The earliest ancestral Richins entry we have verified was in Hawkesbury, Gloucestershire, England. The entry records the marriage of John Richins and Ann King. They were our first common ancestors and the grandparents of Henry Richins. All the Richins families in Utah and surrounding states are descendants of either Richard or William Richins, sons of Henry Richins and Sarah Haynes.
The county of Gloucestershire lies in the southwest part of England. Its western boundary is the Servern River, which flows down to the sea. When the tide comes in, the waves roar up the Servern River, sending spray as high as thirty feet in the air at some of the coves along the way. The river played an important part in transportation of goods and products, which were carried by barges on the river.
Gloucestershire is surrounded by the counties of Wiltshire and Oxford on the east, Herdfordshire on the north and Somerset county on the south. There is a vale that runs north and south along the Servern River. Above the vale are rolling hills that spread out into open country. The vale is divided from the hills by a sandstone ridge, known as the Cotswold, that is 60 miles long and rises to an elevation of 1, 083 feet in some places. It is vertical along its western edge and ranges in color from a soft grey to golden honey. It is a country of natural beauty.
The Cotswold stone was easy to work, so most of the homes and buildings are constructed from it and many date back to the Middle Ages. Some of the Cotswold villages now have strict regulations and restrictions in order to keep the beauty and character of the village. All new buildings and homes have to harmonize with the color and texture, as well as the architecture of older buildings.
Hawkesbury is on the southern most tip of the Cotswold. The sandstone ridge divides the village. The soil in the area above the ridge is light and good for growing grain, the soil in the vale below the ridge is heavier, as it contains some clay.
John and Ann Richins lived at Hawkesbury and later in Horton. To appreciate and understand their lives, you need to understand the social conditions of the time: their culture, religion, working conditions, beliefs, etc. John and Ann were born in the late 1600’s, a time when England was mainly a country of small towns and villages. The industrial era had not arrived with its mills and factories or congested cities. Most of the livelihood was derived from the farms and agriculture.
The Church of England was the predominant church and under its directions, the towns and villages were divided into Parishes, with a Vicar over each Parish to perform all the Church activities, such as christenings, marriages and burials.
There was no educational system and only the rich could afford to attend the private schools or hire tutors for their children. Only two percent of the people could read or write. Because of ignorance, stories about fairies, enchantments, sorcery and witches abounded. The belief in witches caused much suffering and many deaths—even an ordinary incident could be turned into something ominous by someone with a grudge or an over-active superstitious mind. Unfortunately, many of the adversities of life were blamed on witchcraft.
People accused of being witches were put to cruel and senseless tests to determine their guilt or innocence. As a result of unsanitary conditions these tests almost always produced evidence of witchcraft. One such test—the Boiling Water Test—consisted of placing the arm of the alleged witch in boiling water. If the arm festered during healing, the person was pronounced a witch. As mentioned before, the unsanitary conditions almost assured infection would occur, dooming the person to death. Most of the alleged witched were women and many lost their lives as a result of the witchcraft trials. As people became more enlightened these beliefs began to fade, but superstition still played an important part in their lives. It was thought unlucky for a black cat to walk across their path or to walk under a ladder. It was equally unlucky to open an umbrella inside the house or to break a mirror.
Malnutrition was widespread among the poor working class. Their diet consisted mainly of potatoes, weak tea, and occasionally some salt pork. The pig was cut up and placed in salt water in barrels to preserve it, as there was no other means to keep meat from spoiling. Sometimes the pork was not cured right, resulting in food poisoning.
England had a rigid class distinction. Royalty stood at the head of society, then the titled gentlemen came next: Dukes, Barons, Lords, Counts, etc. Next in line were the Squires and Clergy, then the yeomen and farmers. After the farmers came the tradesmen and shopkeepers. The lowest class was the working class, who made up 64 percent of the population. There were even class distinctions within the ranks of the working class. Those too old or ill to work were called paupers. They were sent to the workhouse, where conditions were pitiful.
It was almost impossible to rise above your class distinction. Even when some of the tradesmen and merchants became very rich, they were not allowed into the society of the Gentry. The Gentry made up most of Parliament. They passed laws to limit the wages of the working class and benefit themselves. It wasn’t until the middle of the 1800’s that Parliament began to pass laws that benefited the working class.
It was a man’s world. There were two moral standards, one for men and another for women. When a woman married, any property she had became the property of her husband. This changed in the late 1800’s when a law was passed that allowed her to keep her property.
Marriages were performed by license or banns. To be married by license, a bond had to be paid to ensure the wedding would take place. It was expensive and only the rich could afford to be married by license. To be married by banns, the announcement of the intended marriage had to be read in both the bride’s and groom’s Parishes for several weeks. If there were no objections made after the reading of the banns, the marriage could take place. Even though the banns were much cheaper, there was still a minister’s fee. Some of the working class could not afford the fee and lived together in common law marriage. It was not uncommon for the couple to have several children before being married by the Vicar of the Church.
Because of the ignorance and the lack of preventive medicines, the mortality rate was high. Sixty percent of the children died before they reached the age of 18 years. Without vaccine or miracle drugs or hospitals, infection and disease took many lives. The average length of life is what we now call middle age. Smallpox was especially feared because of the high mortality rate among its victims. In addition to diseases, there were the dreaded plagues, such as cholera, typhus and bubonic plague.
