J. RAYMOND DOUGLASS, a prominent
farmer of Salem village, was born in the adjacent town of Waterford, New
London County, on September 3, 1839, son of John and Ann Elizabeth (Raymond)
Douglass. He is descended from William Douglass, a Scotchman, born in 1610,
who came to this country in 1640, bringing his son Robert, then a year
old, and in 1660 settled in New London. Since that time the Douglass family
have been among the influential and respected inhabitants of this region.
Both father and son were coopers by trade. The former, who was a Deacon
of the Presbyterian church and an earnest Christian, died on July 2, 1682.
Robert Douglass died on the 15th of January, 1715 or 1716.
Among his posterity may be found many whose
names help to swell the roll-call of soldiers who fought in the Revolution
and in the early Indian wars. From Robert the line continues as follows:
his son Thomas was born May 15, 1679, and died on March 3, 1723-4; Robert,
second, son of Thomas, was born December 28, 1705, and died in October,
1786; and his son, Thomas, second, was born August 1, 1734, and died in
1826. A third Robert, son of the second Thomas and the grandfather of the
subject of this sketch, was born on January 18, 1774, probably in New London;
but his working life was spent chiefly in Waterford, where he was engaged
in farming on the estate now owned by Mrs. Stanley Morgan, he died October
8, 1834. His wife, Abiah Douglass, who was born on May 25, 1775, survived
him for many years, and died on the 30th of June, 1851. She was the mother
of three daughters and five sons.
John Douglass, one of the five, was born
in Waterford, then a part of New London, on February 23, 1811, and died
in that town on March 27, 1866. His wife, Anna Elizabeth, the daughter
of Josiah Raymond, of Montville, was born in Salem in 1817. They were married
on December 3, 1838, and reared a family of four children — John Raymond,
George R., Robert Henry, and Elizabeth H. George Ransom Douglass died on
February 6, 1865, at the age of seventeen; Robert Henry Douglass is engaged
in the fruit-growing industry in North Pomona, Cal.; and Elizabeth Douglass
since 1896 has been in Pasadena, Cal., with her mother.
John Raymond Douglass, the eldest son, was
educated in the district schools and in the Norwich and Norwich Town select
schools. Politically, he is a strong Republican, and in 1885 and 1886 was
in the legislature from Salem. He has been First Selectman of the town
several terms. On December 24, 1864, he was united in marriage with Julia
Raymond, daughter of Richard and Julia (Gardner) Raymond, of Montville.
Mr. Richard Raymond died on November 30, 1878, at Montville, which had
been the home of his family for many years. His wife survived until May
18, 1896, when she died at the old homestead. Of their family of nine children,
four sons and three daughters grew to maturity, and all are living but
one daughter.
Mrs. Douglass has many rare souvenirs and
heirlooms, among them being a fine old solid mahogany secretary and bureau
combined, which is known to contain a secret drawer never yet discovered.
It is of most beautiful workmanship, and proclaims the mechanics and wood
workers of "ye olden days" fully as artistic and skilful as those of our
own times. A generous-sized painted punch bowl or tankard of glass was
formerly the property of Mrs. Douglass's great great-grandfather, and a
beautiful alabaster jewel case was left by Mrs. Sigourney. There is also
a china mug over two hundred years old, and Commodore Perry's flint-lock
derringer with the accoutrements, including moulds and combination flask
for powder and balls. Very interesting are two fans, one of which, bearing
the date of 1747, belonged to Mrs. Douglass's great-great-grandmother,
Elizabeth Griswold. The other is of ivory, and bears the record of the
marriage, on May 26, 1774, of Mercy Raymond and John Raymond. Other relics
are a piece of sage green brocaded silk, which was part of Elizabeth Griswold's
wedding dress; a rare copy of the Bible, dated 1738, and handed down from
the fourth generation back; and an exposition and notes on Thessalonians,
bound in full vellum, and dated 1627.
Biographical Review Volume
XXVI
Containing Life Sketches of Leading Citizens
of New London County Connecticut
Boston
Biographical Review Publishing Company
1898
pgs 101 - 102
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April
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