My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography from the book, History of Kentucky, Edition 7 by J. H. Battle, W. H. Perrin and G. C. Kniffin and published by F. A. Battey Publishing Company in 1887.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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FOUNTAIN RIDDELL was born two and one-half miles northeast of Burlington, Boone Co., Ky., January 9, 1833, and is a son of John and Florenda (McKay) Riddell, natives of Orange County, Va., and Kenton County, Ky., respectively. William Riddell, the grandfather of our subject, settled two miles northeast of Burlington in 1802. He was a farmer, and of Scotch origin. John Riddell was born in 1804, was an industrious farmer of Boone County, and died in 1865. The maternal grandfather, Jacob McKay, a native of New Jersey, settled in Kenton County. Fountain Riddell was reared on the farm. He read law under Judge Doney in Asbury University, Indiana, and with James W. Calvert, of Burlington, Ky. He began practice in 1858, and in 1860-61 he was a member of the Legislature. In March, 1870, he married Miss Louisa Hawes, and to this union four children have been born, two of whom only are living: Nathaniel and Henrietta. Mr. Riddell is president of the Boone County Deposit Bank, and is a Mason. Politically he is a Democrat. Nathaniel E. Hawes, the father of Mrs. Louisa Riddell, was born in Caledonia County, Vt., November 12, 1800, and was a son of Daniel Hawes. At the age of nine years he was brought to the West by his uncle, Nathaniel Edson, and in 1820 settled in Burlington, Ky., where he was employed as a clerk for Andrew and William, and in 1832 embarked in business as a merchant at Burlington on his own account, and remained in business until 1878. In 1822 he married Miss Jemima Bradford, who died in 1878, the mother of five children: Elizabeth, Mercy, Henrietta, Mrs. Riddell and Joseph. Mr. Hawes has served as justice of the peace, and in 1870 was elected county judge, which office he filled four years. He had, however, previously filled a vacancy in this office, caused by the death of Hon. Benjamin Watts, who was the second judge of that court under the present constitution of the State, and one of its oldest and most distinguished citizens. Cyrus Riddell was born near Burlington, Ky., in 1819, and was a son of James and Sallie Page (Craig) Riddell. James Riddell was a native of Virginia, and Sallie Riddell was a native of Boone County, Ky., and a daughter of Benjamin Craig, who was born in Virginia but was an early settler in Kentucky. William Craig, father of Benjamin, was of Scotch origin, and was a soldier in the American Army during the last war with Great Britain. Cyrus Riddell was reared in Boone County, was a merchant at Petersburg for many years, but closed out in 1848. In 1856 he was appointed postmaster at Burlington, where he also carried on a general goods business until 1859, when he retired to his farm; in 1880 he returned to town. He served as county judge from 1878 to 1882, and had for many years been a magistrate. He was three times married; first, in 1843, to Miss Elvira Brown, who died in 1844, leaving one child — James A. In 1847 he married Christina Love, who died in 1855, the mother of two children: Elizabeth and Sallie. His third marriage was to Laura Foster, in 1857, a daughter of Joseph C. Foster, who was for a number of years a leading business man and merchant at Burlington. By this marriage he has one child — Kittie.

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This family biography is one of 73 biographies included in the Boone County, Kentucky section of the book, The History of Kentucky, Edition 7 published in 1887 by F. A. Battey Publishing Company.  For the complete description, click here: History of Kentucky, Edition 7

View additional Boone County, Kentucky family biographies here: Boone County, Kentucky Biographies

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