These epidemics swept through villages, scarcely leaving a home untouched. Some families lost all their children and the plagues would sometimes wipe out half the population. Unsanitary conditions and ignorance of bacteria and germs fostered these epidemics. There were no sewers to take care of human waste and no place to dispose of garbage, so it was thrown into the streets, providing an ideal environment for rodents, fleas and flies that carried the diseases and plagues.
Some diseases, such as typhoid and diphtheria, were spread through contaminated water and wells. The high water table resulted in shallow wells. Many of these wells were open, allowing for easy contamination by human and animal waste. Sometimes the water would become so putrid that it could only be tolerated in teas or beer. Even babies were be given beer to drink.
A Constable, who served for one year, maintained the peace of the village. It was his duty to report on any of the swearers and those who disturbed the peace. He had to take care of the drunkards, brawlers and the people who let their cattle stray and become a nuisance to the town. He also had to chase any wandering beggars from the village. It was the practice to whip beggers publicly at the whipping post and to warn them not to return. Life was harsh and cruel at times, but there was so much hardship and suffering for the poor that they often became hardened to it and were unsympathetic. It was such a struggle to care for their own and they could not afford the time or resources to help others.
Laws were passed that made life even more cruel—especially for vagrant women about to give birth to an illegitimate baby. The common practice was to whip her and drive her out of town, so the child would not be a financial burden to the parish. There was a law that forbade anyone from giving these women shelter or help. There was a large fine and jail sentence for anyone caught helping her. She had to seek out a deserted barn or haystack to give birth to her baby. Needless to say, the mortality rate for these babies and their mothers was very high due to malnutrition and exposure. These deaths became a national scandal until the law was modified and the baby was given settlement in the mother’s Parish.
Only a few people traveled very far in those years, as most traveled by foot. Only the rich could afford carriages and horses. Traveling very far by carriage required the exchange of the horses for a fresh team. There was also the feed for the animals, food and bed at an inn and other expenses, which was all beyond what the working class could afford.
Few roads had been built since the Roman days and the narrow stone roads were broken down and filled with ruts and big holes. Each Parish was responsible for the roads within its boundary. Sometimes the Gentry donated money for road improvements. Whenever a new road or bridge was constructed, a tollgate was up to help pay for the construction and upkeep of the road. The Parish sometimes paid the paupers pitifully low wages to break up stones to fill in the bog holes. During the rainy season, the ruts and bog holes became so big that the roads became impassable. Snow storms brought travel to a stand still, as there was no means to clear the roads of snow.
Not only were the roads difficult to travel, but there was also the danger of being ambushed by highwaymen and robbers. The highways were lined with trees and hedges that provided cover for the robbers. The "hold-ups" were so common that travelers drove on the left side of the road so their right hand would be free to draw their sword or pistol to defend themselves.
Because of the difficulty of traveling, most families remained in the same Parish throughout their lives, or within a twenty-mile radius. The Richins family was an exception. Only one of our ancestors spent his life in one Parish and that was Richard Richins, son of Henry, who was born and buried in Painswick.
Although there were many hardships and life at times was harsh and cruel, there were also things to enjoy, such as the three day fair. Even the working class was given a day off to attend the fair. Booths were set up and traveling merchants brought their merchandise to sell. There were articles from foreign countries—shawls from India, silk from Paris and articles from the Orient. There were minstrel shows, games, and entertainment. The fair opened with the ringing of the church bells and it was a festive time.
To deter stealing at the fair, the stocks were placed in a prominent place. Anyone caught stealing was locked in the stocks day and night without food or water. They became the targets of jeers and rotten eggs. Later they were sent to prison, sometimes without a trial.
The Parishes also enjoyed Market day. Farmers and shopkeepers brought their products to the market to sell. It was a time for gathering to hear the latest news. Since most people could not read, travelers brought the news. The public was always interested in the Royal Family and they also awaited word on the progress of the war. Market day was also a time to renew acquaintances and exchange the latest gossip. It was a place for young people to meet—many couples began their courtship at the market place.
Although the Gentry participated in the fox hunt, the village people often gathered along the fences to watch. Races were a popular sport among the rich and there was a keen sense of competition between them, with bets taken on the winner. The village gathered to watch the race and make their own bets. Although cock fighting was illegal, they still took place in cellars and barns—away from the eyes of the Constable. Some people even built underground cockpits. Bets were taken and many men lost the money needed for their family’s subsistence.
Christmas was observed with church services and caroling. The carolers visited the homes of the Gentry and rich, who would usually serve a treat to the singers and some even handed out small coins.
Most towns had a Manor and a Manor House and a Lord of the Manor, who held full jurisdiction over the town and "ruled the roost." The Lords of the Manor at one time possessed authority to hang a person without a fair trial. Because of the ignorance and the hard, cruel life of most of the working class, people could easily be incited to mob rule and to cheer at the hanging of a prisoner.
A Manor consisted of land titles confiscated from the enemies of the King and given to the King’s loyal subjects for service in battle. Originally, the Manor was held as "tenant of the will" under the King, but in due course of time, it became an inherited right and handed down through the heirs.
Many of the village people were hired by the Manor as servants to work on the farm or in the Manor House as maids, cooks, laundry women, housekeepers, etc. Most Manors had a park that was kept for hunting and fishing. The gamekeeper patrolled the park to keep the poachers from snaring rabbits and game birds, or killing the deer or other game.