1746 - 1828 (82 years)
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| Name |
Richard Douglas |
| Birth |
1746 |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
1828 |
New London, Connecticut, USA  |
| Burial |
Cedar Grove Cemetery |
| Person ID |
I126072 |
My Genealogy |
| Last Modified |
21 Apr 2015 |
| Family |
Ann Champlin Jennings, b. 10 Jan 1751 d. 23 Aug 1837 (Age 86 years) |
| Marriage |
1777 |
| Children |
| | 1. Capt. Alexander Douglas, b. 3 Oct 1778, New London County, Connecticut, USA d. 16 Dec 1857, USA (Age 79 years) |
| | 2. Robert Douglas, b. Abt 1778 d. Yes, date unknown |
| | 3. Lucy Douglas, b. Abt 1778 d. Yes, date unknown |
| | 4. Nathan Douglas, b. Abt 1778 d. Yes, date unknown |
| | 5. Nancy Douglas, b. Abt 1778 d. Yes, date unknown |
| | 6. Richard Douglas, (Jr), b. Abt 1778 d. 1852, Chillicote, Ohio (Age 74 years) |
| | 7. 2 Other Children Douglas |
|
| Family ID |
F48753 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
24 Jan 2013 |
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| Notes |
- Richard Douglass ran a successful "cooper" business which was a honorable and profitable trade as already in 1760 where there more than 40 ships from Brigs to Sloops registered in New London many under the Shaw Family flag conducting business in the East and West Indies as well as such foreign ports at Lisbon, Barcelona, Amsterdam and even as far as Russia in addition to the mother country England. Being a cooper was a valuable trade especially with New London and the Colonies thirst for Bajan (Barbados) Rum.
Richard married Ann Jennings, a widow from New Shoreham, Block Island, Rhode Island in 1777 and had 8 children (see below). All lived to their adult years. Ann Jennings from the Champlin stock a well known Eastern Connecticut line of families, well respected and quite obviously a catch.
At the outbreak of hostilities in the 1775 against England Richard Douglass enlisted in the militia and marched alongside Nathan Hale, William Coit, John & James Chapman and other New Londoners to Boston in William Coit's Independent Company. At this point it is not yet known if his unit under Capt.Chapman participated at Bunker Hill but it is suspected as William Coit was with a 200 man strong unit that fought at the "fence" with Thomas Knowlton of Connecticut. John Chapman eventual served under Knowlton in the elite Army Ranger unit, the first of its kind. 2 companies of New London County men were at Bunker Hill including John Tubbs of Lyme (East) and Christopher Darrow of Lyme (East Lyme/Montville) then called "Northern Parrish". It is most likely that according to documentation that William Coit's Independent Company protected the retreating soldiers from Bunker Hill (Breeds) thwarting any British engagements thus allowing the survivors to return in safety.
It is known that Capt. Chapman's Regiment of Foote or "Company" served under Lyme's General Samuel Holden Parsons then living in New London and participated at the Battle of New York (Long Island) and the defense of New York and eventual retreat to the Highlands. It is thought that here Richard Douglass "suffered attrocities of the British" and was taken prisoner, eventually escaping a prison ship in 1776-77. Richard fought at the defense of Philadelphia, Monmouth, NJ, Germantown and Brandywine engagements along with many other Eastern Connecticut men. It is also "possible" that he was taken prisoner at Germantown as many from New London County were as their poorly led unit was outflanked. This part of the story is also yet to be told.
Richard Douglass served throughout the war and it has come to our knowledge that he was again the victim of attrocities when Benedict Arnold returned in 1781 burning New London and the attack on Ft.Griswold in Groton that eventually claimed the lives of 83 men on the Groton side and 6 more on the New London side. While Bradley Street was spared the torch it is possible that Richard Douglass and family suffered harassment. This part of the story is yet to be told.
It is said that Richard Douglass enlisted in 1775 and served distinguishably throughout the war ending service in 1783.
Not much is known "yet" of the man as a person, what he looked like or what people like Nathan Hale, William Coit or John Chapman thought of him but having served distinguishably appears that he was a good foot soldier and very loyal to cause becoming respected in that area.
At the close of the War with New London nearly burned to the ground and it's economy in shambles it appears Richard Douglass's business began to slowly rebound. Just a few short years after the war's conclusion he purchased the land from Timothy Green at the corners of the new Golden Street and Cross Street (now Green's Alley) to build a house. At nearly 40 years of age he removed from Bradley Street, which was known as "Widows Row" from the British attack on New London to this new street even closer to the wharves on Bank Street. His cooper business took place at 102 Golden Street for some time and eventually purchased the plot at 77-79 Green Street (immediately next door) for 117 dollars on June 30th 1801 from Timothy Green then living in Fredricksburg, VA to manage his family business interests there. The house was built a short time after and is one of the few homes of it's type remaining in New London.
At the end of hostilities of the American Revolution in 1783 Richard became one of the founding officers of the Society of the Cincinnati and it is noted in Bryce Metcalf's "Original Members and Other Officers Eligible to the Society of the Cincinnati" (1938) that he served until November 3, 1783. Richard Douglass was a member of the Connecticut Society.
Richard Douglass passed away in 1828 at the ripe old age of 82 having seen New London grow, burn and be rebuilt quickly becoming one of the prime Whaling Ports in the entire world. Richard now rests in the Cedar Grove Cemetery in New London (photo coming soon of his final resting place). While once forgotten like many others his story is now being uncovered and retold on this website.
After having spent many weeks, days & hours researching where the final resting places of the Douglass family could be and evening meeting with the cemetery manager (who was not able to find this Richard Douglass) the location of the final resting places of several members including Richard Douglass was located in New London's own Cedar Grove Cemetery. The story while ending to a point here was only finalized when after hours of researching the cemetery areas (oldest first and then so on) when I was about to leave and stopped to ask myself "Where Richard are you..." and within a second a blast of wind crossed the front of the car and to my immediate right were the three headstones of Richard, his wife and some of his children.
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