John Righter, son of No.3 Peter Righter, was born 26 January 1753. He inherited from his father in 1776, nost of his land in Roxborough and Lower Merion Townships, one half of the shad fishery, and the Schuylkill ferry. He operated the ferry and lived in the house at the ferry all his life. On 16 April 1777 he married Eleanor Bankson[Record of Marriages at Christ Church,Phila 1709-1806] daughter of Peter and Esther (Linn) Bankson. The Bankson family was Swedish, the original form of the name being Bengtson. Peter Bankson was a shipwright, and his will named his wife, Esther, and daughter Elinor as beneficiaries of his estate.[GSP Coll Vol.III,6,7] John's wife died before he did, and was mentioned in his will in the bequest to his daughter Esther of "her late mother's wearing apparel, together with sundry articles of plate and mahogany household furniture which I got at our marriage." He was the tax assessor for Roxborough Township in 1779. In 1780 the assessor's list showed that he owned 81 1/2 acres of land and dwelling in Roxborough Township, 9 1/2 acres in Merion, 24 acres in Passyunk, 300 acres in Bedford County to a value in that time of inflation of 26,400 pounds. The properties in Merion, Passyunk, and Bedford County did not again appear on the lists, but he owned the lot in Merion as ferry terminal at the time of his death. In 1779 he had included 22 ounces of silver plate and a chair, (probably a sedan chair) along with horses, and cows.[Roxborough Twsp.Tax Lists] He operated a farm as well as the ferry.

During the British occupation of Philadelphia a redoubt was erected by then on a bluff on the east side of the Wissahickon Creek, so as to control the approach to the city by was of Ridge Road. It was manned by Hessians, who had a camp nearby, from which they made frequent raids for meat, grain and vegetables on Roxborough farms. The redoubt and camp were close to John Righter's land and ferry. He was allowed 68 pounds, 17 shillings, 6 pence for damage done by the raiders on his property.

In August of 1789 the first chirch in Roxborough Township was organized by 32 persons, most of them members of the First Baptist Church in Philadelphia, in a meeting at the schoolhouse. John Righter was a member of this group and was chosen a trustee,[Jones Historic Notes, 110]but lived only a short time. He died 6 February 1790, aged 37 years, 10 days, and was buried in Roxborough Burial Ground. His stone is well preserved, but there is none there for his wife. He made his will 3 January 1790, and it was proved 13 February 1790. In it he bequeathed 15 pounds towards building a Baptist Meeting House in Roxborough, exclusive of the 10 pounds he had already subscribed for that purpose. He bequeathed all his estate to his daughter Esther, and considering her "infant estate," named Nathan Levering and Algernon Roberts her guardians. In case she should die before reaching legal age or without issue, he provided that his estate should be divided among the "legitimate" children of his brother Peter, and his sisters Mary, Hannah, Sarah, and Margaret.[Will Book U,436#175,1790]

In 1786 the route of Ridge Road was changed from what is now Righter Street to the present route. The new route crossed John Righter's land, and Esther's guardians later collected 29 pounds for damage to her property. Since some people still used the old route, the guardians petitioned the court in March 1797 to close it. The court appointed a jury to view the situation and ordered the old road vacated.[Jones Historic Notes,65]

Child of 10. John and Eleanor (Bankson) Righter was....Ester (Hester) Righter.