Rice (surname)

The first generation of the Rice family that we have any record of was Vryan Reged, Lord of Kidwelly, Carunllon and Yokenen, in South Wales and his wife Margaret LaFaye, daughter of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall. The name of Rice was spoken and writen with a prefix of "Ap" - ApRice - but never used in England and America and the name was spelled "Rhys" later changed to "Rice".

= 18th Generation = Thomas Ap-Griffin and his first wife, the daughter and heir of Sir John Griffin of Abermarlais were parents of Sir Rhys. His second wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Philip, Duke of Burgundey and Mother of Sir Rhys' brothers.

= 19th Generation = Sir Rhys Ap-Thomas of Elmalin in Carmathanshire was founder of the English house of Rice. "He was never more than a Knight, yet little less than a prince in his native land." (from "Worthies" by Fuller)

He fought for King Henry VII and at the Battle of Bosworth was made a Knight Banneret by the King and in the 21st year of his reign, he made him a Knight of the Garter. The Order of the Garter was Englands highest rank of knighthood and was founded in the 14th century.

In the next reign, he was Captain of the Light Horse at the battle of Theroueune and at the seige of Tourney in 1513.

= 20th Generation = Sir Griffin Rice, son and heir of Sir Rhys Ap-Thomas, was made a Knight of the Bath at the marriage of Arthur, Price of Whales in 1501

= 21st Generation = William Rice of Bohmer in Buckinghampshire was granted a coat of arms in the 2nd year of the reign of Phillip and Mary - May 1555.

= 22nd Generation = Edward Rice

= 23rd Generation = George Rice, the son of Edward, was made a Baron by King George III.

= 24th Generation = (See Chart #1) Descendant from the Duke of Cornwall was Deacon Edmund Rice. (Pedigree of Rice's can be accurately traced for 33 generations) - see Burke's Peerage or Lodge's Peerage.

He was born in Buckinhamshire, Englad in 1594 - probably in the little town of Sudbury, which is 8 miles north of London, for he gave the name of Sudbury to his home town in Massachusetts in 1638.

In 1627, Deacon and his wife Tamazine were living in the village of Berkamstead, 28 miles north of London in Hertfordshire. Their first 3 chldren were doubtless born in Sudbury, Buckinghamshire. Also, the Parish records tell of the baptisim of five children. Deacon and his wife with seven of these childres (one having dies and one more born during the voyage) landed in Massachusets in 1638. Four other children were born later. They came in the early Post Mayflower perios, and the Deacon was always known as Edmund Rice, the Pilgrim.

He settled in Sudbury on the "Plantation near unto Concord" - incorporated in 1639. He resided on the East side of Sudbury River in the southern part of what is now Wayland. There he was selectman in 1644 and for years thereafter. He was made a Deacon in the church in 1648.

In 1654, Tamazine dies on June 13th.

He married "Mercie", widow of THomas Bingham of Cambridge, on March 1, 1655.

In 1656, he was one of the petitioners who sought the general court for a new plantation. This was granted and recorded under the name of Marboro, where he was given 50 arces of land. There he lived, and dies on May 3, 1663 and was buried in Sudbury.

"The Deacon was entrusted with various important duties by the general court, which he discharged with a fidelity that occasioned repeated calls for his services."

= 25th Generation = Thomas, the third son of Edmund, was born 1620-1626 in England, and came to America when quite young. He married Mary King of Sudbury and had six (6) children's births recorded there and eight (8) more in the Marboro records. Two children died young, 12 married and he had 75 grand children and 253-plus great grandchildren.

He died in Marboro November 16, 1681