George Richard King was born somewhere in Ireland in 1845, according
 to my research. Ireland at the time was in the grip of the Great Famine. 
Over one million people died needlessly when the staple potato crop failed.
 George's life in Ireland spanned the worst years of the famine. As an Irish 
Catholic it is doubtful that his family was removed from the horrific sights
 of the famine and may have even experienced it first hand. Nothing has been
 remembered of his life in Ireland by any of his descendants I have come 
in contact with so far.

    George is said to have left Ireland in 1852 with his parents and at 
least one brother, Henry. At this time George is said to have been around 
7 years old. The Kings travelled to America and entered through the port 
of New York. The passenger arrival lists kept at the National Archives in
 Washington are missing for the entire famine period. The next 10 years,
 including their wherabouts, is still unknown.

    In 1862, George, who know goes by his middle name; Richard, is living 
in Lockport, Niagara County, New York. He is 17 and has enlisted in 
Company "B" 164th New York Volunteer Infantry of the Union Army for 
serive during the Civil War. His motive is said to be a mean to obtain 
American citizenship although I have found no evidence for other 
Irish-Americans doing the same. Many fought to earn money, and many 
more to gain battle experience in order to return to Ireland and 
fight the British. And still others believed in the righteous cause 
the American must be "free ground". His brother, Henry also enlisted 
and is known to have recieved a sabre wound to the stomach during the 
battle of Gettysburg. Searching for Henry Kings who served from 
New York who were wounded in the war, I found only two.

Below are pictures of the 164th New York Vol. Infantry. George is somewhere
in the picture on the right.
 
 
    The 164th New York Vols. was a regiment in the famous Corcoran legion 
and were an ethnic unit of Irish Americans from New York State. 
Company "B" was indeed enlisted from Lockport, NY in 1862. Midway 
through George's service in the 164th, they traded in their standard 
uniforms for new ones modeled after the Zouaves, French North African 
Colonial Soldiers, it was thought that these uniforms were more romantic. 
The 164th was the only Irish Zouaves unit in the Corcoran legion, and is
 arguably the hardest fighting. Out of 766 who enlisted, 490 were killed.
 Another peculiarity of the regiment was that they were drawn from many 
towns and so never had a local green "Erin" banner made, like other Irish
 regiments. They recieved instead a blue regimental banner similar to this 
one. 
 

    I have yet to find a list of battles they fought, but am working on it. 
It is known that they fought at Gettysburg and one report says they were 
one of the regiments who met Picket's famous cavalry charge.
 
    The conditions of army life were too much for George. He was discharged 
in what looks like Centreville, Virginia September 2nd, 1863 by 
Captain William Moroney. He complained of chronic diarhea, internal 
piles (hemoroids) and pleurisy which is a swelling of the Pleura, a 
membrane which covers the lungs. He also stated that his vision was 
becoming blurred. He was described as having a dark complexion, 
two surgeon's reports state his height as 5' 11 1/2 '' and 5' 11'' while
 pension papers say he was 5', 4''.  

These are two surgeon's reports which I recieved form the National Archives
in Washington. The parts in quotations are supposed to be a summary of what
George told his doctor when these papers were drawn up. Parts in brackets
are words which are not clearly written and I have done my best to 
decipher. I have tried to preserve punctuation.

Physician's Affidavit

that he was 1/2 disabled from earning a living from manual labour during 
the period from Aug 26 1892 to June 1893. The applicant has suffered during
 that time with varied degrees of intensity.

Jan.18 1893

He says the rheumatism has troubled him for the last 25 years. it is mostly
in the hips + shoulders.
    "The first of the eye trouble I noticed in 1864 while in the army + has
 been growing worse ever since." He first had the piles in 1863 while in 
the army. Pulse:84, Respiration:21, Temperature:98 1/2, Height:5' 11''
Weight:160, Age:46 yrs.

I find the claimant unable to raise the right arm to a right angle with the
body. An account of rheumatism of the muscles of the arm. There is also 
tenderness on pressure of the lumbar muscles of the right side. I can find
no evidence of rheumatism of the heart by (auscultation) although it 
intermits at about every tenth beat.
On examining the eyes I find (presfyopia) of both eyes alike which could be 
much improved by proper glasses. I find two hemorroids just within the
 sphincter (aui) that bleed when the speculum is introduced; these tumors
prolapse whenever the bowels move + must be returned within the rectum, they
are as near as I can see about the sise of small filberts.


Surgeon's Report, Oct.28, 1895

impaired vision, rheumatism, piles, diarrhea, sore eyes and pleurisy.

"Can not see but a short distance- when I first look at anything I can see
quite distinct- but the next instant it is blurred. Eyes pain me at times
severely + get inflamed, have rheumatism all over. Worse in legs + arm 
joints do not swell. is in the knukles, piles are internal cannot lift + at
times cannot sit down. ulserate + discharge. have pleurisy all the time,
cannot sit up at times with it have diarrhea every two or three weeks if
I try to work. pass blood."

