New London has dozens of historic homes some dating to the 17th century while others are survivors of the wrecking ball, storms (1938) and Revolutionary raids and fires (1781) while others were the homes of Ship Captains and Whaling Masters while others were the homes of coopers and every day people. Each has a story to tell, some have unveiled their story while others have stories yet to be told. Some of the builders lay buried in New London´s graveyards while others are resting in far off places around the world.

My house, the Richard Douglass House on Green Street in Downtown New London has many stories, many connections to many time periods all too much to be told in a blog post. Here is a short story of New London´s own Richard Douglass.

The Douglass family first arrived to New London around 1650 from Gloucester,Massachusetts. William a cooper (barrel maker) and later property appraiser for New London had several children and purchased an already "ancient house" near the modern day parade about 1670.

One of the son´s of William, William Jr. was one of the New London clan who fought fist to fist with boys from Lyme deciding the border between New London and then Lyme (East Lyme) in 1671. William Douglass was appointed Commander of the Military for New London in 1675 and fought in the Indian War (King Philip) and he was at The Great Swamp Fight in Rhode Island in 1676.

William Sr. passed away in 1682 and the much noted Rev.Bradstreet noted: " 1682, July 26, Mr. William Douglas one of ye Deacons of this Church dyed in ye 72 year of his age. He was an able Christian and this poor ch'h will mvch want him.".

Throughout the generations Douglasses became landowners, merchants, sailing men and soldiers. Our Richard Douglass was born in 1746 in a house on now gone "Bradley Street" - Widows Row as Benedict Arnold called it in 1781. Stephen Douglass his father passed away in 1748, cause unknown leaving Richard to be brought up by his mother Patience. Richard a cooper by trade supplied the some of the Shaw families 40 ships with barrels. Business was going very well.

At the start of the Revolutionary War Richard joined the local militia alongside of Nathan Hale, William Coit, the Chapman Brothers and many more time has forgotten and yet to reveal again. Captain Chapman, later one of Knowlton´s Elite Rangers (1st Army Rangers Unit) was at Bunker Hill. Capt.Coit of New London protected the retreat after the battle.

Richard served under General Samuel H.Parsons (Lyme and New London) in the New York Highlands Theater after the Battle of New York. His unit was at White Plains and eventually in the Philadelphia theater Germantown and Brandywine. It is believed Richard was taken prisoner by the British at Germantown as the New London unit was poorly led and outflanked. He likely escaped as his service continues later that year.

Not much else is known of his whereabouts from 1777-1781 meaning he was likely back in New London. He married Anne Jennings of Block Island in 1777 and had eight children. Many of which became well respected doctors, lawyers and politicians as well as Whaling Masters (Alexander). In 1781 his house was if not burned down, it was badly damaged. In his application for funding from the State of Connecticut it is said "he survived the depredations of the British".

Richard achieved the rank of Captain in the Continental Army and was member of the Society of the Cincinnati - a group headed by George Washington himself - created for officers of the Revolution.

MILITARY HISTORY

(Provided by the Society of the Cincinnati)

Douglas, Richard (Conn). Private in the Lexington Alarm, April, 1775;

Ensign and Regimental Quartermaster in Selden's Connecticut State Regiment, 20th

June to 25th December, 1776; 2nd Lieutenant 1st Connecticut, 1 at January,

1777; 1st Lieutenant, 1st January, 1778; Captain Lieutenant, 11th August,

1780; Captain, 22nd August, 1780; transferred to 5th Connecticut, 1st

January, 1781, transferred to 3d Connecticut, 1st January 1783; transferred

to Swift's Consolidated Connecticut Regiment, June, 1783, and served to 3d

November, 1783. (Died 1828.)

After the war Richard purchased a property fro Timothy Green on now Green Street. Now known as 102 Golden Street, Richard built a fine house and ran his business from it in about 1792 (still standing). in 1801 he purchased another swot of land this one between Cross Street (Greens Alley) and Green Street and built the Richard Douglass House a fine Dutch Gambrel Cape. Richard lived in this house for a while and had his business next door. Over time Richard a well respected member of the Church, later Deacon, moved to his country farm it is believed near Old Colchester Rd. His son Alexander Douglass a Whaling Master lived there for several years before moving to upstate New York and eventually Illinois.

Richard passed away in 1828 and is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery with his wife Anna(Anne) and son Luke (Dr.). Richard´s stone mentions how a pleasant man he was hard to be matched by and he will be missed.

The story continues with his son Richard jr. in a future blog post...

more information can be seen at www.thericharddouglashouse.com