Revolutionary+war+spy

Under construction William Heron

Squire William Heron lived south of the Anglican/Episcopal church on Redding Ridge. He was a native of Cork, Ireland. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin. He has been described as: a man of much ability and force of character. In appearance: short, portly, and florid, with a deep bass voice. Heron's pre-Redding days are a bit enigmatic. He never spoke of them except to say that he was a native of Cork, Ireland, and had been educated at Trinity College, Dublin. It is said that Squire Heron taught at the Academy in Greenfield Hill before coming to Redding, and had also surveyed the old stage route from New York to Boston. The precise date of his arrival in Redding is absent from record, but most agree it was prior to the Revolution. A notation in Frank B. Rosenau's Christ Church Parish: The first 250 years indicates Heron acquired the property of John Lyon, when Lyon fled Redding and joined British forces in Long Island, and the property was confiscated by the state. Lyon had purchased the home from Anglican Rev. John Beach in 1772.

**Was William Heron a spy?** He was an Anglican, but then again he was Irish; He had chosen to live on Redding Ridge, which was known for it's loyalty to England, yet, his name is absent from the list of Redding's Loyalist Association; Some historians state: "At the time of Tryon's invasion he openly gave aid and comfort to the enemy." But, others have claimed he also met with Wooster, Silliman and Arnold. Why would a Tory hold council with American Generals as they pursued Tryon and his troops?; He was an elected member of the Connecticut General Assembly but traveled to "loyalist-friendly" New York often for "business". A publication entitled Sir Henry Clinton's Secret Service Record of Private Daily Intelligence, which surfaced in 1882, revealed the truth about William Heron's role in the Revolutionary War…he was a double-agent. Heron provided information to both American and British commanders during the war. The British received information of little importance, while the Americans received reports that were far more significant and useful. He most certainly fit the profile of a double-agent. He arrived in Redding just before the Revolution, at a time most residents were more concerned with the threat of war than who their new neighbors were; it appears local residents barely noticed his existence until the war was underway. Even to those who actually spoke to him, his past remained unknown, as he wouldn't discuss it. He was conveniently situated across the street from the residence/tavern of Patriot Stephen Betts and right next to the Anglican/Episcopal Church. From the comfort of his very own home, he was capable of monitoring the movements of either side. Redding residents clearly viewed Heron as a patriot, throughout the war they honored him with office, and placed him on committees to advance the patriot cause. For instance, April 2, 1777, he was placed on a committee to hire recruits for the Continental army. June 2, 1779, he was appointed delegate to a county convention on monetary affairs; Dec. 27, 1780, on a committee to ascertain the length of time certain citizens of the town had served in the army; April 16, 1781, on Committee of Correspondence; Feb. 28, 1782, on a committee to form citizens into classes for recruiting purposes. For four sessions during the war he served in the Connecticut General Assembly by vote of his townsmen, viz.: May, 1778; October, 1779; January, 1780; May, 1781. Other's outside of Redding viewed him as a patriot too. Connecticut's Governor Trumbull provided passes to Squire Heron that allowed him to freely travel to and from New York for business. General Samuel H. Parsons, in a letter to George Washington, dated April 6, 1782, gave his approval of Heron: From the winter of 1778-9, when the American Troops encamped in Redding to 1781, Samuel H. Parsons' was headquartered at Esquire Stephen Betts' on Redding Ridge. Heron's proximity to Parsons was viewed a benefit on both sides of the war: for the Americans, Heron and Parsons could secretly exchange information without much difficulty; for the British, Heron was in perfect position to monitor the American General's visitors and movements. What the British Commanders did not know was they were receiving dated Connecticut General Assembly information and insubstantial troop position reports from Heron. One of the ways Heron gained access to the British lines was to ride to Fairfield, leave his horse with a Tory there named "Bradley", cross the sound to Huntington on Long Island, or an adjacent part, and thence make his way into the enemy's lines at New York. After the war William Heron remained in Redding and represented the town in the legislature through seventeen sessions, covering a period of eighteen years. He is said to have exercised a great deal of influence in public affairs, especially at town meetings. His children were: William, Maurice, Elizabeth, Lucy, Elosia, Margaret, Mary and Susan. William Heron Jr. never married. He lived on the old homestead in Redding all his days, and was a man much respected in the community. His brother, Maurice graduated at Yale College, and shortly after was killed in a steamboat explosion on the Connecticut River, near Essex. Mary Heron wed Lemuel Sanford #3, a man of much ability, and quite prominent in town affairs. Heron died on Redding Ridge, Jan. 8, 1819, at the ripe old age of 77 years, and was buried in Christ Church graveyard.