketts is also spelled Rickeots, Rickeotts, Rickett, Rickets, Ricket, Rickel, Rickle, Rickels, and Rickles.

The first European settlements in Maryland were made in 1634 when English settlers created a permanent colony.

Marylandwas established with religious freedom for Catholics. The colonial economy was based on tobacco cultivated by Africans who had been enslaved.

Martha Wilson Ricketts was born on March 15, 1760 in Maryland. Her parents were Robert Wilson and Mary Douglas.

Thomas Ricketts was born on November 23, 1753 in Elizabethtown, Frederick (then Montgomery) County, Maryland which is now Hagerstown, Washington County. His parents may have been Anthony and Mary Ricketts.

Thomas and his brother, Edward Ricketts, were captains in 1779 in the fighting at Frankstown and the lead mines. Edward, Thomas and Robert were rangers on the frontier with the Bedford County Militia 1778-1783

Thomas had been married before to Ruth Adamson. They married in 1778. She was born July 10, 1758 in Montgomery County, Maryland. Her parents were John Adamson and Polly Spires.

Thomas and Ruth's children were born in Montgomery County, Maryland:
Hezekiah Ricketts (1779, married Sarah Collier) and
Mary Ricketts Roberts (1781, married William Roberts).

At the time of the 1790 census, the Thomas Ricketts family was in Montgomery County, Maryland. The household consisted of

a man over 16 ( Thomas),
two boys under 16 (?, Hezekiah),
and two females (Martha, Mary).

Elizabeth Ricketts Crump (January 13, 1791, married John Crump),
Thomas G. Ricketts (September 20, 1792),
Robert Wilson Ricketts (August 21, 1794),
Margaret Ricketts Baker (October 1, 1796),

In about 1797, they moved to Jessamine County, Kentucky.

Nancy Ricketts (March 13, 1799),
Benjamin Franklin Ricketts (July 29, 1801),
Martha Ricketts Davis (August 10, 1804, married William Davis) and
John Douglas Ricketts (December 11, 1806).

Thomas Rickets appeared on the 1800 tax list of Jessamine County.

Thomas wrote his will on January 6, 1827 and died August 22, 1828 in Jessamine, Kentucky.

In 1830 Martha Rickets appeared as the head of household in Jessamine, Kentucky. The household consisted of a woman between 70 and 79, and a man between 20 and 29. They had a young man enslaved.

In 1850, 90 year old, Martha was living with her daughter Martha Davis' family in Jessamine County.

Martha died on September 11, 1850.

In 1762 the town of Elizabethtown was founded in Frederick County, Maryland.. In 1786 it became the county seat of newly created Washington County. In 1813 the name was changed to Hagerstown.

About 1715 English, Scottish and German settlers found their way to the Montgomery County, Maryland area. It was officially established from Charles, Prince George's, and Frederick counties in 1776.

John Adams, Jr. (1735-1826) was the second president of the United States (1797–1801), the first Vice President (1789–1797).

Slavery is an immoral system of forced labor where people are treated as property to be bought and sold. It was legal in the American Colonies and the United States until the Civil War.

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©Roberta Tuller 2019
tuller.roberta@gmail.com
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