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                   Rice Pudding - A Family Genealogy and History of William Rice and Mary Hall of Dutchess County, New York, from 1761 - now; compiled by Rose Mary Goodwin, teacher, librarian; Sunland, California 1976

The Rice Family 1761 to 1920; History of the William Rice and Mary Hall Family, Mary Rice Sherwood, Pulteney, New York


Mary Rice Sherwood wrote of her grandfather, William Rice:)
       "Grandfather rice was married when 22 years old, 7 years after the closing of the Revolution war, so he was then at that time only 15 years old, pretty young soldier, but history says every boy old enough to use a rifle hurried to avenge the death of their country men at that time.  His health was wrecked for life enduring all the privations of a continental Soldier only half fed and only half clothed thru the coldest weather at Valley Forge where so many died of privations and disease.
       Grandfather had the measles while lying on the frozen ground that settled in his eyes leaving him so blind he could scarcely work.  and he never had any pension to live on.
       So we can draw a great contrast between that age and now days.  I have been told by my parents he served in the war under Gen. Washington and Gen. Putnam and they said he told he went by the nick name 'Old Put.'"
            Mary Rice Sherwood also wrote of a daughter's family of her grandparents (William Rice and Mary Elizabeth Hall) and also of her father, Nathaniel:
       "From the History of Sullivan County, p. 540 under the section of 'The Town of Thompson' is an account of Godfreys (Joseph Godfrey & wife Mary or Polly Rice) going to Thompson:
       In Feb. 1804 a Mr. Smith started once more for his new home in the woods.  He brought with him his wife, two children and a nephew named Smith Benedict.  The latter who became a well known citizen previous to his death, was then a lad aged 13 years and lived with Mr. Smith.
        Mr. S. was also accompaniet by Titus Lockwood, Eliud Lindley and Joseph Godfrey (wife of Mary or Polly Rice,) who also brought with them their families.  They crossed the Hudson River at New Burgh where thay hired horse-teams to take them to the end of their journey.  The Newburgh and Cochecton turnpike was then in good order as far as Montgomery.  On the Barrens they stayed all night at the house of a man named seth Sears.  The accomodations were rather too narrow for so large a party; but good nature and Yankee ingenuity either found a remedy for deficiencies or ignored their existence.
       On the next day they followed the Mamakating road to Thompsonville (then known as Thompson's Mills) where they remained all night at Abraham Warring's who had kept a tavern there five or six years.  Thus far they had passed over nothing worse than the semblance of a highway.  Although the road had been five years on the Records of Manakating as running from Thompson's Mills north of Pleasant pond to the Mongaup (river,) but little had been done on it beyond removing from its track some of the fallen trees, and marking its locality by blazing and scoring the growing timber by its sides.
       Our informant (a lady then 23 years old) at the age of ninety-one, retained a vivid recollection of the incidents of that day (March 1, 1804.)
       'The snow was deep and unbroken; the route so rough and unimproved that they could not have taken their household-goods over it except on their shoulders, if it had been bare; the party were obliged to look sharp for the marked trees to avoid going astray; and in many places the evergreen goliage was so dense overhead that the sky could not even be seen.  Slowly the jaded horses plodded through the snow--sometimes sinking to their bellies, and occasionally plunging over the sides of a cradle-hole, or the concealed trunk of a tree.  When there was danger of upsetting a sleigh, there was a panic among the women and children; but the courageous voices and strong arms of the stalwart men of the party soon made them all right.
        Although the distance was not great, and none of the families were much overburdened with household-stuff, the teams dragged their loads with great difficulty, and it was found neessary to leave Eliud Lindsey's in the woods, where it remained until its owner afterwards returned with some friends and got it through to his log house.
       Lindley, Lockwood and Godfrey located at that time near the four Corners, north-west of the Gray place.  When they came, there was no house where Monticello now stands, and not even a line of marked trees to that point.'
