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The History of Caroline County, Maryland, From Its Beginning

Captain Joseph Richardson


IMPRESSED DENTONIAN

        Captain Joseph Richardson, descendant of Colonel William Richardson of Revolutionary fame, has the distinction of being one of the American Seamen who were impressed by the British Navy, the continuance of which acts led to the War of 1812.  An interesting story is told of his release later in London.  He was approached by a man who offered for a certain amount of money to secure for him a passport to America.  Richardson produced the money although he believed the paper a forgery, and was fortunate enough to effect an escape from further service owing to it.
        Apparently his experiences as an impressed sailor cured his love for the sea as from 1817 to 1844 continuously he was clerk of the court in Caroline County.  Proof of this service may be found in the court record Folio JR, Pages 1 and 317.
        In 1835 Richardson built a magnificent home on what was known as the Mt. Andrew tract of land just east of Denton Bridge (site of the present residence of Dr. P. R. Fisher).  It was a three-story structure of pressed bricks and is said to have contained twenty rooms.
        Richardson’s family consisted of a wife, three sons and a daughter.  That part of the family were staunch Catholics.  Upon his death in 1848 he was buried in St. Elizabeth’s churchyard at Denton.
        In his will he mentions a library which for that time seems to have been an excellent one.  After the captain’s death his family moved to Cecil County and seem never to have returned to Caroline County for any length of time.  His wife, Elizabeth W. Richardson, was buried next to him in Denton, but there seems to be no proof of the remainder of the family having been brought to their native county for burial.


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Last Updated: January 2021