Individual Details

Living with son William Henry and family in 1880. Age 94, b. AL Gave birthplace of his father as Georgia; his mother as Virginia. Name is plainly Mathan. The age is somewhat debatable - this census is very faded and the enumerator made his 7's and 9's very much alike - this number is more like the 9's.

Nathan's grave marker has his year of birth as 1800 and he is buried as Nathan Riddle.

Not only is his name confused, the ages of Nathan and Rhoda are very confusing. And it would appear based on the ages of the children in 1850, that Rhoda, some years younger, was not the first wife. Matthew [Nathan?] was only 46 in 1850 but by 1880 he was aged 94. In thirty years, he aged 48 years. Rhoda aged from 36 to 74 in only twenty years. I have elected to use their ages as found in 1850.

1870 Census. Cedar Creek, Crawford Co AR. Hh 143
Nathan Ridle, age 84, b. NC. [the 8 is marked over]
Rhoda, age 74, b. TN [both of them seemed to have aged an extra 10 years since 1860]
Henry, age 16, farmhand, b. AR
A. E. Newman, age 14, b. AR
and in Hh 144
G. W. Ridle, age 19, b. AR and S.A. age 18, a female, keeping house.
just above, Hh 137, was
Lewis Ridle, age 30, b. Alabama [as was Jefferson Riddle]
Jane 30, b. KY.
children b. AR: Silas 7, Louisa 5, and M. L. [female] age 3.

In 1860, this man's name appeared as Mathen. This is the 2nd instance of Nathan/Mathew names being confused in this census. . He was then age 68, b. NC. Roda was 55, b. TN. Many of the children were born in Alabama: Jefferson 22, Juda A. 18, Jones 17, and Polly 16. George 9, and William H. 6, were listed as born in Arkansas. There is also a gap of some 7 years between Polly and George - perhaps Rhoda was a second wife or they lost a child.

1850 Census. Illinois Twp, Washington Co AR, Hh 2
Matthew Riddle, age 46, b. NC
Rhoda, age 36, b. TN [if this is her true age, she was likely not Minerva's mother]
Born in Alabama: Minerva, age 23. James age 20. Anderson age 18. Adaline age 17. Lewis age 16. Jefferson age 13. Julia 11. Jones 9. Mary 7. George age 1 - George is the only child born in Arkansas.
Margaret Cooper, age 80, b. VA. Probably Rhoda's mother.

1840 Census. Jackson Co Alabama.
Matthew Riddle: 3 males under 5 [Jeff, Lewis, Anderson], 1 male 5-10 [James]
1 male age 40-50 [which would make him older than 46 in 1850]
2 females under 5 [Adaline and ??] and 2 females age 10-15 [Minerva & ??]
1 female age 30-40 [Rhoda, but again this would make him older than the 36 she stated in 1850]
and 1 female age 70-80 [Margaret Cooper?]
What's interesting is that on the same page in this census are other Riddles:
James Riddle is age 30-40 and has 4 young boys, 2 young girls, and 2 ladies age 30-40
Samuel Riddle is counted next to James and is also age 30-40. He has 5 girls, 3 boys and an apparent spouse age 30-40
elsewhere in Jackson Co AL I found
Alexr. Riddle, age 40-50, with a spouse the same age with 4 boys, 5 girls.
John Riddle, age 50-60, spouse 40-50, with 3 boys, 1 girl

1830 Census. Jackson Co, Alabama. Again I found numerous Riddles.
p. 17
Alexander Riddle: 1m -5, 2m 5-10, 1m 20-30 and 1m 30-40. 1f -5, 1f 5-10, 1f 15-20, and 1f 20-30 [could be two couples living together]
p.21
Stephen Riddle: 1m -5, 2m 5-10, 1m 30-40. 2f -5, 1f 5-10, 2f 10-15, 1f 20-30.
p.22
Terry Riddle: 5m -5, 1m 20-30. 1f 20-30
Harmon Riddle: 1m -5, 1m 5-10, 2m 10-15, 1m 40-50. 2f -5, 2f 5-10, 1f 15-20, 1f 30-40
and next to Harmon was
Randolph Riddle: 1m age 60-70. 1f age 60-70
p.23
Burgess Riddle: 2m 10-15, 1m 40-50. 1f -5, 2f 5-10, 1f 15-20, 1f 30-40
p.48
Nathan Riddle: 1m -5 [James], 1m 20-30. 2f -5 [Minerva and ??], 1f 20-30, and 1f 60-70 Note that he is again NATHAN, not Matthew.
p.49
James Riddle: 1m -5, 1m 20-30. 1f 20-30.
John Riddle: 1m -5, 1m 5-10, 2m 10-15, 1m 15-20, 1m 40-50. 1f -5, 1f 5-10, 1f 10-15, 1f 30-40

