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Tuesday, March 11, 2003 Page: 7A
LANGHAM IS A VILLAGE IN RUTLAND, ENGLAND’S SMALLEST COUNTY. ALTHOUGH I NO
LONGER LIVE THERE I AM A MEMBER OF THE LANGHAM VILLAGE HISTORY GROUP AND I
ORGANIZED THE RECORDING OF ALL READABLE INSCRIPTIONS ON GRAVESTONES AT THE
PARISH CHURCH AND THE BAPTIST CHURCH. ONE STONE INTRIGUED ME, SO NOW I AM
WRITING TO ASK FOR HELP FROM YOU AND YOUR READERS. ON THE FRONT IT SAYS,
“ERECTED IN REMEMBRANCE OF MARY ANN WIFE OF RICHARD SHARPE WHO DEPARTED THIS
LIFE JANUARY YE 10 1822 AGED 34 YEARS. ALSO 4 OF THEIR CHILDREN VIZ. SARAH
ANN, ELIZABETH, THOMAS, ROBERT. WHO DIED IN THEIR INFANCY.” ON THE REVERSE IS
WRITTEN “IN MEMORY OF RICHARD SHARPE WHO EMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA DECEMBER 1826 DIED NEAR WILKES BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA SEPT 10 1836 AGED
54 YEARS 8 MONTHS AND 21 DAYS.” OUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER, THE STAMFORD MERCURY,
REPORTED IN MAY 1872 “MR. RICHARD SHARPE, PREVIOUSLY A LARGE OCCUPIER IN THE
PARISH OF LANGHAM, EMIGRATED TO AMERICA IN 1826. IN HIS NEW HOME HE AMASSED
CONSIDERABLE WEALTH AND DIED THERE. HIS ELDEST SON MR. RICHARD SHARPE SENT 200
(POUNDS) FROM AMERICA TO BE APPLIED TO RESTORATION OF THE PARISH CHURCH.” A
PAINTED BOARD IN THE CHURCH LISTS DONATIONS TO THE RESTORATION AND MR.
SHARPE’S IS INCLUDED. I DO NOT KNOW WHEN YOUR NEWSPAPER WAS FOUNDED, BUT DID
IT BY ANY CHANCE CARRY AN OBITUARY FOR RICHARD SHARPE OR RICHARD SHARPE
JUNIOR? ARE ANY DESCENDANTS LIVING IN THE AREA OR DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT BECAME
OF THEM? SOMEONE TOLD ME OF AN ENTRY ON THE INTERNET IN THE PARISH REGISTER OF
ST. STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, WILKES-BARRE, OF THE BURIAL ON SEPT 18. 1836
OF RICHARD SHARPE, AGED 54 YEARS 6 MONTHS WHICH COULD BE THE SAME RICHARD THAT
I’M LOOKING FOR. MY OWN ENQUIRIES IN ENGLAND SHOW THAT RICHARD CAME FROM
SEVERAL GENERATIONS OF SHARPES IN LANGHAM AND THAT HE REMARRIED TO SARAH
ADCOCK ON 21 SEPTEMBER 1826, SHORTLY BEFORE HE SAILED TO AMERICA. MY DAUGHTER
IS IN PENNSYLVANIA AT PRESENT AND HAS NOTED A RICHARD SHARPE WHO WAS A SON OF
THE REVOLUTION IN 1898, AND ALSO A RICHARD SHARPE OF WILKES-BARRE WHO MARRIED
MARGARET WICKLIFFE JOHNSON ON 26 APRIL 1892, SHE WAS BORN ON 20 JULY 1864 AT
DILL’S FARM NEAR RICHMOND. THEY HAD AT LEAST TWO CHILDREN; ROSA DUNCAN SHARPE
(JULY 8, 1894) AND ELIZABETH MONTGOMERY SHARPE (MAY 14, 1896) BUT WE KNOW
NOTHING MORE. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT RICHARD SHARPE DID IN PENNSYLVANIA,
WHERE HE LIVED AND HOW HE PROSPERED. I WONDER IF HIS SON RICHARD WAS BORN OF
HIS SECOND MARRIAGE OR IF HE WAS A SURVIVING CHILD OF THE UNFORTUNATE MARY
ANN? IF YOU COULD HELP ME TO FIND OUT I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL. SEVERAL
FAMILIES IMMIGRATED TO CANADA FROM LANGHAM BUT THIS IS THE ONLY ONE TO AMERICA
THAT WE HAVE FOUND AND IS BY FAR THE EARLIEST. MY DAUGHTER, MRS. MOIRA
THOMPSON, IS AT 5 GLENWOOD CIRCLE, MEDIA, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19063-4509. I SHALL
BE VISITING HER FROM APRIL 16 TO 23, GOD WILLING. FREDA SMITHSON LEICESTER,
ENGLAND