The Albany family of this name are lineal descendants of that Jonathan Rudd, whose romantic marriage is so beautifully described by Miss [Frances Manwaring] Caulkins in her History of New London, Connecticut, p. 48. Jonathan was a native of England, who came to America and settled perhaps in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1640. Certain it is that he took the oath of fidelity, October 1, 1644. He was of Saybrook, Connecticut, in 1646, was admitted a freeman, was of Hartford in 1651. He probably died in 1668. He was a man of importance as shown by the records. He was married in the winter of 1647 by John Winthrop, of New London, who was acting under a Massachusetts commission. The name of his bride is not given, but the circumstances attending the marriage have been and always will be preserved. "The wedding day was fixed and a magistrate from upriver engaged to perform the ceremony as there was not anyone in Saybrook qualified to officiate." But "there falling out at that time a great snow" so that "the magistrate intended to go down thither was hindered by the depth of the snow." But the nuptials must not be delayed, application was made to Mr. Winthrop to come to Saybrook to perform the ceremony, but he deriving his authority from Massachusetts had no legal right to officiate in Connecticut. He, however, agreed if the parties would meet at a brook designated he would there perform the ceremony as that was Massachusetts territory. The offer was accepted. On the brink of this little stream, the boundary between two colonies, the parties met, Winthrop and his friends from Pequot, and the bridal train from Saybrook. Here the ceremony was performed under the shelter of no roof, by no hospitable fireside, without any accommodation but those furnished by the snow covered earth, the overarching heavens and perchance the sheltering side of a forest of pines or cedars. Never perhaps was the rite performed in a situation so wild and solitary and under circumstances so interesting and peculiar. The impressive group stood around wrapped in their frosty mantles with heads reverently bowed and at the given sign the two plighted hands came forth from among the furs, and were clasped in token of a lifelong affectionate trust. The stream received the name of "Bride Brook" on the spot, and is so known to this day. Jonathan Rudd had issue. His daughter Patience married, October 7, 1675, Samuel Bushnell. Mary, supposed to be the first born, married, December 12, 1666, Thomas Bingham. Two sons were Jonathan, and Nathaniel, see forward.
(II) Nathaniel, son of Jonathan Rudd, was born in Saybrook, probably died in Norwich, in April, 1727. He settled at West Farms, Norwich, Connecticut. His homestead was in that part of the West Farms now called Bozrah. He seems to have prospered as he left at his death an estate valued at six hundred and eighty-nine pounds. He married, (first) Mary, daughter of John Post, April 16, 1685, who bore him Jonathan, Mary (1), Mary (2), Lydia. Mary (Post) Rudd died November, 1705. His second wife was Abigail Hartshorn, whom he married January 31, 1706. She bore him Nathaniel, see forward; Joseph and eight other children.
(III) Captain Nathaniel (2), son of Nathaniel (1) and Abigail (Hartshorn) Rudd, was born in Norwich, 1684. He removed to Windham, Connecticut, where he died February 20, 1760. He was an ensign of militia, 1722, captain in 1736, deputy to Connecticut general assembly, 1737. He married, December 27, 1709, Rebecca, daughter of John and Rebecca (Adams) Waldo. They had issue.
(IV) Jonathan (2), son of Captain Nathaniel (2) and Rebecca (Waldo) Rudd, was born in Windham, Connecticut, in 1710. He married Esther Tyler and had issue.
(V) Deacon Jonathan (3), son of Jonathan (2) and Esther (Tyler) Rudd, was born in Windham, Connecticut, April 29, 1743, died April 3, 1823. He was a prominent man and a deacon of the church. He married, October 1, 1766, Mary, born at Norwich, Connecticut, August 11, 1741, youngest daughter of Deacon Simon Tracy, by his first wife, Elizabeth Hyde, and granddaughter of Jabez Hyde, son of Samuel, son of William, the first of Norwich, the English emigrant who probably first landed in this country in 1633. Deacon Jonathan Rudd settled in Windham, where his seven children were born:
- Simon Tracy, born September 1, 1768; married (first) Alice Adams; (second) Mary Carew.
- Mary, August 22, 1770; married Asahel Lord.
- Elizabeth, March 13, 1772; married, January, 1795, Gurdon Lathrop.
