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Emma Kennedy Welch descends from the Richards and Kennedy families. The earliest Richards in the Greenup area go back to Thomas Richards. Thomas Richards Sr. served in the Revolutionary War. He was married twice, first to Isabel and next to Mary. Thomas Sr. lived in Belmont County Ohio, where he served as constable in 1802. In 1810 he moved toGreenup County Kentucky where he operated a ferry over the mouth of the Little Sandy River.
Thomas Richards Sr. had several children including Thomas Richards Jr. Thomas Richards Jr. and his wife Judy Bush were the parents of Hiram Richards. Hiram was born in 1835. He lived near Lynn (at that time it was called Liberty) Kentucky. Later, he lived near Oldtown, in southern Greenup County. He married Emily Lovejoy, in nearby Lewis
County, in 1856. Hiram Richards and Emily Lovejoy were the parents of Mary Isabel Richards.
Hannah Smith was the daughter of Godfrey Smith. Godfrey was born near Redstone Pennsylvania, in 1752. He enlisted in the patriot army of Virginia, commanded by Colonel Buford, in 1779. In 1780 Godfrey Smith re-enlisted and was in the battle of Camden and Eutaw Springs, South Carolina. He served a total of five years in the Continental Army.
After the war he married Margaret Hoover, of Pennsylvania.
In 1810 the Godfrey Smith family moved to Greenup , coming down the river on a flat boat. They settled on a branch below Greenup and both the branch and the settlement took his name. Godfrey died in 1847. His daughter, Hannah, married J. Herson Lovejoy in 1835. J. Herson Lovejoy died shortly afterward and left his wife with four-year-old twin daughters, Emily and Margaret. Hannah later married Samuel Meek and raised five more children.
Samuel Meek was a veteran of the War of 1812.
Children of Hiram Richards and Emily Lovejoy9
1. Thomas b. 1858 M.
2. James W. b. 1860 M.
* 3. Mary Isabel b. 1862 M. John Kennedy
4. Ella b. 1864 M.
5. Lewis b. 1867 M.
6. Dara b. 1873 M.
7. Godfrey b. 1875 M.
8. Mittie b. 1878 M.
Mary Isabel Richards married John W. Kennedy in Greenup County, in 1879. John was born on June 5, 1854 in
Scioto County Ohio. His father, Anthony Kennedy, was born in Ireland. His mother, Elizabeth Bailey, was from Kentucky.
John was born in a little town along the Ohio River named Junior Furnace. This furnace was located in Green township
of Scioto County. These furnaces were very common along both sides of the river between 1825 and 1870. Then the large
modern steel mills began to appear. The furnaces employed many of the immigrants who were fleeing the potato famine in
Ireland. Anthony Kennedy was probably one of these.
Children of John Kennedy and Mary
Richards
1. Hiram b. 1880 M.
2. Emma b. 1883 M. William Welch
3. Mabel b. 1886 M.
4. John b. 1888 M.
5. Lewis F. b. 1892 M.
6. Minnie b. 1894 M.
Emma Kennedy married William Welch, as outlined
earlier.
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