Thomas Ridge was born in 1728, the oldest son of William Ridge and Mary Walmsley. He grew up on his father’s farm in the northern end of Bensalem Township, Bucks County, and was a member of Byberry Meeting. In December 1759 Thomas and Rachel Duncan declared their intentions to marry and were cleared to proceed.1 Rachel was just 20 years old, the daughter of William Duncan and Mary Carver. Thomas was ten years older than she was. The same month Thomas bought 50 acres of land in Bensalem from Lawrence Growdon, taking out a mortgage from Growdon to pay for it. Thomas worked as a carpenter to support his family of nine children.

In 1807 Rachel’s brother William died, a bachelor. In his will he left his share in the Byberry Library to his nephew William Ridge, “for him to hold agreeable to the constitution of the library”. The nephew William was also one of the executors. William also left a one-fifth share of the residue of his estate to his sister Rachel.2

Thomas died in 1810 and his land was divided among the children. They first deeded it to the miller Ezra Townsend of Bensalem, who deeded a portion to seven (or possibly eight) of them.3 Administration was granted to the sons William and Thomas Ridge. They presented their final account to the Orphans Court in June 1813.4 After the debts were paid, the balance in their hands for distribution was $208.87.5 Rachel outlived Thomas and died in 7^th month 1818.6 They were members of Byberry Meeting and were buried in the Friends burying ground on Byberry Road.

Thomas and Rachel had eight or nine children, including one who is not well-documented and may not belong in this family. Most of the children stayed around Bensalem, and some of them had large families. However only one child is known to have married in a Quaker meeting, and several were disowned for marrying out of unity or mustering with the militia.

Children of Thomas and Rachel:7

Mary, b. ab. 1760, d. 4^th month 1834, m. Benjamin Adams, b. 1758, son of Jedediah and Rebecca.8 In 10^th month 1781 Mary and Benjamin appeared before the Abington women’s meeting to declare their intentions of marriage.9 They were members of Byberry meeting, where Benjamin was appointed in 1809 to tend the meeting house.10 This usually meant cleaning and providing firewood for the wood stove. Mary and Benjamin had eight children, born between 1783 and 1801: Rebecca, Thomas, John, Jedidiah, Amos, Ezra, Benjamin, and Rachel.11

William, b. ab. 1762, d, 1833, m. ab. 1785 Sarah Walmsley, married second an unknown wife after 1819. William was the oldest son of Thomas and Rachel, as he received a double portion of his father’s land. In about 1785 he married Sarah Walmsley, daughter of Henry Walmsley. They had thirteen children between 1786 and 1805, including two sets of twins.12 William and Sarah were members of Byberry Meeting, but several of their children were disowned.13 William himself was disowned in 6^th month 1803 for mustering with the militia.14 Sarah died in 12^th month 1819, and William later remarried. He died in 3^rd month 1833.15 Children of William and Sarah: Isaac, Daniel, Martha, William, Walmsley, Rachel, Esther, Anna, Samuel, Mary, James, Asa, Euphemia.16

Mahlon, b. Feb 29, 1764, d. September 30, 1844,  m. Hannah Hicks, daughter of George Hicks. In the 1810 census in Bensalem, Mahlon and his wife were over 45 years old, with seven younger people in their household. In 1820 he got a certificate for Miami Meeting in Ohio,  where he and Hannah owned a farm of 87 acres on Cesar’s Creek in Wayne township, Warren county, where Mahlon died in 1844, age 80. Hannah died in 1850.17 In his will Mahlon left the farm to Hannah, and named sons Simpson and John Comly as executors.18 The other children were Thomas, George, Charles, Lucy, Mary, Sarah, and Rachel.19

Thomas, b. ab. 1768,  possibly married Jane Campbell. In 12^th month 1802 Byberry meeting reported that William Ridge and Thomas Ridge Jr had both paid fines in lieu of mustering with the militia and that Thomas had also mustered with them.20 They were both disowned. It is difficult to separate records for Thomas from his father Thomas (who died in 1810) and possibly nephews. In 1807 Elizabeth Vansant of Byberry sold water rights to Thomas Ridge Jr, a miller of Southampton, probably the one who was there in the 1820 census with seven people in his household.21 In 1810 Thomas the miller bought more land in Southampton from Thomas and Rebecca Groom.22 In 1839, Thomas Ridge died, owner of 2 ¾ acres in Bensalem. This could be a small part of a tract that largely lay in Southampton.23 The name of his wife is uncertain, and the names of his children are unknown.

Joseph, m. Sarah. Her last name is unknown. He was single in 1796.24 In 1798 he was renting a house in Bensalem.25 He was still in Bensalem in 1800.26 He did not receive a portion of his father’s land in 1810, and does not appear in the 1810 census in Bensalem. It is possible that he died between 1800 and 1810.27 His wife Sarah died in 11th month 1822.28

Rachel, b. ab. 1774, d. 1841, m. about 1794 George Randall, a shoemaker.29 They lived in Bensalem, and had seven daughters and two sons, one of whom died young. George died in 1836; Rachel died in April 1841. Children: Mary, Grace, Rachel, Elizabeth, Esther, Sarah, George, Ann.30

Amos, b. ab. 1779, d. 1865, m. 1807 Jane. In 1808 Amos was disowned from Byberry meeting for marriage by a magistrate by a non-Quaker woman.31 They settled in Bensalem, where Amos was both a farmer and a weaver.32 In 1832 they granted land to Thomas Ridge Jr of Southampton, a mason, Amos’ brother?33 In 1860 still in Bensalem, Amos was age 80, a weaver, Jane was 71.34 Amos died on 31 Dec 1865, and was buried in Byberry.35 Jane outlived him and moved to Somerton, Philadelphia County, where she was living in 1870.36

Grace m. Joshua LaRue, son of Abraham and Elizabeth.37 In 1810 Joshua and Grace received her share of her father’s land.38 They lived in Bensalem, where Joshua was a farmer.39  Joshua wrote his will in 1828 and died in early 1833.40 He left the land to Grace while she lived, his apparel to son Abraham, and his watch to daughter Ann. He also mentioned a daughter Rachel deceased. Walmsley Ridge, Grace’s nephew, was appointed to administer.

John, b. ab. 1790. He was living in Bensalem in 1800, but was gone by 1810, and he did not receive a share of his father’s estate in 1810. A death date of 1840 is often given for him, but this may be another man. There are few other records of him, and no information about a wife or children.