Life History

Other facts

Notes

• The surname Riddles appears in various records in the 1800s as either Riddles or Riddle, with no particular pattern.  The pattern in records indicates a shift to preference for the singular form of the name as time passed.  The orignal name seems to have been Riddles.  But records back to the 1850 census have the form Riddle.  Records are found with both spellings through the decades.  While we have standardized our entries to follow the form Riddle, the form we have more commnly found in families of this line today, other descendants today still use the plural form Riddles.
  
  The 1850 census reported Eli with his first wife Regina Graffenreid.  This census reports his birth state as Vermont, but 1860 and 1870 report he was born in South Carolina.
  
  1850 Federal Census, St Francois County, Missouri, 10 October, District 80, page 397 (scan 199), Hse #652, Fam #666
  Eli A Riddle 49 M Stone Mason No Real Estate reported b Vermont [b abt 1801]
  Rejina Riddle 37 F b Tennessee [b abt 1813]
  Lonnzo [Lorenzo] D Riddle 16 M Laborer b Tennessee [b abt 1834]
  Napoleon B Riddle 13 M b Tennessee [b abt 1837]
  Orville T Riddle 10 M b Tennessee [b abt 1840]
  Va [Virginia] T Riddle 7 F b Tennessee [b abt 1843]
  Eli A Riddle 4 E b Tennessee [b abt 1846]
  Edwin R Riddle 1 M b Tennessee[b abt 1849]
  
  Eli and Regina named their first son after a famous evangelist of their day.
  
  "Lorenzo Dow Riddles' Namesake -- 1834  --  The basis for  Lorenzo Dow Riddles' name by his parents Eli Asberry & Regina Riddles"
  --  W Riddles, summary comment on a story about the namesake of Lorenzo Dow Riddles, Ancestry.com, 09 Jun 2009
  
  1860 Federal Census, Carroll County, Arkansas, 28 August, Hickory Township, P O Carrollton, page 135, Hse #908, Fam #880
  Riddles, E A 55 M  M[ethodist] Clergyman $700 Real Estate $480 Personal Estate born S Carolina [b abt 1805]
  Riddles, Hannah C 33 F Keeps House born Tennessee [b abt 1828]
  Riddles, Napoleon B 22 M Farmer born Tennessee [b abt 1838]
  Riddles, Virginia T 18 F born Tennessee [b abt 1842]
  Riddles, Eli A 14 M born Tennessee [b abt 1846]
  Riddles, Edwin R 11 M born Tennessee [b abt 1849]
  Riddles, Florence F 8 F born Arkansas [b abt 1852]
  Riddles, Mary Jane 5 F born Arkansas [b abt 1855]
  Riddles, Seaman B 2 M born Arkansas [b abt 1858]
  
  1870 Federal Census, Cooke County, Texas, 12 August, Precinct 2, P O Gainesville, page 27 (scan 228), Hse #168, Fam #169
  Riddles, Eli A 65 M W Farmer $500 Personal Estate born S Carolina [b abt 1805]
  Riddles, Hannah C 33 [same age as reported in 1860] F W Keeping House born Tennessee Cannot write [b abt 1837]
  Riddles, Mary J 15 F W born Arkansas [b abt 1855]
  Riddles, Seman B 12 M W Works on Farm born Arkansas [b abt 1858]
  Riddles, Alvin L 9 M W Works on Farm born Arkansas [b abt 1861]
  Riddles, McMurry 4 M W At Home born Arkansas [b abt 1866]
  Riddles, Rufus A 1 M W born Texas [b abt 1869]
  Riddles, Florence F 18 F W Without occupation born Missouri [b abt 1852]
  
  1880 Federal Census, Grayson County, Texas, 1 July, Whitesboro, District 7, page 44, Hse/Fam #406
  Winter, William T  W M 28 Laborer Married MS TN TN [b abt 1852]
  Winter, Mary J  W F 24 Wife Keeping House Married AR TN TN [abt 1856]
  Riddle, McMurry  W M 24 Brother-in-law Had typhoid fever AR TN TN [b abt 1866]
  Riddle, Rufus L A  W M 12 Brother-in-law Single AR TN TN b [abt 1868]
  
  A death report in the same census seems to be for Mary Riddle Winter's father.  No given name was included in the entry.  A 3-year-old child named only Riddle is also listed in the 1880 census death schedule.
  
  1880 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedule, 1 July, Grayson County, Texas, Enumeration District 8, Line1
  Riddle, (No first name) M W Age 60 Married  b Tennessee [b abt 1819] Death Date Nov 1879 Cause of Death Gravel (Kidney Stones)
  Riddle, (No first name) F W Age 3 b Tennessee (?) [b abt 1877] Death Date Oct 1879 Cause of Death Flux
  

Sources

• 1. 1880 Federal Census, Grayson County, Texas
  • 1 July, Whitesboro, District 7, page 44, Hse/Fam #406
• 2. U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules Index
  • Name: Name: Jackson, Ron V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.; Date: 1999;;
  • 1880 Grayson County, Texas, Enumeration District 8, Line1
• 3. 1870 Federal Census, Cooke County, Texas
  • 12 August, Precinct 2, P O Gainesville, page 29 (scan 228), Hse #168, Fam #169
• 4. 1850 Federal Census, St Francois County, Missouri
  • 10 October, District 80, page 397 (scan 199), Hse #652, Fam #666
• 5. 1880 Federal Census, Grayson County, Texas
  • 1 July, Whitesboro, District 7, page 44, Hse/Fam #407
• 6. 1860 Federal Census, Carroll County, Arkansas
  • 28 August, Hickory Township, P O Carrollton, page 135, Hse #908, Fam #880
• 7. 1870 Federal Census, Cooke County, Texas
  • 1870 Federal Census, Cooke County, Texas, 12 August, Precinct 2, P O Gainesville, page 29 (scan 228), Hse #168, Fam #169
• 8. 1870 Federal Census, Cooke County, Texas
  • 12 August, Precinct 2, P O Gainesville, page 27 (scan 228), Hse #167, Fam #168