Denisons of Toronto Family Tree


Last Name:Lippincott
First Name:Richard
Second Name:II
Third Name:
Title:Capt.
Sex:Male
Birth Date:Jan 02, 1745
Birth Place:Shrewsbury, Monmouth, New Jersey
Death Date:May 14, 1826
Death Place:York, Upper Canada
Education:
Residence:
Occupation:
Closest Friend:
Neat Traits:
Misc. Information:`HANGMAN' LIPPINCOTT
Branch:Early Settlers
Notes:In family lore - he's known as "Hangman" Lippincott

From Wikipedia - Nov 2015

Captain Richard Lippincott, U.E. (January 2, 1745 – 1826) was an American-born Loyalist who served
n the British army during the American War of Independence. He is best known for his part in the
Asgill Affair in which he hanged an enemy officer Joshua Huddy in revenge for similar murders of
Loyalists, provoking an international incident.

Lippincott was born in Shrewsbury, New Jersey. He was descended from an old colonial family,
and served during the revolution as a captain in the New Jersey volunteers. He was married on
March 4, 1770, to Esther Borden, daughter of Jeremiah and Esther Borden, of Bordentown, New Jersey.
On the outbreak of the revolution he warmly espoused the side of the Crown, and was captured
early in the war and confined in the jail at Burlington, New Jersey, from which he escaped in 1776,
making his way to the British Army at Staten Island. During the remainder of the war he served with
his regiment. His connection with the execution of Captain Joshua Huddy, of the rebel service,
attracted a great deal of attention both in Europe and America. Captain Huddy was a partisan officer
of some repute in New Jersey, and had been allegedly concerned with the murder of a Loyalist named
Philip White, who was a relative of Lippincott, and a resident of Shrewsbury. One Edwards of the
same neighbourhood had also been put to death about the same time. Shortly after, Captain Huddy
was captured and taken as prisoner to New York City. The "Board of Associated Loyalists of New York"
sent Captain Lippincott to Middleton Point, or Sandy Hook, with Captain Huddy and two other prisoners,
to exchange them for prisoners held by the rebels. He was authorized to execute Huddy in retaliation
for White's execution. Therefore, on April 12, 1782, having exchanged the two other prisoners, Captain
Lippincott hung Huddy on a tree by the beach, under the Middleton Heights. In 1867 the tree was still to
be seen.

Captain Lippincott was tried before a court martial for his actions, and was acquitted on the grounds
that he had acted not from "malice or ill will, but proceeded from a conviction that it was his duty to
obey the orders of the Board of Directors of Associated Loyalists."

At the Evacuation of New York at the end of the war, Captain Lippincott removed first to Nova Scotia
and later to Upper Canada eventually settling in York (now Toronto).
Cemetery:St John's on the Humber
Section:1N
Plot:11
Individual record created:Jan 09, 2000 at 4:46:55 PM
Individual record last updated:Jul 05, 2022 at 11:54:52 AM
Spouses: Borden/Esther

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This family tree was prepared by: Richard Denison McDonald registrar*at*stjohnsonthehumber.ca - please replace *at* with @
Tree data last updated on: Jun 19, 2025 at 1:26:47 PM
Web pages published on: Jun 19, 2025 at 1:46:04 PM



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