Benjamin Rigg

Benjamin Rigg was the son of Thomas Rigg, Sr., who died in Charles Co., MD in 1761. An account of Thomas Rigg, Sr.'s estate filed 19 Mar 1770 lists Benjamin who was "at age" at the time. Given that he was the youngest of five children who were over 21 in March 1770 and that Townley Rigg, the oldest of those under 21, was 19 when he appeared in court in November 1771, Benjamin was likely exactly 21 years old at the time the account was filed, so born ca. 1748

Benjamin Rigg moved to the extreme southern part of Fairfax Co., VA, where he lived in close proximity to his brothers John and Townley.

Benjamin lived between Wm. Weston and Doctor Coningham on road from Accotinck to Colchester.

Benjamin lived between Wm. Weston and Doctor Coningham on road from Accotinck to Colchester.

John Rigg lived between James Simpson and Ben Sudduth on Rd. Q Road to the Pond... Pohick Road... Truro Parish. Mrs. Rigg, widow, lived between Wm. Hall and Henry Wingate on road the from Hallace's old field to Pohick Road at John Fowler's.

The Fairfax Co. Continental Census of 1782 list of Daniel McCarty shows Benjamin Rigg as the head of a household of 4 whites and 0 blacks. These appear to be: Benjamin Rigg, the widow of Benjamin Gibbens, James Gibbens and John Gibbens. To understand this entry, we need to know something about Benjamin Rigg's wife.

According to the "Gibbens-Butcher Genealogy" by Alvaro Gibbens, Gordon B. Gibbens, Publisher, Parkersburg, 1894 (pp. 11-12), Benjamin Rigg married the widow of Benjamin Gibbens of Hardy Co., WV.

Benjamin Gibbens of Hardy Co., WV, has an Ancestral File (AFN: FZM8-CD) showing his marriage to Miss Dent (AFN: FZM8-DK) and their son, John Gibbens (AFN:FZM8-5C) of Wood Co., WV. The International Genealogical Index v4.01 North America (IGI) shows John Gibbons of Hardy Co., VA born ca. 1776 to Benjamin Gibbons and "Miss Dent." There is also an IGI entry for James Gibbons, of Hardy Co., VA, son of Benjamin Gibbons and "Miss Dent."

This suggests that about 1780 Benjamin Rigg married the widow of Benjamin Gibbens. Her first name is unknown. Her maiden name was Dent.

According to the "Gibbens-Butcher Genealogy," Benjamin and the widow Gibbens had four children: Elizabeth, Townsly, Sarah and Thomas.

Elizabeth, wife of Andrew Dyar, appears in the 1850 census of Wabash Co., IL (dwelling 138, family 141), aged 65, born in VA. The official census day was 1 Jun 1850, so that suggests that she was born between 1 Jun 1784 and 31 May 1785. She married Andrew Frazier Dyar on 30 Dec 1806 in Wood Co., (W)VA.

1810 Census of Wood Co., VA: Andrew Dyar

1810 Census of Wood Co., VA: Andrew Dyar

Townley Rigg was born about 1787. He is likely the Townley Rigg who witnessed the will of Wm. Beauchamp (26 Oct 1807) in Wood Co. (W)VA. He married Elizabeth MacMahon on 21 Feb 1811 in Wood Co., (W)VA. Townley served in the War of 1812 as a private in Capt Henry Steed's Co., VA Mil. from 30 Aug 1814 to 24 Mar 1815. He died 13 May 1836 in Newark, Licking County OH. His widow was was living in Greene Co., IL when she received a pension based on his service (April 22, 1872).

Thomas Rigg was born ca. 1792. He married Elizabeth Copin in Wood Co., (W)VA on 08 Sep 1816. They lived for several years in Greenup Co., KY, then joined his sister, Elizabeth and her husband in Wabash Co., IL. After his death, two of his sons, Zachariah and Moses, moved back to (W)VA, settling in Wayne Co.

Sarah Rigg and her mother are said to be buried in the Pribble Cemetery. I have not located this cemetery. One source said that it was near Cisco, Ritchie Co., WV. Another said that it was in Neward, Wirt Co., WV.

The 1810 Census of Wood Co., VA (06 Aug 1810) shows:
Benjamin Riggs - 0 0 1 1 1 - 0 1 0 0 1 - 0 0

1810 Census of Wood Co., VA: Benjamin Riggs

1810 Census of Wood Co., VA: Benjamin Riggs

The age ranges for this census were: under 10, of 10 and under 16, of 16 and under 26, of 26 and under 45, of 45 and up. The census doesn't include the names of the children, but it shows the oldest son living at home was born before 06 Aug 1784. It wasn't John Gibbens, who died in Aug 1807 in Wood Co., (W)VA. It may be that either Thomas or Townley Rigg was born earlier than estimates based on their marriage dates would indicate.

A discussion of the relationships can be found in a letter from Charles Rigg (b. 05 Jun 1826) to his brother, George Franklin Rigg (b. 30 May 1834). This letter mentions Thomas Rigg, brother-in-law of Andrew Dyer, moving to Wabash Co., IL, and Arthur Rigg, who married his second cousin, Sarah Dyer. Sarah Dyar was born in 1811 in Wood Co., (W)VA, the daughter of Andrew Frazier Dyar and Elizabeth Rigg. Arthur Buchanan Rigg was the son of Charles Rigg and Elizabeth Rachel Barker. Charles Rigg was first cousin to Elizabeth Rigg. Charles Rigg was the son of Townley Rigg and Benedicta Buchanan. Elizabeth Rigg was the daughter of Benjamin Rigg and the widow Gibbens. Townley Rigg and Benjamin Rigg were brothers.

Children of Benjamin Rigg
Elizabeth Rigg	b. 1784-1785 Fairfax Co., VA	d. 1874 Wabash Co., IL	m. 30 Dec 1806 Andrew Frazier Dyar
Townley Riggs	b.ca 1787 Fairfax Co., VA	d. 13 May 1836 Newark, Licking Co., OH	m. 21 Feb 1811 Elizabeth MacMahon
Thomas Rigg	b. ca 1792 VA	d. ca 1840 Wabash Co., IL	m. 08 Sep 1816 Elizabeth Copin
Sarah Rigg	b. ca 1794 VA	d. after 1810 Wood Co., VA	?

Contact: