Cassandra L. Welch

Cassandra L Richardson-Welch ’s life emulsifies through her character Emily, tales of the accelerating and witty encounters Emily faces as she fumbles her way through the journey of ages, trying to find her true purpose.

Cassandra's Mother's family the Wrights are English, Scottish, and northern Irish: occupational name for a maker of machinery, mostly in wood, of any of a wide range of kinds, from Old English ‘craftsman’. The term is found in various combinations (for example, Cartwright and Wainwright), but when used in isolation it generally referred to builders of windmills and/or watermills as was true with her ancestors.

Mary Musgrove was her 3rd Great Grandmother's maiden name. Mary Musgrove (c. 1700–1763) was of mixed Yamacraw and English ancestry. She facilitated in the development of Colonial Georgia and became an important intermediary between Muscogee Creek Indians and the English colonists.

She bridged the gap between two distinctly different societies and became a surgical doctor who not only translated but counseled those who acknowledged her capabilities. She attempted to carve out a life that merged both cultures and fought for her own rights in both worlds.

Her Father's ancestors the Richardson families were living in England and Scotland before they immigrated to the U.S as described in her book. Francis Richardson was granted one of the first tracts of land in Pennsylvania by William Penn. There were a number of Richardsons in Virginia as well by the first half of the 18th century. Some stayed. Robert Richardson, a recent Nobel prize winner, is a descendant of one of these families. Richard Richardson to South Carolina, namely Sumter the birthplace of Cassandra’s grandfather and father. They bred with slaves from Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is located in West Africa. The Temne are one of the largest tribes in Sierra Leone.

African Americans bearing the name Richardson, many of them "free mulattos," can be found in Virginia and the Carolina from the mid-18th century. "Postilion Joe," who took the name Richardson, was George Washington's driver in Philadelphia. He and his family were among the 124 enslaved African Americans owned by Washington who were freed after his death. They were fortunate. Heading South, we find a sizeable Richardson presence in South Carolina including Cassandra’s lineage during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Richard Richardson, Cassandra’s 4th removed grandfather had arrived in South Carolina from Virginia in colonial times. He owned a plantation in Clarendon County where he entertained local society. One member of the Richardson family, who played by ear, came up with a melody which became a favorite. This waltz, known as "the Richardson waltz," was handed down from generation to generation by ear until 1985 when an arrangement was created by Mary Richardson Briggs. These Richardsons had an eventful Revolutionary War. In the 19th century, two Richardsons from this family, father and son, became Governors of South Carolina ante and post bellum.