       The first papers I found among Grandfather's of their being in Sullivan Co. Thompsontown was Feb. 20, 1810.  But Simeon and the Godfreys were there many years before working in the lumber business.  I have found a letter written by Sarah the second daughter to her own sister Mary Godfrey the year of 1803. (?)  I believe the Godfreys were then in Sullivan C.  She says to her sister, 'Betty says Harry Godfrey is gone into the woods' and Aunt Betty and Harry was born the same year 1802.  In the history of the Godfreys they worked in Lumber business.  I saw where they lived near Uncle Simeons.  A frame house where he kept a store and a small Inn very comfortable for those days.
       They had 2 saw mills on the Never Sink River just below their homes.  Grandfather's log house he moved out of when coming here was near and also the place where Uncle Joe Jump lived, they told me it was rightfully called Rice Town, for they carried on so much business.
       The last papers of Grandfather's (William Rice) dealings I can find in Sullivan Co. is dated Oct 25, 1816 and the first in Steuben Co. is Feb 6, 1817 so between these dates they came to live here so thats how he only lived in Sullivan Co. about 6 years, when he moved here he came thru the old covered bridge over the Never Sink River at Bridgeville and thay was built in 1806.  I have printed papers to prove that date.
       When they moved here my (Mary Sherwood Rice's) Father Nathaniel was 17 years old.  Uncle William was 10 years and aunt Betty was 14 years.  These three children were all that came with them, and Grandfather and Grandmother both feeble it was quite an undertaking to go among strangers in a new land.  They moved here in a wagon, it was mostly forest and the roads were marked by blazed trees and no doubt wild animals were plenty.
       For in after years Nathaniel said when he worked in Prattsburgh 5 miles from home at carpenter work and he would walk back and forth the wolves howled in the forest between Pine Grove and Prattsburgh.  They first bought 50 acres of land o the corner 1 mile west of Oulteney Village up the Prentiss road later known as the Lar Barr farm.
       I find a receipt of a deed that was given to William and Mary Rice, Dec 15, 1817 of 50 acres of land to be recorded in the Co. Clerk's office at Bath, the name signed is Harry Harford that gave the receipt.  Seems he gave a receipt to them that he would have the deed recorded for them.
       I find that William and Mary Rice gave a joint note Feb. 17, 1817 for $145.00 to Harry Harford and then I found they gave a mortgage to the same man for $500.00 dated Nov 17, 1817 that makes $645.00 previous to the date of the deed's receipt.  According to the price of land at that time they couldn't of payed very much down on the place.  Another paper shows in 1821 Mr. Harford gave them a lien for to stay on this same farm for one year but to not cut any wood only for fences and fuel and at the end of the year to quit claim and leave it.
       I have often wondered if this same man, Harry Harford didn't have something in their settling on that place.  Mother told me (Father seemed to hate to tell such things,) the same man fall at the Election day a man told Nathaniel he had heard the man that held the mortgage say he was going to keep the Rices along awhile and then foreclose and get Nathaniel's black oleu.
       Father replied he won't get my oleu so he and Grandfather went and gave a contract to Mr. James Stone for 16 acres of land for $112.50 where there was a double log house.  Mo't it Apr. 12 1822.  He had 2 years to pay this in, this is the East end of the Rice farm.  One of the payments is $40.00 signed by Nathaniel Rice.  So that shows he had to earn the money to make them.  This is only 5 years since they came to Steuben County.
       Grandmother talked that they had hard matter to live at one time.  Father was plowing, he came in to dinner and had nothing but a bowl of milk. . .to eat.  He often said if any excuses was made at the table you ought to have been where I have been.  Truly does it seem 100 years an make such a contrast between their lives and ours of so many luxuries and privileges.  May we all be grateful for them and more is given the more is required of us.
       Grandfather Rice died June 30the 1838 at my fathers house in Pulteney on the Rice farm at the age of 77 years, is buried in the Thomas Cemetery on the corner just below the Rice farm.
       In the year of 1837 Nathaniel Rice bought 107 acres of land in the town of Urbana.  The same now known as the Thomas Rice farm.  It was bought years after Tom was born.
       Father (Nathaniel) let Uncle Louden and Aunt Betty live on the farm after Grandfather died.  Aunt Betty wanted Grandmother (Mary Elizabeth Hall Rice) to go to her house and she did and died there the next March 20th 1839.  Father went and paid all the funeral expenses and had her brought and buried beside her husband, she was 74 years old.