Knowing that Nathan, or Matthew, consistently gave his birthplace as North Carolina, I did check the 1800 NC census. I did find a "Randle" Riddle living in Salisbury, Stokes Co. He was age 26-45, as was his spouse. There were then also 3 males under 10 and 2 males 10-16, 3 females under 10, 2 females 10-16 and one female 16-26. Randolph Riddle above would seem to be the only resident of Jackson Co AL that would have been old enough to have a household in North Carolina in 1880.
In 1790, these Riddle households are found in Stokes Co: Tyre, John & Randolph Riddle.
Found http://jimcal.com/riddlefam.htm is the following:
A recently discovered petition from 1795 located in the Maryland Archives proves that Randolph and John Riddle were the grandsons of John Riddle born 1680 in the present day Washington, DC area and Elizabeth Bowman of Prince George’s Co., Maryland. Strong circumstantial evidence indicatets that Tyre Riddle was related to Randolph and John but the connection still remains illusive. The petition was filed by Zachariah Riddle of Loudon County, Virginia, a descendant of John Riddle, on behalf of John Riddle's grandchildren.
Prince Georges County to wit: We whose names are hereunto subscribed being appointed Commissioners by the Honourable the Justices of Prince Georges County Court, by the annexed Commission, and having taken an Oath well and truly and without favour, partiality or prejudice to adjudge and determine whether the Estate of John Riddle deceased will admit of being divided, and to ascertain the value of such Estate in current money; do hereby certify and return that we have examined the Land in question and have enquired into the number of persons invested and we find that the said land John Riddle left Children who are now living vizt. Jacob Riddle, James Riddle of Prince Georges County, Zachariah Riddle of Loudoun County Virginia, Basil Riddle of North Carolina, and Sally his Daughter who intermarried with Francis Nicholson of Frederick County, that he also left Grand Children in George Riddle, Samuel Riddle, Jeremiah Riddle, Mary the Wife of Benjamin Hutchinson, Elizabeth Walker (the Wife of Joseph Walker, and Ann Riddle, all Children of George Riddle, eldest son of said John Riddle and all living in Loudoun County in Virginia, Randall Riddle and John Riddle Sons of Jno Riddle second son of John Riddle decd, both living in Grenville County in North Carolina, John Riddle and Sarah Riddle, Children of Saml Riddle the son of said John Riddle the Intestate, of Montgomery County and John Beck, Anthony Beck, Jeremiah Beck and James Beck, Children of Elizabeth his Daughter, who intermarried with Anthony Beck, now decd. that John lives Kentucky, Anthony and Jeremiah in Montgomery County, and James Beck in Prince Georges County with Joseph Beck his Guardian that the said Jeremiah Beck and Joseph Beck are both minors under the age of twenty one years, that John Beck son of James is Guardian to the aforesaid Jeremiah & with whom he lives. We also find that the said Lands contain the quantity of one hundred & ninety acres and that the Land is of inferior quality; and we are of opinion that the said Land cannot be divided without loss to all the parties interested, because of the smallness of the quantity, the inferior quality, it's situation and the number of persons interested, we further certify that we are of opinion that the Real value of the said Land in Current money is worth our opinion three dollars p. acre. Given under our hands this 16th day of October 1794.
James Beck
Joseph Beck
Richd. Walker
Jesse Cheney

An online database of Riddles suggests that Randolph Riddle, born about 1762, married Jemima Hawkins. He died ca 1835 in Jackson Co AL. Sons included William Stephen, b. 1794, d. 1870 in TN; Benjamin, b. 1785, d. 1822 in McMinn Co TN [perhaps the family was in Tennessee between 1800 and 1830], John, b. 1787, d. 1855 in AR; Harmon, b. 1789, d. 1842 Wilson Co TN; Alexander, b. 1798, d. 1856, TX; Tyre, b. ca 1803 in TN. Children for most of these are also listed and there are no Matthews, Nathans, or Nathaniels.
Randolph's brother John did indeed have a son named Nathaniel Riddle, b. 1805, but he remained in North Carolina, dying there after 1870.
This leaves several of the Riddles in Jackson Co AL unidentified.


There was also a Riddle family in Chatham Co NC. Descendants of Julius Riddle reported to have had seven sons who were born approximately 1746 - 1760. The sons were William, Richard, Cato, John, Thomas, Julius, and Brantly. Richard had a son named Anderson, as did Cato. Cato's Anderson, b. 1788, lived in Georgia - founded the town of Riddlesville. I find no Nathaniels, Nathans or Matthews in this family either.

There were Riddles in Lousia Co VA, that move to Elbert Co, GA. Elizabeth Tate, daughter of Zimri Tate married about 1800 to Archibald Riddle. Then Thomas J. Tate's daughter Sarah Y. [prob. her mother's maiden name of Yarbrough] married Anderson Riddle, son of of Archibald, on 21 Feb 1815 in Elbert Co. Thomas J. was a son of Zimri Tate. I can find nothing additional to suggest any of their families went on to Alabama, nor that they lived at any time in North Carolina.

Birth	1804	North Carolina
Death	1883
Marriage		Rhoda Cooper

Spouse	Rhoda Cooper (1814 - 1874)
Child	Minerva Riddle (1827 - )
Child	James Riddle (1830 - )
Child	Anderson Riddle (1832 - )
Child	Adaline Riddle (1833 - )
Child	Lewis F. Riddle (1836 - )
Child	Jefferson Riddle (1838 - 1891)
Child	Julia A. Riddle (1842 - )
Child	Jones Riddle (1843 - )
Child	Mary "Polly" Riddle (1845 - )
Child	George Riddle (1851 - )
Child	William Henry Riddle (1854 - 1928)