Genetic testing is used by enslaved descendants on Richardson plantation to determine their family relationships

Carl Richardson Descendants

My maternal grandmother's surname name is Richardson. Throughout my childhood, I was acquainted with my grandmother's siblings. My mother frequently shared stories about her mother's relatives and their history. Josephine Richardson, along with her siblings, was born and raised in Montpelier, Louisiana, which is an unincorporated community located in St. Helena Parish. My research delved into the ancestry of my Richardson family, with a focus on my great-grandparents Thomas and Emma Vining Richardson. Through the United States Census, I uncovered valuable information about their lives. Specifically, I discovered that Thomas and his siblings resided in a household with their parents, Thomas and Amanda Breland Richardson.

As I was going through the inventory of the Benjamin and Celia Bankston Richardson Plantation, I found out that my ancestor Carrie and her son Thomas were among the twenty-three enslaved individuals listed. It got me thinking if any of the other enslaved people were related to Carrie. Could one of the women have been her mother, or perhaps her brother or sister? I know of another Richardson family in Tangipahoa Parish, and their ancestral origins are in St. Helena Parish. According to some, we may be related based on oral history, while others dispute this claim. The only sure way to settle this is to undergo a DNA test. Supt. Jimmy Richardson took the Ancestry DNA to get answers.

  Carl Richardson and Joseph Richardson
Descendants

Thomas, son of Carrie, is my maternal 3rd great-grandfather. It was discovered during the inventory
following Benjamin's death in 1855 that Carrie was only twenty years old at the time. The plantation inventory also listed a young man named Nathan, who was fifteen years old then. Nathan later fathered a son named Andrew Richardson. Supt. Jimmy Richardson descends from Nathan Richardson. Recently, my friend Lorraine Lizana informed me that her lineage connects to Thomas and Rebecca Richardson. Through Lorraine, I discovered that her ancestors Thomas and Rebecca are buried in the same cemetery as my 2nd great-grandparents Thomas and Amanda. All of them have been laid to rest in Rocky Hill A.M.E. Church Cemetery. Lorraine descends from Alfred Richardson lineage. Alfred was on the same plantation with Carrie, and Nathan.

Last year, we had individuals whose ancestors were Richardson from Tangipahoa Parish travel to Louisiana to establish a Richardson connection. Their ancestors Carl Richardson's ancestors descends from Louisiana. Their ancestors had to leave the south and they never returned to call Louisiana home again.  

Continuing with the genealogy investigation of Thomas Richardson's lineage, we have discovered another Thomas Richardson, Melbourne McNealty's father Joseph often shared stories about his Richardson relatives. After conducting additional genealogical research, it was discovered that Melbourne's ancestor Thomas arrived in New Orleans aboard a vessel called the State. He was sold to a plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana.  

I had a conversation with a young named Fagan Davis who shared with me that his family linage traces back to a Richardson family in St. Helena Parish. I asked him about the possibility of taking the Ancestry DNA test to establish and familial connection between us. He suggested that I test his mother who is the daughter of Willie Richardson instead of him. His mother agreed and took the test and now we are presently waiting for the results to come back. After receiving the DNA results, it is important to thoroughly compare and analyze them. To facilitate this process, I plan to schedule a Zoom meeting for everyone to share their DNA matches. This is especially necessary due to the historical separation of families caused by slavery, which often leads to roadblocks in our search for answers.

Earl Richardson, Sr., Dr. Antoinete Harrell, and Supt. Jimmy Richardson, Sr. 
Taking the Ancestry DNA test