Peter Richards (1754 - 1781)

Born 11 Feb 1754 in New London, New London, Connecticut Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Catherine (Mumford) Richards — married 29 Apr 1779 (to 1781) in Connecticut, United States

Descendants

Died 6 Sep 1781 at age 27 in Fort Griswold, Groton, New London, Connecticut, United States

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Biography

Captain Peter Richards served with Col William Ledyard's Co at Fort Griswold, Connecticut Militia during the American Revolution.

Sea Capt. Peter Richards was Killed in Action during American Revolution.

Peter was born in 1754.^[1] to parents Guy Richards and Elizabeth Harris. In the 1779 he married Catherine Mumford and they were the parents of one daughter, Catherine Mumford Richards; one infant son Thomas Munford Richards, nine months old, died in Oct 1780.

During the Revolutionary War, Peter served as a Lieutenant under Capt. Elisha Hinman aboard a 24-gun frigate USS Alfred ^[2][3]; this ship's previous commander was famed Capt. John Paul Jones, who is now considered the father of the US Navy. During his time on the USS Alfred in 1778, the ship was surrendered to the Ariadne and Ceres. He with two other lieutenants escaped from Fortune Prison, near Portsmouth, and by the aid of friends reached the coast of France in safety, and returned home in the spring of 1779.

Peter served later as the Captain of his own privateer brig named Hancock, which arrived in port at New London on 31 Aug 1781. While the ship Hancock was docked in the New London area in Sep 1781, Capt. Peter Richards was a volunteer at Lt.Col. William Ledyard's solicitation, and Peter convinced other available seamen under his command to volunteer as well to defend Fort Griswold from an impending attack by British Forces.

Capt. Peter Richards was one of the documented heroes of the Battle of Groton Heights, sometimes called the Battle of Fort Griswold or the Fort Griswold Massacre ^[4]. On that fateful date on 6 Sep 1781, a large raiding party commanded by British General Benedict Arnold attacked Fort Griswold, then commanded by Capt. William Latham, with Lt.Col. William Ledyard as the overall commander of Fort Griswold, Fort Trumbull and the harbor. Peter was killed fighting at southwest bastion of Fort Griswold; some sources erroneously state that Peter died on his ship during the battle.

Peter's will was dated 15 Feb 1781 in Norwich, Connecticut. At the probate hearing appeared 2 Oct 1781, Giles Mumford and Mrs. Charlotte Mumford attested to the will being made by Peter Richards and he was of sound mind. ^[5] Peter left everything to his wife Catherine. ^[6].

Peter's father Guy Richards appears to have had significant property damaged during the burning of New London ^[7], to include a business called Guy Richards & Son, three stores and slaughter house.

Capt. Peter Richards is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in New London, Connecticut; the gravesite was moved from the original location at the Old Ground.

Sources

1. ↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F745-PFG : 7 January 2020), Peter Richards, 1754.
2. ↑ Wikipedia for USS Alfred
3. ↑ Genealogy of the Descendants of William Chesebrough of Boston, Rehoboth, Mass
4. ↑ Wikipedia for the Battle of Groton Heights
5. ↑ Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 . Notes: Probate Records, Vol 7-8, 1780-1793
6. ↑ Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 Author: Connecticut State Library (Hartford, Connecticut); Probate Place: Hartford, Connecticut. Notes: Probate Packets, Ransom, W-Riley, M, 1748-1894
7. ↑ The battle of Groton Heights

