Abel Buell

Abel Buell (1742-1822) was a Connecticut Yankee from the town of Killingsworth, now Clinton

- BOB JONES

If you go to Clinton today, you can see a plaque on the local bank recognizing Buell and his many accomplishments including being a lapidary, perhaps the first lapidary in this country.

AN AMERICAN PATRIOT 

Abel Buell was an associate of Paul Revere. He met Paul when both were learning to be silversmiths from Ebenezer Crittenden who also became Buell’s father-in-law. Revere convinced Abel to join the Sons of Liberty, a group dedicated to resisting the English rule in the colonies.

Abel and his bride lived in the family cottage in Killingsworth. One night the local sheriff saw a light in the loft window of Buell's home. Curious, he got a ladder and climbed up to peek into the lighted room. There he saw Abel sitting at a table busy counterfeiting English bank notes by changing the denominations to a higher amount.

Abel was arrested, tried and given a life sentence on house arrest. Before he served this sentence he had to be branded on his forehead. This was done by cutting off a piece of his ear. This was placed on his tongue and held there while he said, “God Save the King.” The branding iron with the letter C was held to his forehead as he recited the phrase. Luckily, the letter C was branded high on his forehead so it could be hidden by a forelock of hair.

LAPIDARY WORK EQUALS FREEDOM