Rickard (Y-DNA)

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Status summary

Completed as of October 9, 2022:

  • Recruiting direct male-line Rickardt descendants for further SNP testing - anyone interested in submitting their DNA for testing should contact MayflowerDNA1620@gmail.com

Still to do as of October 9, 2022

  • NGS/WGS test multiple descendants of Rickard family to firmly place family clade as well as test descendants to discover any subclades unique to descendants lines

Paper Trail

Early Generations in England[1] and New England

Johnb Rickard died before 1592. His wife Elizabeth died about 1599. They were the parents of

Johna Rickard married Christian _____ who was buried 19 Aug 1632. They had at least three children: Mary, Giles (see below) and Henry.

Giles1 Rickard. He married at West Hatch, Somerset, 7 Jan 1623/4 England Judith (Cogan) King, daughter of Henry Cogan & Joane Boridge. She was baptized at Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Taunton, Somerset 13 Jun 1594 and was the widow of William King.[2] The family came over on the Speedwell which sailed from Weymouth, Dorset, England in Apr 1637. Judith died at Plymouth, 6 Jan 1661/2[3] Giles married twice more, but did not have any children by these later marriages. Giles and Judith had two sons: Giles and John (see below). Giles died at Plymouth (now Plympton) 1 Feb 1684, aged 87.[4]

Giles2 Rickard[5] was born in England about 1630 and died at Plymouth before 4 Dec 1702, when his inventory was dated. He married at Plymouth 31 Oct 1651 Hannah Dunham and they had ten children (born Plymouth): John (1652), Abigail (1655), Judith (c1657), Giles (1659), Eleazer, Samuel (1662), Hannah, Henry, Josiah (c1672) and Marsey (dau 1680).

John2 Rickard married at Plymouth 31 Oct 1651 Esther (Hester) Barnes.[6] They had a son John (II), born Plymouth 24 Nov 1657.

Descendants who married Mayflower Passengers

Two John Rickards, who were first cousins, both born in the 1650s at Plymouth had wives named Mary. One of the wives has been identified as Mary Cooke, daughter of Jacob Cooke & Damaris Hopkins, and granddaughter of Mayflower passengers Francis Cooke & Stephen Hopkins. It has been suggested (but not proven) the other Mary was Mary Snow of Bridgewater, daughter of William Snow & Rebecca Brown and granddaughter of Mayflower passenger Peter Browne. A good summary of current research on the two John Rickards and their wives appears online at: WeRelate.org "Family: John Rickard and Mary Cooke (2)"[7]


(Deacon) John Rickard was the eldest child of Giles Rickard and Hannah Dunham. John was born at Plymouth about 1652.[8] He died at Plympton 11 Oct 1726. He married before 1677[9] to Mary _____.[10] John & Mary had ten children; seven daughters and three sons (John, Joseph and Eleazer [who died young])

Giles Rickard (III)[11] was born about 1659 in Plymouth and died there 29 Jan 1709/10. He married 7 Nov 1683 Hannah Snow. Giles' will, dated 20 Dec 1709 fails to list any children, instead listing children of his siblings, so it appears this couple did not have any (surviving) children.

Samuel Rickard[12] was born at Plymouth 14 Jan 1662/3 and died at Plympton 7 Sep 1727. Samuel married 31 Dec 1689 Rebecca Snow. They had nine children: Rebeckah (1690/1), Hannah (1693), Samuel (1696), Bethyah (1698), Henry (1700), Mary (1701), Elkanah (1704), Mehitabel (1707) and Eleazer (1709/10).

Henry Rickard was born Plymouth and died bef Dec 1728. He married Marcy ____ and they had five children: Bethiah, Henry, Elkanah, Judah (dau) and Mercy.

Josiah Rickard was born Plymouth abt 1672 and died Plympton 22 Jan 1765. He married 21 Nov 1699 Rebecca Eaton and they had six children (born Plymouth, now Plympton): Giles (1700), Benjamin (1702), Josiah (1703), Desire (1706), Rebecca (1708) and David (1711).

Eleazer Rickard was born Plymouth circa 1665 and died aft 23 Jan 1735/6. He married bef 26 Jan 1698 Sarah Eaton and they had six children: Sarah (1698), Judith (1701), Lydia (1704), Tabitha (1707), Joanna (1709) and Eleazer (1712).


