Capt. William Sandford

William Sandford is one of the more elusive Revolutionary War veterans of the Old Burying Ground. We do not know his family, where he lived or why he is buried here, under a tombstone enscribed with his name and rank, “Capt. William Sandford”.

Sandford appears in the burial records as a Revolutionary War veteran, who was in this 45^th year when he passed away on November 8, 1811. From this we can estimate that he was born about 1766.

An estate was inventoried on November 30, 1811, for a William Sandford of Paquanock (now Pequannock), in Morris County, New Jersey. He describes him as a “captain”, but it is unclear if this was his employment or his title at the time of his death.

There is evidence that William Sandford served in VanCortlandt’s Battalion, New Jersey Militia as a private and another in Seely’s Regiment as a corporal.

Here is an opportunity for another intrepid researcher to try to fill in the missing pieces of Capt. Sandford’s story.