I am looking for any information on John Riggs born about 1798 Oxford,New Haven,Ct. He married Mary Gilman on 9 May 1816 In Adams Co. Ohio. Mary Gilman was born between the years 1797-1802.
They are the parents of 17 children. I need the name of both of their parents. If anyone can help I would be most gratefull.

i have an andrew jackson born 1826 in adams co. ohio and was told these were his parents but haven't been able to prove it yet, any help would be appreciated.
thanks nancy

I could send you a great deal of helpful information if I had your e-mail address. For example your John Riggs who married Mary Gilman in 1816 was born in Lewis County, Kentucky, not in Connecticut. My e-mail address is riggsroberte@msn.com.

I have been trying to find the family of America Riggs who was born in 1821/22 in Kentucky and married Levi Meisenhelter 9 Feb 1840 in Illinois. I have her parents as John and Mary Gilman Riggs. Interestingly, not too long ago I found Daniel Riggs married to Catherine Gilman in 1823 in Lewis County, Ky. However, I could not find Mary and John married there. I have no notes as to why I tied America to this couple either....

America appears in the 1860 census, but not the 1870 census. Levi remarried in 1863, which would lead one to believe that America died sometime between 1860 and 1863; however, I can't find anything on that .. no obit, no burial in any of the county cemeteries, etc.

Do you by chance have any information on this family and can you confirm that America is indeed a daughter of this couple? America has been so elusive! I know she came to Decatur, Illinois, and married there. I have her children, but not much information on them. I also found Andrew J. (born about 1838) and Mary (born about 1836) living with Levi and America Meisenhelter in Macon Co. in 1850. I have not been able to determine who their parents were. They were listed as children to Levi and America, but I assumed they were probably nieces of America's. Mary was listed as having been born in Indiana, but Andrew was listed as having been born in Illinois two years after Mary.

On John and Mary, I have found nothing, other than an obit in the Decatur Weekly that read: "John H. Riggs, an old soldier, died early yesterday morning at his home, 508 East Condit street. He had been ill several days. The funeral will be held at 7:30 this morning under the direction of Dunham post, G.A.R. he leaves a family." I have noted that I'm not even sure that it's the correct father.

John H. could easily have been a brother to America. I've tried finding her as both America and Mary Meisenhelter. There are several, but I can't match any info to America Riggs Meisenhelter as any of them.

Any info that proves or disproves my info that you have will be greatly appreciated! Please list any sources you have for your information. Thanks so much! Jane Meisehhelter Griffin

Dear Jane Griffin: I post here an excerpt from a brief history of some of my ancestors, which gives some information on the family of America Riggs. I have a good deal more information on her ancestors. if you are interested you may contact me at roberteriggs @comcast.net.

Adams County, Ohio, marriage records show John Riggs and Mary Gilman were married there 9 May 1816. Adams County is just across the Ohio River from Lewis County, Kentucky. John Riggs and his wife are listed in the 1820 Kentucky census as being between the ages of 16 and 25, with two children under age 10. That means he was born about 1795 or later; but since he was married in 1816, he must have been close to 21 then, which makes 1795 the best guess. Mary was probably a year or two younger. We're not sure what he did for living, but it was probably farming as the family owned land in Kentucky and later in Indiana and Illinois. As noted in the item on John Lyle, John and Mary and family moved to Putnam County, Indiana, about 1828. An 1846 land deed for John Riggs lists him as of Adams County, Illinois. He sold the property to Henry Riggs, presumably his son, who resold it a month later. John Riggs does not appear in the 1850 census, although his son John Lile (our ancestor) is in the census. Presumably he died between 1846 and 1850. The 1850 census for Macon County, Illinois, shows a Mary Riggs and an Andrew J. Riggs living in the household of Levi and America R. Meisenhelter. These were probably two of John and Mary's children, Mary Riggs (1836) and Andrew Jackson Riggs (1838), living with their aunt and uncle.

Robert: I can't believe that I didn't respond to this query entry back in 2006. I keep going back to Levi Meisenhelter's line, which, of course, picks up America Riggs and her family. I have searched and searched for information on her and hope to find a genealogist who can dig deeper at the Decatur Genealogical Society for information I may have missed on my numerous trips to visit my mother. There's just never enough time for "fun" things when visiting mothers!

Sometimes, I'm not successful with them, but I never mind donating money to the society. They work so hard at keeping the old records, and they always try hard to find the info we need.

Please forward any info you may have on America Riggs' line. I'll try to get back with you on any info that I have found during the past few years.

Any info you are willing to share, will be greatly appreciated. Jane Meisenhelter Griffin

I have a ten page document I passed out at a family reunion four years ago, which begins with me and runs back to a Thomas Rigges born in England, 1481. My ancestor contemporary with your American Riggs is John Lile Riggs, 1824 (Kentucky) - 1851 (Illinois). I could probably make a descendancy chart for Thomas Rigges but haven't yet figured out now to turn it into an attachment (it's on PAF, the LDS program that is in process of being replaced with a better one). When I decide how best to do it I will send you a copy if you are interested. The best. Robert E. Riggs

P.S. Apparently I cannot attach the ten-page document because it is written in WordPerfect. If you want it you will have to send me your e-mail address. Mine is roberteriggs@comcast.net.