Edward Richards was an early settler of and nine term selectman in Dedham, Massachusetts. [1] [2]
Richards was born circa 1610 -1615. [2] He may have been the brother of Nathaniel Richards and, through his wife Susan, was brother-in-law of John Hunting. [2] He may have traveled in 1632 on board the Lyon from England to Massachusetts with Nathaniel and settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts until 1636. [2] Nathaniel moved to Connecticut to found Hartford, but Edward Richards first appears in Dedham in 1636, which is where he married Susan in 1638. [2] He signed the Dedham Covenant and was a member of First Church and Parish in Dedham. [2]
Though Dedham was intended to be a Utopian commune, and there was little disparity in wealth, Richards went by the title of "Gent" and, unlike others, aspired to a manor. [2] He received large tracts of land, second only to the minister, John Allin. [2] Before moving to Dedham, he purchased a large estate to use as his home and did not receive a house lot, as other settlers did. [2] He then purchased and was distributed other tracts of land, one of which became known as Broad Oak. [2] [3]
He died in May 1684. In his will, he left his home to his second son, Nathaniel, and not his oldest, John. [a] It is suspected that this was because Nathaniel had given Richards more grandsons and thus would be in a better position to transmit the family name down through successively more prosperous generations. [5]
Richards Street in Dedham was named for him.{{[r|names}}