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The Richards Line John Phillip Richards was born in Abergavenny, Glamorganshire, Wales, on March 23, 1825. Abergavenny was a little village in Glamorganshire, nestled in the valley of the River Wye and near the beautiful forest of Dean. Family tradition says his middle name was in honor of his mother, who was a Phillips. In November 1826, in the coastal town of Bristol, England, not very far from Glamorganshire, Eliza Turner was born. She was to grow into the beautiful young lady who captured the heart of young John Richards. There in England or Wales they might have settled down to marry and have their family, but John had heard of the many opportunities for the young and adventurous in America. When Eliza's married sister and her husband sailed for the U.S. in 1851, John joined them, promising to send for his sweetheart as soon as he could "support a wife". Eliza was a fine seamstress having learned all the fine arts of sewing when she was just a little girl,. Now she kept busy making "tucked bosom" shirts for John and new dresses and such for herself. She did beautiful embroidery and started a pair of needlepoint slippers for John, intending to finish them during her trip over the ocean. However, she never completed them. While waiting to come to America, Eliza lived with some young ladies at a women's club. About this time some of the most fashionable ladies adopted a startling mode of dress, consisting of jacket and bloomers! Just for fun, Eliza made a small suit for her dog and took him out to walk on the Promenade. They caused quite a sensation in that day! In the summer of 1852, Eliza said goodbye to her friends and, in the care of a friendly Captain, sailed for America. She told many times of how she thoroughly enjoyed this trip which took about thirty-three days. Eliza and John were married October 31, 1852. After a short while they bought a farm in Uniondale, PA, where they settled down to live and raise their family. Their first child, a daughter named Fannie, was born in 1853. Through the years they had two more daughters and three sons, the second son being Charles Fremont, born June 4, 1862 in Aliphant, PA. The Civil War came and John was drafted, but wa released in a short time as the quota from PA. had been filled. John and Eliza worked hard, for farming in those days was not easy, but they had good times as well. There were "corn husking bees", quilting parties, church socials, etc. John even belonged to a small orchestra in which he played the flute. This was an ivory flute, with silver mountings, which he brought over from Wales. About 1865, John sold the farm and went into the hardware business in Aliphant, PA., where the family lived until about 1890. They then moved to East Orange, NJ, to be near the married children. In 1902, John and Eliza celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. At this party, his sons presented him with a gold headed cane. ---Oral history as related by John and Eliza's granddaughter, Florence Richards
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