John Rickard (II)[13] was born at Plymouth 24 Nov 1657 and died there 25 Mar 1712. John married by 1679[14] to Mary Cooke. They had six children (Plymouth): John (1679 dy), Mercy (1682), John (1684), Mary (1688), Esther (1691), Elizabeth (1694) and James (1696).

Next Generation

John Rickard (II) was born Plymouth 29 Dec 1681

Joseph Rickard was born Plymouth 7 Feb 1683/4


Samuel Rickard was born Plymouth (now Plympton) 21 May 1696

Henry Rickard was born Plymouth (now Plympton) 4 Feb 1700

Elkanah Rickard was born Plymouth (now Plympton) 7 Jun 1704

Eleazer Rickard was born Plympton 8 Mar 1709/10


Henry Rickard married Alice Oldham.

Elkanah Rickard


Giles Rickard was born Plymouth (now Plympton) 14 Oct 1700

Benjamin Rickard was born Plymouth (now Plympton) 20 Feb 1701/2

Josiah Rickard was born Plymouth (now Plympton) 21 Oct 1703

David Rickard was born Plympton 24 Dec 1711


Eleazer Rickard was born 14 Jun 1712.


John Rickard (III) was born 12 Jan 1684[15] and died Plympton in 1745. He married abt 1705 Sarah ___ and they had four children (Plympton): James (1706 unk if marr), Margaret (1708), Mary (1709) and Meriah (1711).

James Rickard was born Plymouth 25/26 Sep 1696 and died prob. Plymouth abt 1740. He married Plymouth 29 Jun 1720 Hannah Howland (a descendant of John Howland) and they had six children (Plymouth): James[16] (1721), John (1723 m Bathshua Morton), Benjamin (1726-b1766 likely unm), Lothrop (1730/1-1759 unm), William (1733-1766 m Martha Tilley but no ch.) and Hannah (1736/7).


  1. ↑ Cookie Crumbs Ancestry citing Burton W. Spear, "Rickard, Giles," Search for the Passengers of the Mary & John, 1630, 25 (1996):56-57.
  2. ↑ NEHGR 111:172
  3. ↑ ibid.
  4. ↑ Cookie Crumb Trails citing Plympton, MA published VRs p. 506
  5. ↑ Cookie Crumb Trails citing both MF5G 9 [Eaton]:14-15 as well as Spear Mary & John 27(1999):44-45
  6. ↑ ibid.
  7. ↑ A briefer summary can be found in the Mayflower "Silver Book" vol. 12 (Cooke) p. 86.
  8. ↑ See WeRelate.org "Person: John Rickard (1)" which states he possibly was born 16 Sep 1652.
  9. ↑ First child born 27 Oct 1677
  10. ↑ Possibly the daughter of William Snow & Rebecca Brown
  11. ↑ WeRelate.org "Person: Giles Rickard (6)"
  12. ↑ WeRelate.org "Person: Samuel Rickard (2)"
  13. ↑ WeRelate.org "Person: John Rickard (15)"
  14. ↑ First child born 29 Feb 1679/80
  15. ↑ Likely 1684/5.
  16. ↑ Will of brother William left bequest to (unnamed) children of brother James. Their identity (and their mother) has not been identified.

DNA results

Previous Y-DNA testing

The Rickard DNA Project currently fails to identify the Most Distant Known Paternal Ancestor (MDKPA) for the testers, so it is impossible to say whether any of them are descendants of this Giles Rickard family.

Further needed testing

Rickard Y-DNA descendants are needed to do Next Generation Sequence/Whole Genome Sequence (NGS/WGS) DNA testing to identify the haplogroup for the family as well as try to further subdivide the descendants.

References & External Links

  • Wakefield, Robert S., Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: vol. 7 Brown, Second Edition, 2002, Plymouth, MA, General Society of Mayflower Descendants
  • Roser, Susan E. and Judith A. Swan, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations vol. 12 Cooke 2017 addendum of 1999 2nd Edition, General Society of Mayflower Descendants, Plymouth, MA
  • Spear, Burton W., Search for the Passengers of the Mary & John, 1630, 25 (1996):56-57. "Rickard, Giles"
  • Cookie Crumb Ancestry
  • WeRelate.org "Rickard Family"
  • New England Historical and Genealogical Register "Early Cogans: English and American" 111:172
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