Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/99

 RICH

RICHARDS

family, Richard, the first of liis American ances- tors, having been a man of rank who married the daughter of Thomas Roberts, governor of New Hampshire. Richard's son John, brother-in-law of Robert Treat Paine, signer of the Declaration of Independence, married Mary Treat, grand- daughter of Robert Treat, for thirty years gov- ernor of Connecticut. Isaac Rich was the oldest of eleven children, and began life as a fisher boy. Before attaining his majority he established him- self in Boston, where a kinswoman had married the Hon. Lemuel Shaw, chief justice of the com- monwealth. He himself married Sarah Andrews, of Boston. Though starting without capital, by remarkable personal powers, diligence in busi- ness and fidelity to moral and religious principles, he in later years came to be recognized even by the federal government as standing at the head of all mercantile houses in his line in the United States. Under the influence of Dr. Wilbur Fisk, he became the most generous patron of liberal education that New England up to that time had known. To the academy at Wilbraham and to Wesleyan university and to the Boston Theologi- cal seminary, he gave at least $400,000. Then he executed a will which bequeathed to Boston uni- versity, of w4iich he w^as a chief founder, a larger sum than at that time had ever been bequeathed or given by any American for the promotion of university education. He was a trustee of Wes- leyan university, 1849-73, and in 1868 erected its library building at a cost of $40,000, besides con- tributing to the endov.-ment fund more than §100.000. He was a trustee and benefactor of Wesleyan academy at Wilbraham, 1853-73, and of the Boston Theological seminary from its be- ginning in 1866 to 1871. He was the first charter member of the corporation of Boston university, and first president of its board of trustees. To it he gave generous sums at the outset, and at his death the residue of his estate, officially estimated at $1,700,000. Rich Hall, one of the principal buildings of the university, was named in his honor. He died in Boston, Jan. 13, 1873.

RICH, John T., governor of Michigan, ^vas born in Conneautville, Pa., April 23, 1841 ; son of Jolm Williams and Jerusha (T)-eadway) Rich ; grandson of John and Esther (Williams) Rich and of Joseph and Elizabeth

(Wright) Treadway, all of Slioreham, Addison county, Vt. His ancestors came from Massachusetts to Vermont, and are understood to have been of English descent on both sides. His par- ents removed to Michigan in 1848, locating at Elba, Lapeer county, where he was educated in the public schools, and subsequently became a

farmer and lumber merchant. He was married, March 12, 1863, to Lucretia M. daughter of Samuel and Nancy (Lason) Winship of Atlas, Genesee county, Mich., and had no children. He was a member and chairman of the board of supervisors of Lapeer county, 1868-71 ; a Re- publican representative in the state legislature, 1873-80 ; speaker of the house, 1877 and 1879, and state senator, 1881-83. He resigned from the senate, March 21, 1881, having been elected at a special election on March 11, a representative from the seventh district of Michigan to the 47th congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resig- nation of Omar D. Conger, serving, 1881-83. He ■was defeated for re-election in 1882 ; was com- missioner of railroads of Micliigan, 1887-91 ; gov- ernor of Michigan, 1893-96 ; U.S. collector of customs at the port of Detroit, 1898, and held various positions of minor importance.

RICHARDS, Cornelia Holroyd (Bradley), author, was born in Hudson, N.Y., Nov. 1, 1822 ; daughter of George and Sarah (Brown) Bradley, and a sister of Alice Bradley Haven (q.v.). She was graduated at the Hampton Literary institute in 1841 ; wrote under the pen name of Mrs. Man- ners ; was married, Sept. 21, 1841, to the Rev. William Carey Richards (q.v.), and is the author of : At Home and Abroad, or Hoio to Behave (1853) ; Pleasure and Profit, or Lessons on tlie Lord's Prayer (1853) ; Aspiration, an Aidobio- graphy (1856) ; Sedgemoor, or Home Lessons (1857); Hester and I, or Bexoare of Worldliness (18G0); Springs of Adion (1863) ; and Cousin Alice, a memoir of her sister, Alice B. Haven (1871). She died in Detroit, Mich., May 1, 1893.

RICHARDS, DeForest, governor of Wyo- ming, was born in Cliarlestown. N.H., Aug. 6, 1846 ; son of the Rev. Jonas DeForest Richards (q.v.) and Harriet Bartlett (Jarvis) Richards, and a descendant of the Richards family, who landed at Cape Cod in 1630, and of the Jarvis family, wlio settled in Massachusetts Bay colony about 1640. He was graduated from Kimball Union academy, Meriden, N.H., 1863 ; was a student at Phillips Andover academy, 1863-64, and removed to Camden, Wilcox county, Ala., where his father jjurchased a cotton plantation and with his son engaged in planting and mer- chandising. He was elected a representative in the state legislature under the reconstruction measures, August, 1867 ; was sheriff of Wilcox county, 1868-71 ; county treasui-er, 1872-76, and engaged in the tanning business and in manu- facturing shoes, 1876-78, and in merchandising, 1878-85. He was married at Englewood, N.J., June 1, 1871, to Elise J, IngersoU, a native of Camden, Ala., her father a native of Pittsfield, Mass., and her mother a descendant of an old Carolina family of Huguenot descent. In 1885