Birth Born on 1766 in Harbour Grace, NL Death Died in Bayhead, Colchester Co., NS Marriages HENDERSON, Griselda Children RICHARD, Margaret Jane: 1809 - April 03, 1897 RICHARD, Rosanna: 1810 - February 22, 1890 RICHARD, Barbara: June 15, 1823 - 1903 Notes Military Service: John Richards had come to Tatamagouche from Halifax, where he and John Johnson were working at the citadel. John was of English descent and was born in Newfoundland. He had been pressed into military service as a young man, and was maltreated in Halifax, where he received an unusually large number of stripes, scars which he bore to his grave. John Richards and John Johnson were both members of the same regiment, employed in the construction of Citadel Hill, Halifax. They were friends and became very disillusioned with their situation in Halifax, and they both left, walking through the woods until they reached the Northumberland Strait at Tatamagouche. He first lived on the French River and later moved to the Head of the Bay, known now as Bayhead. He was a big man and had considerable note as a pugilist. He married a daughter of John Henderson, Griselda, and had a large family of seven daughters and one son.........PL John Richards was born 1766 in Newfoundland, son of Joseph Richard, an officer in the British Army. Upon reaching manhood, John decided to follow in his father's footsteps and accordingly enlisted in the infantry. Before a great deal of time had passed, he found he detested the army life and deserted and hid in the woods. Eventually he was tracked down and tried by court martial. Perhaps it was due to his youth, or his father's rank, that he did not receive the death penality. However, he was given a severe punishment of 999 lashes on his bare back, one short of the minimum " well laid on" as demanded by the articles of war of the time. He decided to try the life of a sailor, and signed on a ship bound for Nova Scotia. One of the points the vessel called at was Tatamagouche. He stayed there and bought a homestead along the shore from an earlier settler by the name of Cole. John married Griselda Henderson and had a family of seven girls and one boy. Joseph the only son died at an early age; Hannah their eldest daughter married John Brimner. They had no children. Mary married William Dumphy and had four children; Margaret married Alexander Langille and had a family of three; Catherine married William Henderson and had a family of five; Barbara married William Roberts and had nine children; Rosalie married David Langille and had a family of ten; Jenny the youngest of John's family inherited the homestead. She married Thomas Roberts and had a family of four boys. ( The Oxford Journal, The Union Church of Beautiful Bayhead) Sept 8 1982. Story by Francis Grant from information supplied by Mrs Arthur Roberts........PL