Pulse:68 Respiration:19 Temperature 99 Height 5' 11 1/2'' Weight:140 
Age: 50 yrs.

Skin sallow + wrinkled. Body poorly nourished. Muscles flabby +soft. Hands
soft showing that applicant cannot work. Tongue coated brown in center with 
red edges. pointed. liver enlarged and tender on pressure. bowels tender all
 over (tract of transverse) + assending color.
Eyelids red + thickened. Conjuctive red + inflamed lens slightly opaque.
scilliary muscles responds slowly to light. vision with both eyes: 12/70
                                              "     "   left eye: 4/70
                                              "     "   right eye: 4/100

We find no swelling of joints or enlargement but a tenderness of all the
muscles of the body + limbs + especially of back. Motion slow + it is
with effort that he raises body from stooping position hearts action 
sluggish + irregular mumur with + following first sound Apex beat in normal
position. We find several internal pile tumors size of large peas two 
ulserated + old cicatrices a number. rectum red + inflamed we find dullness
 over right side from two inches above to two inches below nipple- pleuritic
(crepitus) + there is a thickening of pleura + adhesions. Expansion of 
right side 1 inch less than of left total expansion 2 inches. 
Left side 1 1/2 inch. Right side 1/2 inch. Applican feeble + unable to 
do any manual labout.

(The following is the transcript of the research report
 done by Patricia Sundstrom.
 This is, curently, all we know of George Richard King;
 Edith King's father. The coats of arms for the King,
 Williams and Taylor families are, one of two that I
 have found for each name. The others will be made 
available onceI reproduce them. Also, the motto for the 
Williams family reads as: "Cywir In Gwlad" and is of Welsh
 origin.)The picture below is of Private Fish of the 
New York 160th (?)infantry. George would have worn a uniform 
identical to his when he entered the war. The other two 
pictures are of the victorious march of the Union soldiers 
into Washington and the battle of Gettysburg.


The George Richard King Family

	It was told by several descendants that George Richard
King came to the U.S. from Ireland with his parents when he was
about 7 years of age. Nothing has been remembered of his parents 
or his growing up years in this country except it is believed
they lived in the state of New York.


	It is known he had a brother Henry King who enlisted in 
the army of the Civil War from New York state. It was said that 
both boys enlisted so as to become U.S. citizens. Henry King was 
wounded at Gettysburg by a saber wound in the stomach but 
survived the war.



	"Richard" King, as he was called in later years, also 
enlisted in the Civil War. He applied for his pension on July 3, 
1895, claim no.1127502. He was a private co.B. 164 reg Infantry; 
gave his present residence at time as Isabella, Delta co. 
Michigan.


	"Richard" King, when he filled out his pension 
application papers stated he and Lucy Taylor were married on Fox 
Island (probably South Fox) near Manitou Island in norther Lake 
Michigan waters. He was a commercial fisherman. 


	Some years after their marriage this family came to 
Delta County, upper Michigan. It is evident they lived in or 
near Escanaba for a time. It was told by their daughter Mary 
(King) Bacon that in later years, before 1889, they lived near 
Bacon Springs which was on the east side of Moss Lake near 
Isabella in Delta County. Richard and Lucy King bought some 
property there in 1893- 40 acres. In 1893 Richard deeded his 
share to his wife Lucy King. In 1899 Lucy deeded this property 
to Edwin Johnson.
	The mother Lucy (Taylor) King was said by a daughter to 
have been born on Mackinaw Island, Lake Huron. A son-in-law 
believed she may have been born on South Fox or on one of the 
Manitou Islands, also her mother was said to have been a 
"Williams" of the same family as Governor Mennon Williams.

	Several descendants believed there were two or three 
sons that for some reason were not listed by Richard King in his 
pension papers, others believed not. It would take considerable 
research to search out truth of this. As far as we can 
determine, these boys were:


	1) Archibald King  who died at Newberry June 15, 1932 
age 57 yrs a helpless cripple of rheumatism who lay unable to 
help himself for 35 years.

	2) Nanny King (called Pegleg) who had a stroke which 
paralyzed one leg and lived at McMillan. He walked by dragging 
his leg for years before another stroke took his life.


	3) Nick King, a trapper in the U.S. and Canada who lived 
in Munising.


If any or all of these men were his sons Richard King chose not 
to name them in his pension papers.

 




	In his pension papers Richard King stated he was 50 
years of age. That he was 5ft 4 in, dark complexion, grey eyes, 
entered the war on Aug.30th, 1862, as a private in co.B.164 reg 
Infantry of N.Y. He was discharged at _____ Virginia Sept. 2, 
1863 for reasons of chronic diarrhea, piles, sore eyes, 
rheumatism in the back and pleurisy. He stated this in 1895, his 
residence Isabella, Delta co. Michigan.

