The Trouble with Riffitts
My neighbor asked me to research her mother's side of the family, namely Riffitts, and try to find out where these people came from. No one knew much. After nearly ten years of off-and-on research, I can still say the same.
Going backwards was easy, at first. Her grandparents were William Riffitts and Jennie Ginley, married in the city of Philadelphia in 1913. The marriage certificate told me that William's parents were William Riffitts and Emma Buck. Further searching produced no marriage certificate for William and Emma, however, William and Jennie's marriage certificate indicated that both William and Emma were deceased at the time of the wedding. Death records prior to June 30, 1915 are readily available in the city of Philadelphia.
After a search of the death record, it was found that Emma died of TB in 1910 (two days after her daughter, Mary, died of the same thing). William died in 1895. The death certificate indicated that William was born in Beverly (no state given). It also said that the coroner was involved in his death. The Philadelphia Public Ledger carried the story of how William was thrown from a trolley as it turned a corner. He died of a fractured skull. An obituary appeared in the paper, stating the his parents were the late John and Martha. Here's where it begins to get muddy.
Further study of death records produced a John Riffets, aged 72, dying on April 3, 1869. An obituary in the Philadelphia Inquirer noted that he was born in Delaware and was buried at Leverington Cemetery in Manyunk. No mention was made of his wife. Next, a female, with no age listed, named merely M. Riffitts was found, having died on November 28th, 1865. The burial records for Leverington Cemetery were consulted. It showed that a John Riffets, aged 72, was buried in 1869, another John Riffets, aged 54, was buried in 1889, and a female, listed only as Mrs. Riffets, no age, was buried in 1865. To date, no first name has been found.
Census records were consulted with no conclusive results. William and Emma were found on the detail of the 1880 Census, living together as husband and wife. But their names were not found on the Soundex cards. Thank godness for City Directories. Marriage records for either John were not found for the city of Philadelphia. Birth records for either William Riffitts and Emma Buck have not been found, either.
The following assumptions were made. The William Riffitts who died in 1895 was between 36 and 39 years old. Therefore, his birth year is between 1856 and 1859. Williams father was the John Riffets that died in 1889 at the age of 54 (birth year 1835). The other John Riffets, who died in 1869, must, therefore, be John Riffets father. This would also put his birth year at about 1796. The Mrs. Riffets, who died in 1865, should be Martha, who was buried to the John born around 1835. So, where is the other John's wife?
At this point, the dance begins. First major stumbling block is the last name. Current spelling in Riffitts. As you go back, the spellings are: Riffets, Rifford, Riffert, Rifferts, Reifets, Riefferter, Riffetts, etc. Then, there is location. Census and City Directories show that the family name begins in Philadelphia before the Revolutionary War, then splits to live in the Northern Liberties, Lower Oxford Township, Shackmoxon, & Cecil County, Maryland.
After many years of searching, a came across a Baptismal Record of one John Riffets, born in 1787. This is only nine years difference to the John Riffets who died in 1869. The parents of this John Riffets was John Riffets and his wife Brightwed (or Bright or Breide).
There are a myriad of Riffitts in Colonial Philadelphia. But there is no indication as to who John Riffets parents are. There is no record of John and Brightwed's marriage. Who did John Riffets(died 1869) marry and when? Are all the Riffitts found in area surrounding Philadelphia related? Where are John and Brightwed buried? When did they die? I found a deed signed by both of them from 1859! It didn't help. Where were William and Emma married? How come a first name like Brightwed doesn't stand out among the Colonial records?
Where do I go next?
For some of the details go to: