Why Not Jonathan Richardson and Elizabeth Bunn?

    Most of the people who think Hill Richardson's parents are Jonathan Richardson and Elizabeth Bunn have got there information from one of two places.

www.familysearch.org       (LDS genealogy website)
The information on this website about Hill and his parents is wrong. How do I know? Well, I'm the one who put it there back in 1884. Check the "Source" for that information on Hill, it's me Darryl Boyd...Sorry about that. At the time I though there was a connection and I had it on my genealogy program (PAF) while I was working on the connection. I submitted the information to the LDS church and forgot to remove this information. It was placed in their database. I have tried to have it removed and they will not because they don't know that the person that originally put it on is the same person as me now.

From there it moved to a few website. The largest one is

www.ancestry.com
I did not put it on there, but those posting their genealogy that got the information from familysearch.org did post it there. It sort of ballooned as people did not check the sources  and just excepted the information. But, here is the real scoop.

When I first got started I made the mistake of thinking Hill Richardson and Jonathan Richardson (wife Elizabeth Bunn) both lived in Otsego County New York. Well I was not wrong but, Hill lived in Otsego, Otsego county, New York and Jonathan lived in Otego, Otsego county, New York. Actually hill was in what is now called Cooperstown but at the time was just called Otsego.

Hill       in    Otsego
Jonathan in Otego

The two were never closer than about 30 mile to each other. So there is no real connection other than last name.

Second:

This is the known family of Jonathan Richardson and Elizabeth Bunn who ended up in Otsego, New York near Hill Richardson.

Father:  Jonathan Richardson b. 16 Aug 1745, Possibly in Sutton MA(may have been the son of Ralph Richardson of Sutton, Massachusetts, 
              who  died in 1782)died 14 Jan 1812, Laurens, Otsego Co NY; buried Elm Row Cem, Laurens, Otsego Co NY

Married: 1782 - Florida, Montgomery, New York, USA

Wife: Elizabeth Bunn  b. 1761 (dau of John BUNN and Elizabeth BAER)  died February 1825 Laurens, Otsego Co NY; buried Elm Row Cem,
           Laurens, Otsego Co NY;

Children:
1)     daughter #1   b. circa  1779?  Florida Montgomery?, New York

2)     Catherine   b. circa  26 Apr 1782 Florida Montgomery, New York

3)     John b. 24 Jul 1784  Florida Montgomery, New York    m. Elizabeth BAKER d. 15 Mar 1861 (Laurens Otsego Co NY)

4)     daughter #3   b. circa 1785? Florida Montgomery, New York

5)     Ebenezer      b. 1789  Florida Montgomery, New York m. Phoebe REED bur. Pine Lake Cem. West Bloomfield MI

6)     William     b.1790 Florida Montgomery, New York  m. Polly AUSTIN d. 11 May 1868 (Oneonta NY)

7)     Jacob  b. 11 Mar 1793 m. Mercy GOODRICH d. 12 Mar 1875

8)     Peter   b.  25 Jun 1795 in Laurens, Otsego Co NY; married 15 Aug 1827 Permelia HAINES (dau of John B. and Mehetible HAINES;
       b. 6 May 1797 in Orange Co NY d. 26 Oct 1856 in

9)     Polly   b. 1 Aug 1797 (Florida, Montgomery Co NY) m. Elijah Sherman BUCK

10)   Martin  b. May 26 or 29, 1800 in Laurens, Otsego Co

11)  James    b. 29 May 1800 (Laurens Otsego Co NY) m. Candace COMSTOCK (Laurens, Otsego Co NY) -10. James b. 30 Sep 1803
       (Laurens Otsego Co NY) m. (1) Mary CRAWFORD (2) Caroline CHAPIN d. Apr 1866 (Oakland Co. MI) bur. Pine Lake Cem.
       West Bloomfield MI Served as Private and Sergeant in David McMaster Co, F Fischer Reg of Tryon Co Militia

It is plain to see, Hill Richardson with a known birth date of 1775 can not fit into this family. Elizabeth Bunn would have been 14 years old when he was born. And there would be a 4 year gap to the second child.

Source #1
Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society
There are many sources for this information and this is just one of them.
 Ten (known) children of Jonathan Richardson and Elizabeth Bunn
1)    ??   born circa  1779?
2)    ??   born circa  1782?
3)    ??   born circa 1785?
4)    Ebenezer      born 1789
5)    William     born  1790 Montgomery, New York
6)    ??
7)    ?? Peter    born 1795
8)    ??
9)    Martin      born  May 26 or 29, 1800 in Laurens, Otsego Co
10)   James    born September 30, 1803 in Laurens, Otsego Co., New York

Source #2
1790 census of Montgomery, New York (this is where Jonathan and Elizabeth is living in 1790)
 1 male over 16 (Jonathan Richardson = Father)
2 males under 16 (William and Ebenezer)
4 females (Elizabeth Bunn = Mother  and daughters #1, #2, #3 (first three born)

Logical conclusion is, Hill is not a child of Jonathan Richardson and Elizabeth Bunn. It was my error.