Above: The Red Lion Tavern, constructed by John Heald in 1771.
Captain John Heald Jr., son of Lieutenant John Heald, was the proprietor of a boarding house called the Red Lion Tavern located on what was then known as Groton Road (today known as West Street). This establishment, began operation in 1771 shortly after Captain Heald’s marriage to Mary White of Acton. The tavern boasted a large menu of both local and exotic drinks including flip, sling, egg pop, Carlisle Cider, punch, wine, toddy, New England rum, West India rum, gin, and brandy.
The tavern’s logo at the time was a red lion wearing a crown, a prominent symbol of the monarchy. However, as sentiments in the colony began to shift, Heald changed the name of the tavern and painted a liberty tree over the lion on his sign. This sign hung on an old Elm outside the tavern for many years even after the popular establishment closed. Today, the sign is still in the possession of the family that owns the old tavern.
Above: The old Red Lion Tavern Sign with the faint outline of the lion still visible.
At the beginning of the war, Heald joined Captain Smith’s company in Colonel Nixon’s regiment serving as 1st Lieutenant. This company was dispatched to Cambridge and Heald was stationed there when General George Washington took command of the Continental Army. On July 6th, 1775 he wrote his wife from the camp:
“Loving wife, These lines come to let you know that I, through the goodness of God to me, am well, and I hope these lines will find you well. I have been in imminent danger, but it is God that has preserved me in time of battle, and I beg that God will make us both thankful, and I beg that you remember me every day to God that I may be kept from sin, and permitted to come and see you again. May we put our trust in God at all times, and if we are not permitted to see one another here in this life I beg that it may please God to bring us to see one anothers faces in Heavens above where all tears shall be wiped away And so I remain, your loving husband John Heald Jun."
The following year, John Heald was serving as Lieutenant in Captain Joshua Parker’s company in Colonel Johnathan Reed’s regiment stationed at Fort Ticonderoga, tasked with defending the fort against advancing British forces. On October 22nd 1776, John Heald wrote the following to his wife:
“I have one opportunity to write you, and desire that we both might be kept thankful for the favors given us of God… I hope these lines will find you and yours well. I have received four pounds of butter and four pounds of sugar. The enemy is at Crown Point and it is thought they will make attack upon us every day. Our duty is hard, for the soldiers are obliged to turn out two or three times a night. It is thought that there was not more than sixty men killed, of the fleet. There is eleven of our vessels destroyed, and taken by the enemy. I don’t write no more for this time and so remain, your loving husband John Heald Jr."
The second page of this letter contains the following postscript note that was added to the letter before it was sent:
“Capt. Joshua Parker has lost four men of his company. There is a great many men that is poorly. It is not so dying a time as has been. The fever and ague is abated a great deal. I am not so poorly but that I do set up the greater part of my time.”
By November, Joshua Parker’s company was fortunate to be relieved of service. On November 20th, John Heald wrote his wife the following:
“I have the favor of God to you my loving wife that I am well. I hope these lines will find you and yours well. Time being short I shall not write no news - our [men] are going home across the woods and the rest of us are to march by the way of Albany and so no more - and I do remain your loving husband John Heald Jr.”
Parker’s company was officially relieved of duty on November 30th and Heald was able to return to his wife and nine children. At some point, presumably after the war, Heald was made a Captain in the local militia.
The Red Lion Tavern was formerly located near the present Lion’s Gate Road subdivision. However, it was moved across the street to it’s present location in 1934. A secluded site where the Carlisle militiamen supposedly made their gun powder is located in the woods behind the tavern building.
John Heald Jr. is buried in North Acton's Forest Cemetery.
Above: Grave of Captain John Heald
