Some called him William, others called him General. Some even called him Lord Stirling. Whoever you called him (WA below), aka Lord Stirling, was one of the most interesting people of the Revolutionary War.
The Mr. Local History Project Lord Stirling Research Series
Igniting New Jersey’s Revolutionary Signal Beacons for America 250
Views: 62 Long before telegraphs, radios, or cell phones, New Jersey’s mountaintops carried messages by fire. During the Revolutionary War, General William Livingston and Brigadier General William Alexander—better known as Lord Stirling—relied on a chain of signal beacons stretching across…
America’s Grandest Estate in Basking Ridge Archaeological Dig Continues
Views: 487 UPDATE:Wednesday, June 18, 2026, Session 13 – 02:00 PM – 03:15 PM, hear the panel explore, through the lens of archaeology, the past, present, and future of “The Buildings,” the former estate of Revolutionary War General William Alexander, also known…
Overlooked Heroines of the Revolutionary War – Sarah Livingston Alexander
Views: 114 Part of the Mr. Local History Rev War and Lord Stirling Series As we were researching another story, we came across this really interesting piece published in 1914 about one of the Revolutionary War’s greatest generals, William Alexander,…
NJ 250 Idea – Build a Rev War Signal Beacon – Then Burn It
Views: 2,106 At a recent Somerset County 250th Celebration gathering at the Grain House Restaurant, a simple sign pointed visitors toward the Hunt Room. It was an ordinary moment, but it captured something bigger, the quiet buildup of a once-in-a-generation…
Stirling Manor – The 13 Colonies’ Most Prestigious Home was in Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Views: 2,668 Is William Alexander, aka The Earl & Lord of Stirling, Basking Ridge’s Most Famous Resident? Our researchers think so. Let’s see if we can answer that question. William Alexander (1726 – Jan 15, 1783) was the son of…
Basking Ridge’s Stirling Manor & Perth Amboy’s Proprietary House- Digging Around
Views: 11,476 The Mr. Local History Project is researching the thesis that another house, known as Stirling Manor in Basking Ridge, was built with similar architecture to the Proprietary House by England’s John Edward Pryor. Let us know what you…
Richard Stockton – Constitution Signer and a Basking Ridge Brother In Law
Views: 3,303 Suppose you have the chance to visit Basking Ridge, New Jersey’s Ross Farm for an outdoor concert or to help out in the giving garden, remember this story about the historic Boudinot (Boo-DE-Know) family estate on the hill…
The Founding Families of Bernards Township (Basking Ridge)
Views: 33,822 NOTE: Remember that Warren, Far Hills, and Bernardsville were part of Bernards Township, so these family stories also include those areas. History showcases some of the greatest reminders of where we came from. Many people new to the…
Lord Stirling- Basking Ridge’s Most Famous Resident
Views: 21,870 Is William Alexander, aka The Earl & Lord of Stirling, Basking Ridge’s Most Famous Resident? Our researchers think so. Let’s see if we can answer that question. William Alexander (1726 – Jan 15, 1783) was the son of…
Lord Stirling’s Rev War Beacon Signal Towers
Views: 20,401 General Washington, the Continental Army, and General Lord Stirling of Basking Ridge drew inspiration from history and created a sophisticated communications network to track the British movement. They were called the “Beacons.” We start off with a classic…
Retrospective: President James Monroe Had Ties to Basking Ridge
Views: 10,125 James Monroe was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and “Founding Father” who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was the last president of the…
Lord Stirling is my 6th great-grandfather. I’d like to keep on top of the research you do about him!