• Find A Grave Index
• "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F745-PFG : 7 January 2020) SHOWS the birth of Peter Richards on 11 Feb 1754 at New London, New London, Connecticut; PARENTS shown are Guy and Elizabeth Richards.
• "Connecticut Marriages, 1630-1997", FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7G9-N5N : 11 January 2020) SHOWS the marriage of Peter Richards and Catherine Mumford on 29 Apr 1779 at Connecticut, United States.
• "Connecticut, Deaths, 1640-1955", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7JP-NBS : Sun Mar 10 19:06:07 UTC 2024) SHOWS the death of an infant son Thomas Munford Richards, nine months old, died 26 October 1780 at Old Lyme, New London, Connecticut, United States; Parents shown are Peter and Catharine Richards. Page Number 671.
• "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7W2-7YQ : 7 January 2020) SHOWS the birth of Catharine Mumford Richards on 11 Apr 1781 at Norwich Town, New London, Connecticut. PARENTS shown are Peter and Catharine Richards.
• Caulkins, Frances Manwaring. The Stone Records of Groton (Free Academy Press, Norwich, Conn., 1903) Page 84
• Connecticut, Hale Collection of Cemetery Inscriptions and Newspaper Notices, 1629-1934. Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Hale Collection of Cemetery Inscriptions and Newspaper Notices, 1629-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: The Charles R. Hale Collection. Hale Collection of Connecticut Cemetery Inscriptions. Hartford, Connecticut: Connecticut State Library.
• Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park Foundation, Inc., The Defenders, Killed, Wounded and Captured: https://www.fortgriswold.org/defenders-2/ - SHOWS the death of Captain Peter Richards at or of New London.
• [1] Wikipedia for the Battle of Groton Heights. Shows under the section titled Sailors: Hancock: Capt. Peter Richards.
• [2] Wikipedia for USS Alfred
• [3] Wikipedia for Capt. John Paul Jones.
• Genealogy of the Descendants of William Chesebrough of Boston, Rehoboth, Mass. by Anna Cheseborough Widley. Published 1903. [Mistitled file name is "Rifando la suerte"]. Via Archive.org. Page 194 SHOWS: 847 Catherine Mumford, m, 177-, Capt Peter Richards, b. 1754 (son of Guy and Elizabeth [Harris] Richards) ; "a lieutenant in Paul Jones's old ship Alfred; also, a Captain of privateer brig Hancock; a volunteer at Col. Ledyard's solicitation, and killed on his vessel at Fort Griswold, Conn., Sept 6, 1781. His Will probated Oct 2, 1781, Norwich, Conn. Children (born in Norwich Conn.): Two children, many grandchildren shown in same section.
• The battle of Groton Heights: a collection of narratives, official reports, records, etc., of the storming of Fort Griswold, the massacre of its garrison, and the burning of New London by British troops under the command of Brig.-Gen. Benedict Arnold, on the sixth of September, 1781, by Harris, William Wallace. Publication date 1882. SHOWS:
  • Page 25 shows [father] owning stores or property that was burned during in New London during the Battle of Groton Heights: Guy Richards & Son, 3 stores and slaughter house.
  • Page 51 SHOWS: The enemy, however, soon after forced the southwest bastion, where Captain Shapley, Captain Peter Richards, Lieutenant Richard Chapman, and several other men of distinction, and volunteers, had fought with unconquerable courage, and were all either killed or mortally wounded, and which had sustained the brunt of every attack... Captain P. Richards, Lieutenant Chapman, and several others, were killed in the bastion ; Captain Shapley and others wounded. He died of his wounds in January the following.
  • Page 139 SHOWS: on a list of widows: CATHARINE (MUMFORD) RICHARDS, widow of Captain Peter Richards, and one child Catharine.
  • Page 210 SHOWS: In Cedar Grove Cemetery, New London. This stone was removed from the Old Ground a few years since : — In Memory of Cap' PETER RICHARDS who was willing to Hazzard every danger in defense of American Independence was a Volunteer in Fort Griswold at Groton the 6th of Sept 1781 and there Slain in the 28 year of his Age.
  • [Page 232 SHOWS: PETER RICHARDS, a son of Guy Richards, was a lieutenant under Captain Hinman in Paul Jones's old ship Alfred, when March 9, 1778, she was surrendered to the Ariadne and Ceres. He with two other lieutenants escaped from Fortune Prison, near Portsmouth, and by the aid of friends reached the coast of France in safety, and returned home in the spring of 1779. He was captain of the privateer brig Hancock, which arrived in port the last day of August. He entered the fort as a volunteer, at Colonel Ledyard's solicitation. On the morning of the battle he went aboard his vessel, called such of his crew as remained aboard, made a short speech, telling what was needed at the fort, and asked for volunteers to accompany him. Every man stepped out. He left a widow, Catharine (Mumford), and an only daughter, who married Levi Huntington of Norwich.