Esther Biddle

  General Notes:

Esther was also called "Ettie".

Though the below are referred to as Richart Family Notes, they are actually the notes of Elva Richart (transcribed letteres of Alva Richart, written in 1949-1950).

General Notes: Richart Family Notes: "...Well I declare! Just remembered that I had forgotten to tell you about Aunt Hettie. HETTIE BIDDLE MCCOLLUM. Grandmother RICHART's and Great Uncle ISRAEL BIDDLE's sister who also lived in Macon, Michigan. The whole Biddle family belonged to Macon even if they did live across the Macon, Lenawee County border in Saline Township in Washtenaw County. Our Great Aunt Hettie and her daughter MARTHA lived in Macon Village. There were no more in her family. She was a seamstress by trade. My father and his Uncle ABE BIDDLE (he never married) built her house or rather built her a house. Her daughter married MILAN SAGE, Son of a Pioneer. Milan and Martha raised a family of four children, all born in Aunt Hettie's house. Their names were (A) ALBERTA SAGE and brothers (B) FRANK, (C) LA VERN and (D) REVILO GERSHAM SAGE...."

Richart Family Notes: "Mary Lowry Biddle-Richart was a daughter of Israel Biddle Sr. and ---- Lowry. She was one of a large family of children. Other members of the family were two other sisters Hester and I don't know name of the other. Some of the brothers were Israel Jr. Gresham or Gersham, Abraham, Clark and many others whose names I do not recall."

Richart Family Notes: "...I have no knowledge when ...Aunt Hettie Biddle McCollum, as we called her accompanied by her only daughter Martha came to Michigan. Whether she came later by herself or earlier with some of the others or not I do not know."


The following are notes of Michael Ciaramitary, M.D. or Ypsilanti, Michigan:

Aunt "Hettie" or "Hester" is likely the author's best recollection (written in 1950) of "Ettie" or Esther McCollum (1807-1868), for the following reasons:

1. There is no record of a "Hettie" or Hester McCollum in either the US Census, local Cemetery records or Washtenaw/Lenawee county vital records. 2. Esther McCollum (53 - born Pennsylvania) appears in the 1860 US Census for Macon Twp, Lenawee Co in the household of Myron(sic) Sage (age 26) along with Martha (22 - born Pennsylvania) and Ava(sic) (age 1/12). (Ser:M653 Roll:551 Page:937). She is not present in the 1850 US Census in Lenawee County or in Saline Twp, Washtenaw county. 3. Esther McCollum is buried in the Sage plot of Macon Cemetery, Macon Michigan. The name on her gravestone is "Esther," not "Hester." Her grave abuts the Biddle plot that holds the graves of Israel, Mary S, Clark and Abraham Biddle, as well as numerous other Biddles.

Parenthetically, "George W. Hawes Michigan State Gazeteer and Business Directory for 1860" (George W. Hawes, publisher, Detroit, Dec 20 1859) lists "Sage, Mrs Martha, dressmaker" among the businesses in Macon, Michigan, lending weight to the accuracy of Alva Richart's recollections ("She was a seamstress by trade").

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Residence: Macon, Lenawee County, Michigan.

Esther married McCollum.