|
I have recently come into copies of more info on Richard Sturch, and was wondering if you had a copy of the original baptismal record for Richard
Sturch, dated 1818.Family oral tradition tells us that Richard Sturch ran away from England
when he was 11 years old because he got a spanking for letting the sheep
stray. He stowed away on a boat not knowing where it was going and would
up in America (probably Charleston). He was pressed into naval service
in the American navy and fought against England in the war of 1812.
After the war he went to England to visit his family whom he had never
contacted since running away. While he was traveling from the port to
his home, he said that he encountered a fortune teller who told him that
he had fought against his country and would be considered a spy.
Richard said he felt like killing the man but didn't. I don't know if
he said how long he visited with his family but before he was to leave,
he was indeed arrested as an American spy and was in danger of being
hanged. His family went to the church where he was baptized and got the
statement of baptism from the then blind parish clerk, Richard Hall.
This affidavit of the fact that he was a natural born citizen of England
got him free long enough for him to board a ship back to the U.S.
Richard was reported to have a heavy Cockney accent and to be a very
witty fellow. In fact, it is rumored that a Baptist preacher in
Independence County had written a book about him and his wit but that it
was never published. As an example of his accent, it is told that the
men would pester him to get him to spell saloon. His response would be
a disgusted "...Anybody knows how to spell saloon! You spell it with a
h'ess, a h'ay, a h'ell, a double-h'oe an a h'en!" Another tale of
fishing: "I placed my 'ell firmly into the bank of the crick and cast
my 'ook into the water. I caught a h'ell, but my 'ell slipped and I
lost my h'ell." * * * *
|
