Richard BORDEN, SR.
Biography

Richard BORDEN, the first of our BORDEN line to come to America, was born in Headcorn, County Kent, England, about 40 miles southeast of London and about 20 miles southwest of Canterbury. The fourth of 10 children, he was christened on 22 February 1595/ 6. (Great Britain was using the Julian calendar until 1752 while the rest of the world had been using the presently accepted Gregorian calendar since 1582. By our calendar Richard was christened on 4 March 1596.) At Headcorn he married Joane FOWLE on 28 September 1625. The old stone church where they were married is still standing. (Click here for more about the church.) Joane was born 15 Feb 1604 at Headcorn in County Kent, England, the second of four children. Richard inherited land in Headcorn from his father, but he and Joane moved in 1628 to Cranbrook in County Kent where she had relatives. His youngest brother, John BORDEN, emigrated to New England on the Elizabeth & Ann in May 1635. In the mid-1630's Richard and Joane sailed to America with five children and settled at Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Richard was the nineteenth signer of the compact creating the government of Aquidneck (later Rhode Island). He was elected a member of a committee to treat with the Dutch in 1653. He was elected Assistant at Portsmouth in 1653 and 1654, Treasurer of the United Colonies in 1654 and 1655, Commissioner in 1654, 1656, and 1657, and Deputy from Portsmouth to the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1667 and 1670. As a surveyor he acquired large tracts of land in Rhode Island and Monmouth County, East Jersey (now New Jersey). He died on 25 May 1671 at Portsmouth, Rhode Island. He was buried in Portsmouth at the burial ground of the Society of Friends (i.e., Quaker). Joane died on 15 July 1688 at Portsmouth. Their children were: Richard BORDEN (b. 1626), Thomas BORDEN (1627-1676), Francis BORDEN (1628-1705/ 6), Mary (BORDEN) COOKE (1632/ 3-1690), Elizabeth BORDEN (b. 1634), Matthew BORDEN (1638-1708), John BORDEN (1640-1716), Joseph BORDEN (1643-prob. by 1702), Sarah (BORDEN) HOLMES (1644-after 1705), Samuel BORDEN (1645-1716), Benjamin BORDEN (1649-c.1728), Amey (BORDEN) RICHARDSON (1653/ 4-1683/ 4). Son Matthew (born at Portsmouth on 16 May 1638) was "the first English child born on Rhode Island," according to Quaker records. Son John's (b. 1640) great-great-great-grandson, Gail BORDEN, III, was the inventor of condensed milk in the early 1850's and founder of the Borden Milk Company. He was also the original surveyor of Galveston, Texas. The west Texas town of Gail in Borden County were both named for him. (Gail BORDEN, III, (1801-1874) was the son of Gail BORDEN II (1777-1863), son of Gail BORDEN I (1745-1777), son of John BORDEN (1710-1761), son of John BORDEN (1675-c.1719), son of John BORDEN (1640-1716), son of Richard BORDEN (1595/ 6-1671), the immigrant.) John's (b. 1640) great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter, through a different line, was the famous Lizzie BORDEN, who was charged with killing her father and step-mother with an ax in 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts. (Lizzie Andrew BORDEN (1860-1927) was the daughter of Andrew J. BORDEN (1822-1892), son of Abraham B. BORDEN (b. 1798), son of Richard BORDEN (d. after 1816), son of Richard BORDEN (1722-1795), son of Thomas BORDEN (1697-1740), son of Richard BORDEN (1671-c.1732), son of John BORDEN (1640-1716), son of Richard BORDEN (1595/ 6-1671), the immigrant.) She was immortalized with this verse:
"Lizzie Borden took an ax
And gave her mother 40 whacks.
And when she saw what she had done,
She gave her father 41."

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