	In his pension application Richard King listed his 
children and gave birthdates. It appears he was some confused as 
to the correct dates and also neglected to name one daughter. It 
stands to reason there were children born to the Kings between 
the years of 1868 and 1891. This is the list as he gave it:


Mary King born June 18, 1868
			(There was also daughter Alice King)
Andrew King born Jan.29, 1870
Jessie King born June 9, 1873
Edith King born Oct.10, 1884   (The correct date is, in fact Oct.11, 1881)
Hazel King born Sept.3, 1888 (incorrect as she was born in 1891 in Escanaba Michigan.)

There were also other King families in Delta co. quite early. It 
is unknown if they were related to the George Richard King 
family. On the Garden Peninsula there were several early King 
families.

	After George Richard King's death at Isabella in 1899 it 
was said that his wife Lucy remarried to John W.(Jack) Maida, 
and had a son Henry Maida who became a veterinarian and lived in 
Detroit, Michigan. It is believed that Lucy and Jack Maida 
separated.

	We have but a brief outline on this old pioneer family. 
There certainly are known descendants in Delta co. Upper 
Michigan today.  


Record of the George Richard King Family–as known


George Richard King		Born ab' t 1845 in Ireland
				Died	     1899 Delta Co. Michigan
	Buried Ste. Jean de Baptiste Cemetery, Garden, Delta Co. Michigan
Married July 12, 1867 on S. Fox Island, northern Lake Michigan by Justice Andrew Roddy.

Lucy Taylor			Born April 1848/53 Mackinaw Island, Lake Huron.
				Died May 3,  1924 Wells twp. Delta Co. Michigan.
Said to be buried Holy Cross Cemetery, Escanaba, Delta Co. Michigan. 
She was the daughter of James H. Taylor and wife 
________Williams. (Her mother said to be of the same Williams 
family as Governor Mennon Williams) Lucy Taylor may have had a 
brother in Delta county. Record was found of a William and Edna 
Taylor who had a daughter Lucy Taylor born in 1889 in Delta Co. 
Michigan.

	Their known children:	In the 1900 census Lucy stated she had had 12 children
					But only 7 were living at the time. It is known two of the
					Children she lost were Gertrude and Jennie.

1. Mary King		Born June 18, 1868

Married Charles Avery Bacon
His father was a Civil War soldier) At least one daughter was Gertrude Bacon born Sept.18, 1889
Richard Bacon who died young.
Emma Rebecca Bacon born Oct. 6, 1893 Bacon Springs, Delta Co. Michigan. She married _____Colburn.
Bacon Springs was said to have been in Isabella, Delta Co. Michigan. 

2.Andrew King		Born Jan. 29, 1870
(Lived at St. Ignace at one time)
 
3.Jessie King			Born June 9, 1873 Delta Co. Michigan
				Died Aug. 21, 1908 Delta Co. Michigan
	Buried Ste. Jean de Baptiste Cemetery, Delta Co. Michigan. 
Married E.J. Dailey

4.Albert King		Born May 1883 Delta Co.Michigan

Age 17 in the 1900 census--- Nothing further known

5.Edith King		Born Oct. 10, 1884 (Father's Date)
			Born Oct. 11, 1881
	
	Married Thomas Boutilier.

6.Hazel King		Born Sept. 1,1891 Escanaba, Delta Co. Michigan
			Died Nov. 21,1964 Ensign, Delta Co. Michigan
			Buried Moss Lake Cemetery, Delta CO. Michigan

Married Gistaf Moberg
			Born Jan. 24, 1890 Sweden
			Died		1970 Manistique, Michigan.
Son of John Moberg
Children: Richard Moberg; David Moberg
 
7.Alice King		Buried Moss Lake Cemetery, Delta Co. Michigan.

Married Edwin Johnson buried Moss Lake Cemetery, Delta Co. Michigan
Children: Margaret, Edwin Jr., Eugene, Dewey, Mabel, Mae, Mildred.

8.Jennie King		Born Nov. 1,1887
			Died Nov. 25,1887 age 25 days
			Buried ________cemetery. Escanaba, Michigan.
		
9. Infant		Died Dec. 21, 1889 Age 1 day- Perhaps Gertrude

*****************************************************************
Lucy (taylor) King remarried after 1899 and before 1903 to John W. Maida. One son Henry Maida who was a veterinarian and lived in Detroit, Michigan.

Sources of Information

Marguerite (Colburn) Dappert Granddaughter of Mary (King) Bacon.
Pension Application Papers
1900 Census Records
Descendants of Richard and Lucy King
Marguerite Dappert (Mrs.Wendall)