General Notes

JBR 346 (Fifth Generation)

346. (COLONEL) WILLIAM RICHMOND5 (William4, Silvester3, Edward2, John1) was born in Little Compton, R. I., August 20, 1727. He married Hannah, daughter of Samuel Gray, who was born in 1738, and died January 5, 1812. He died September 23, 1807.
He had no children, and gave his property to his nephew, William Richmond6, second son of Sylvester Richmond5.
At the convention of the Governor's Council, as supreme ordinary of the English colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at Newport, may, 1760, William Richmond, Esq., was one of ten Assistants of Gov. Stephen Hopkins. He was one of the Representatives of the  town in 1779; was First Deputy in 1780, '81, '88, '90, '93; Moderator of Town Meeting in 1777, '82, '83, '86, '87, '88 and '91; and on the Committee of Safety for the County of Newport. He served in one or two campaigns in the Canada War, as Lieutenant under his brother, Col. Barzillai; was Lieutenant of a company sent against Crown Point in 1755, and Captain in Col.  Champlin's regiment in 1756. He has a command as Colonel in the Revolutionary War, and was Colonel of the State Brigade in 1776; was Military Governor of Newport at one time during the War. He went on a military expedition to Long Island. The British has penetrated to the east part of the Island, and he went, with a detachment of soldiers, from the Connecticut shore, and dispersed them. Col. William Richmond and Gen. Barton, who surprised and took Prescott prisoner, were on terms of closest intimacy. The General was accustomed to spend a part of the summer with Col. Richmond.
The Richmond freed their slaves before the Revolution, and settled them in Dartmouth Woods. The Richmond Farm, owned and occupied by Col. William Richmond, lies north of the farm now owned by Frederic Brownell, Esq. (which was formerly the property of Judge Perez Richmond), and extends for the road to the Seaconnet River. Here Capt. Edward Richmond (first of the name) settled, died and was buried. His tombstone is still visible in the old family
burying-ground. This farm was in the possession of the family continuously until within a few years. Rev. William Richmond of New York bought two and a half acres of land of Primus
Collins, given to him by Col. Richmond, tore the old house down, and made the Richmond Farm complete as it was in the beginning before the Colonel's gift to Collins.
There is a noted and historical place on the farm called Awashonks' Rock, or Treaty Rock (named after Awashonks, the Queen Sachem of the Seaconnet Indians), where Col.
Benjamin Church made his treaty with the Awashonks in King Philip's War. It was through his means and negotiations that the Indians of Seaconnet were induced to break off their alliance
with the Sachem of Mount Hope.* (*The History if King Philip's War, by Col. Church's son, has this passage: "Col. Benj. Church made a treat at a rock on the farm of Edward Richmond, with Awashonks, the Squaw Sachem of the Seaconets, which broke the power and the heart of Malacomet.")
The following is the inscription upon the tombstone in the old family burial place, located near the house:
"Col., William Richmond, who having served his
county in several public stations for many
years, departed this life Sept. 23, 1807,
81 years of age."
Col. Richmond was a large man, with very white hair in his old age. He was a gentleman of the old school, but jocose, liberal, and greatly loved by his family and kindred. He was wealthy, for the times, and one of the first men in the town, very active and public-spirited in all its affairs. Many anecdotes are told of him, and his slaves, of which the following may be interesting:
Once, in high party times, Col. Richmond was told by the presiding officer that his vote would be taken out of the ballot-box (though well known since boyhood to every man in the town), because he had not registered his name; the Colonel replied, "If you touch my vote, I shall come down with this cane on your head," at the same time holding the vote in his left hand and the rebellious cane in the right hand. The officer attempted to extract the vote, and the cane came down and hindered the operation. A row ensued, in the mist of which an unexpected combatant appeared. Primus Collins, who had been honored with election to the negro governorship of Rhode Island (an ancient custom in that State), and who was always called Governor Collins, was in the galley. The white of his eyes and of his teeth were soon visible,
and exclaiming, "It is about time for this darkey to drop," he leaped from the galley into the midst of the combatants, and by means of his black face, sudden appearance, and vigorous
blows, scattered the opponents of "Old Master" right and left, and the vote remained undisturbed.
Primus Collins has been a slave of the Colonel, and was subject to twenty-five years' service, but liberated him and afterwards gave him a farm. Then he became a free voter, by the ownership of land. Col. Richmond took him to the polls and told him to put in his vote. The moderator forbade it, and said he had no right. Col. Richmond drew up his cane, and with a loud voice declared, "That man shall vote"; and he became a voter until his death. Afterwards,
however, Isaac Wilbour (who was Chief-Justice and Member of Congress) of Little Compton, got the word "white" inserted in the statute respecting voting. Col. Richmond had another slave named Saul, who had the entire supervision and control of the farm. He found a negro woman and bought her, and had Saul marry her. They had children, one of whom he gave to Rev. Mace Shepherd, his minister, and other to some of his friends. One was named Jeffries, in derision of the Chief-Justice of England. Saul was complete master of ceremonies and affairs about the farm. An ox could not be bought without his presence and counsel. Mr. Shaw, a member of the Senate of Rhode Island from Little Compton, said of the Richmonds in Little Compton, "D---d proud family; they esteem their negroes better than common folks."
The Colonel was an ardent patriot and Revolutionist. He resided at one time, about the commencement of the Revolutionary struggle, at the house of his brother Barzillai in Providence, who was a good Deacon, but timid and peace-loving, if he did not in his heart sympathize with the Tories. The good man had family worship regularly every morning. Three days passed. The following morning the Deacon, as usual, had read the Scripture and was rising in order to pray, when the Colonel caught up his famous and trusty cane, and raising it above his head, exclaimed, "Stop!" and added, I have been here now three days, and every morning you have prayed and haven't mentioned the American Congress, nor prayed for the success of the American arms.  Now by G-d, if you don't this morning, I'll knock you down with the cane when you say 'Amen'." It is said the Colonel was not religious, — but he certainly believed in the efficacy of prayer and his patriotism was beyond doubt.
Primus Collins lived in Little Compton many years, and died February 7, 1858, aged eight-one years. He was esteemed, and was a worthy and pious man. His daughter married Charles Simmons, and lived at one time at the head of Middle Street, New Bedford, Mass.

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