Rhoda Howe Richards was born 8 July 1762 in Hopkington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts to Phineas Howe (1735-1807) and Susannah Goddard (1742-1837) and died 14 February 1838 Richmond, Berkshire County, Massachusetts of unspecified causes.
Auto-Biography
From the Autobiography for Rhoda Howe:
The eldest of Phineas and Susanna Goddard Howe's ten children, I was born in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, July 8, 1762. Joseph and I were both nineteen when he asked and obtained my father's consent to our marriage. ·Father and mother were members of the First Congregational Church in Hopkinton, although in mother's "opinions on religion there was some difference from the sects of the present day; she believed that Jacob's ladder was not yet broken, and that angels still continued to ascend and descend." Our intention was recorded in the Congregational Church more than three months before our marriage.
Our first three children were born in Framingham.. I was glad when Joseph decided to return to Hopkinton, because there I would be near my parents. Eight more children were born to us in Hopkinton, and there we· buried our little Levi and Betsey.
The home Joseph and the boys built for us in Richmond was well constructed, from the large kitchen with its windows to the south and east, and bedrooms for us and the girls downstairs, to the boys 1 bedroom upstairs. Sickness seemed to plague us here, as it had done in the East, but we had our happy times too.
Father Phineas Howe died before we left Hopkinton. A letter from my mother, dated Aug, the 5 1827, was among my cherished possessions. She lived to be nearly 95, departing from this life in January, 1837, In February one year later I followed her, leaving my husband with only Rhoda and William still at home.
Our eldest son we named Joseph, for his father. He was obedient, a steadying influence on his younger brothers, and a great help to his father.
Marriage & Family
- Joseph Richards (1782-1852)
- Rhoda Richards (1784-1879)
- Susanna Richards (1786-1830)
- Phinehas Richards (1788-1874) - Pioneer and leader in the early LDS Church
- Levi Richards (1790-1795) - died young
- Nancy Richards (1792-1852)
- Hepsibah Richards (1795-1838)
- Betsey Richards (1897-1803)
- Levi Richards (1799-1876)
- William Richards (1801-1884)
- Willard Richards (1804-1854) - Early leader and apostle in LDS Church, eyewitness to the martyrdom of Joseph Smith (1805-1844), the mormon prophet.
Children
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Rhoda Howe (1762-1838) | 8 July 1762 Hopkington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | 14 February 1838 Richmond, Berkshire County, Massachusetts | Joseph Richards (1762-1840) |
| Susanna Howe (1764-1813) | 19 February 1764 Hopkington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | 27 March 1813 Eaton, Madison County, New York | Phineas Brigham (1757-1813) |
| Abigail Nabby Howe (1765-1815) | 3 May 1765 Shrewsbury, Worcester County, Massachusetts | 11 June 1815 Ludlowville, Tompkins County, New York | John Hayden Young (1763-1839) |
| Martha Howe (1768-1836) | |||
| Anne Howe (1770-1832) | |||
| Phineas Howe (1773-1839) | |||
| Elizabeth Betsey Howe (1774-1821) | 3 May 1774 Hopkinton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | 31 March 1821 Hopkinton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | John Haven (1774-1853) |
| Nehemiah Howe (1776-1844) | |||
| Samuel Howe (1781-1834) | |||
| Peter Howe (1783-1823) | |||
| Ruth Howe (1785-1808) | |||
References
- Joseph Richards 1762 Immigrant Ancestors
- History of Framingham Massachusetts - pub 1844, pg 382.