Above: The old sword belonging to John Heald. It is believed to still be in the possession of his descendants.

John Heald was born in 1720 at a farmhouse formerly located near 566 Acton Street. He was very active in Acton town affairs serving on the Board of Selectmen. In 1765, he was commissioned as Lieutenant of the Acton Militia by Francis Bernard, the Royal Governor of Massachusetts. 

At the beginning of the Revolution, John Heald was still serving as lieutenant in Captain John Haywood’s company of militia in Colonel Abijah Pierce’s regiment. On April 19th 1775, Heald supposedly joined the minutemen that departed from the Carlisle Meetinghouse mid-march and then met up with his Acton militia company at Hildreth’s Corner. After the battle on April 24th,

Like his Son, Lieutenant John Heald served in New York during the Revolution. He was Lieutenant in a company of 63 men from Concord and Acton commanded by John Buttrick. 

This company arrived in Saratoga and then was stationed at Fort Edwards. They returned to Saratoga and according to the journals of fellow company member Deacon White, they "had the pleasure to see the whole of Burgoyne's Army parade their arms and march out of their lines; a wonderful sight indeed; it was the Lord's doing, and it was marvelous in our eyes." 

Carlisle historian Martha F. Wilkins described Heald as “an industrious farmer and when past middle life abandoned his plow to espouse the cause of American freedom.” After the war, Heald become one of the first selectmen of Carlisle and took up residence with his son’s family at the Red Lion Tavern on West Street. 

He is buried in North Acton’s Forest Cemetery. 

Above: Transcription of John Heald's Military Commission from 1765.