Born in Woburn on March 20, 1742, Nathaniel Richardson was known as an industrious man in the Salem community. A tanner by profession, Nathaniel was very successful in his chosen profession, as well as many others. His Tan Yard was considered the largest in the county and he constructed a number of other barns and shops on lands that he owned, as well as investing in a number of ships. In 1771, he married Eunice Putnam and the two of them would have several children together. Active in the community, Nathaniel was a member of the Parish Council and Eunice a member of the East Church.
In 1789, the Richardsons' youngest, Betsy, passed away and was buried in Charter St. It is not known what the cause of death was, but it should be noted that in 1792, the Richardsons took the at-the-time-controversial decision of inoculating their children against smallpox. The precautions were successful, and by the end of the 18th century, Nathaniel and Eunice had six living children. Nathaniel was doing particularly well for himself, with his many business ventures flourishing.
It was on the 25th of January that Nathaniel would come to an untimely end. He was assisting in the removal of a building on the corner of Essex and Daniels streets, the sort of work he had often done (in fact, one building there had already been removed). As the building began to slide towards Derby Street and Nathaniel drove his oxen around the snow covered fence, “the Shoe caught his Great Coat, & before it could be known, he was thrown down, & his head passed between an open joice of the Building & some timber piled against the fence…” The impact caused severe trauma to the left side of his neck, killing him instantly. He would be buried in Charter St, next to his daughter, Betsy. His widow would live on for many more years, outliving him and several of their children, dying in 1846 at the age of 95.