Richard Christophers (1662–1726)

Biography

Richard Christophers was born in Devonshire, the county now usually called Devon in southwestern England, in 1662 and came to New London, a port on Connecticut’s southeastern coast, with his family while young. His adult life was built around the sea and the town’s courts. A merchant as well as a working mariner, he commanded vessels in trade between New London, Barbados and other ports in the West Indies, the Caribbean island region.

He was associated in business with John Pickett. In 1698 they owned the British-built vessels Adventure and Society, recorded at sixty-five and sixty-eight tons. Another vessel, Grace and Ruth, carried the names of two of Richard’s daughters.

Richard also served as town clerk from 1701 through 1706 and held judicial offices in the county, probate and superior courts. When the Superior Court first sat at New London in 1711, it met in the meetinghouse because the town had no courthouse. Richard was one of its assistant judges. Earlier, in 1694, he had served on the committee responsible for arranging construction of a new meetinghouse.

He married Lucretia Bradley in 1681 and, after her death, Grace Turner in 1691. His family experienced repeated losses. Sons Peter, John and Joseph died before him, the latter two lost at sea according to the family history. The maritime world that supported his livelihood also took members of his family.

Richard died in June 1726. At his funeral, Joshua Hempstead recorded twenty-six gun discharges from a ship, spaced half a minute apart. His surviving wife, two sons and seven daughters were beneficiaries of a substantial estate.