William Hempstead

William Hempstead, Sr. son of Stephen Hempstead and Sarah Holt of New London, CT, fought in Adam Shapley's Regt. of Connecticut Militia in the defense of Fort Trumbull at New London, when the town was stormed on 6 Sep 1781 by the British with Connecticut native and turncoat Benedict Arnold.

After selling his property in Connecticut, in 1819, William Hempstead and his wife, Lydia Hempstead, daughter of Joshua Hempstead and his wife, Lydia Burch, followed William's brother, Stephen, who had established a home in St. Louis, MO. Stephen Hempstead, in his diary, "I At Home" of Tuesday, 3 Aug 1819, remarks: "....when I came home I found at my house my only brother William Hempsted aged 74 and wife who had Just come to the Country with his family from Connecticut in Tolerable good health for aged & infirm old people after so long a Journey." By 7 Aug 1819, Stephen notes that his brother William's family is sick with ague & fever. Continuing in ill health for nearly a year, Stephen notes in his diary for Wed., 12 July 1820, " My Brother I believe to be dieing Send his Son John to my house and St Louis to give them Information ... at 11 o Clock my Brother died..." of bilious fever. Two days later, on the 14th of July, the notation reads: "...have a grave opened in my grave yard and have my Brother Brought over to be buried...my wife at home....My Brothers wife Died at 4 o Clock this afternoon." [The Diary of Stephen Hempstead is reprinted in the Missouri Historical Review, April 1958]