- Jonathan, of further mention.
- Sarah, December 17, 1776; died at Oberlin, Ohio, February, 1842; unmarried.
- Hezekiah, February 2, 1781; married (first) Maria De Forest; (second) Mary E. Coggesel.
- Lydia, May 6, 1785; married, in 1809, Andrew Benton.
Deacon Rudd married (second) Anne Tyler, March 1, 1804.
(VI) Jonathan (4), second son of Deacon Jonathan (3) and Mary (Tracy) Rudd, was born in Windham, Connecticut, August 16, 1774, died in 1863, at Cherry Valley, New York. He married, in 1801, Sarah Johnson, born February 11, 1774, at Windham, died at Cherry Valley, March 17, 1853. They settled at Canajoharie, New York, then removed to Cherry Valley, New York. Children:
- Charles, born November 15, 1803, at Canajoharie, New York; he was graduated at Fairfield Medical College, 1832, and was a practicing physician; he settled in Canajoharie, removed in 1838 to Cherry Valley, where he died May 14, 1852. He married Emily Barnard, of Paris, New York, and had Charles H., William H., Anne Elizabeth and Julietta Barnard.
- Laura, died in infancy.
- Harriet, born 1806, died April 3, 1880.
- Laura (2), born September, 1807; married, 1847, Orin Sibley, of Middlefield, New York.
- Ralph, born November 7, 1808; married Mary Briggs and settled at Cherry Valley. He had Eliza M., Henry, Sarah J., Laura, Frances A., Charles H., James W.
- George H.; born June 6, 1810; died unmarried.
- Annie M., born January, 1813; married, 1837, Henry D. Baker and had Hattie M., Henry L., George A., Georgianna A., Abigail E.
- Jonathan R., died young.
- William Tracy, see forward.
- Elizabeth L., born 1820; married, 1842, Jesse Sutliff, of Cherry Valley; died, 1856.
(VII) William Tracy, fifth son of Jonathan (4) and Sarah (Johnson) Rudd, was born in Cherry Valley, New York, September 22, 1816. He entered the employ of the American Express Company in 1844, and later of the New York Central railroad, which he served and its successor faithfully for thirty-eight years. He married, in 1848, at the city of Utica, New York, Adeline Martha Platt, eighth in descent from Richard Platt, of Hertford, England, the American ancestor. Children:
- William Platt, see forward.
- Charles Beckley, born June 27, 1855, died January 9, 1858.
- Adeline Martha, born November 3, 1859, now the widow of George Parker Howlett and resident in West Newton, Massachusetts.
(VIII) William Platt, eldest son of William Tracy and Adeline Martha (Platt) Rudd, was born in Albany, June 9, 1851. He was graduated from Union College in 1873, taking the Clark Essay prize and Phi Beta Kappa honors. He was admitted to the New York state bar in 1875. In 1877 he formed a partnership with Hamilton and Frederick Harris, constituting the law firm of Harris & Rudd, of Albany, New York. This connection continued until 1900, when by the death of Hamilton Harris the firm was dissolved. Mr. Rudd then associated himself with William L. Visscher in the law partnership which still continues. He is a man of many and varied interests and tastes. He was president of the board of public instruction in 1893; corporation counsel in 1894-95; is inspector of elections of all the railroads in New York state associated in the Vanderbilt system. He is an ex-president and a trustee of the Young Men's Association, the organizer and for five terms president of the Albany County Bar Association. He was regent of Philip Livingston Chapter, Sons of the Revolution. He is a trustee of the Albany Institute and Historical Society; trustee of Albany Chamber of Commerce; president of Homeopathic Hospital; president of University Club; vice-president of the Albany County Savings Bank; vice-president of the Diamond Paste Company; vestryman of St. Peter's Church, and a member of the Fort Orange, Country [County?] of Albany, Republican, Alpha Delta Phi, and Transportation of New York clubs. He is a lawyer of high repute, and a citizen of the best class. He married, in October, 1883, Aimee Pierson Allen, of Albany, daughter of Henry A. Allen, for many years teller of the New York State Bank. They have one son, Tracy Allen Rudd, born September 16, 1884; a resident of New York City and connected in business with the Producers Oil Company.