Col. William Richmond was the son of William and Anna Gray Richmond. He was born in Little Compton, Rhode Island, August 20, 1727 and died there September 23, 1807.He married Hannah Gray, daughter of Samuel Gray, born in 1738 and died January 5, 1812. He owned the Capt. Edward Richmond place and is buried there. He had no children. The following biography of Col. Richmond is taken from the Genealogy of the Richmond family by Joshua Richmond. (Richmonds from the definitive genealogical reference - Little Compton Families pages 518, 519, 520)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 the 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 and '93. He was moderator of town meetings 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 Canadian war, as lieutenant under his brother, Colonel Barzillai; was lieutenant of a company sent against Crown Point in 1755, and Captain in Colonel Champlin's regiment in 1756. He had a command as Colonel in the Revolutionary War and was Colonel of the State Brigade in 1776. He was Military Governor of Newport at one time during the War. He went on a military expedition to Long Island. The British had penetrated on the east part of the Island and he went with a detachment of soldiers, from the Connecticut shore, and dispersed them. Colonel Richmond and General 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 Colonel Richmond. The Richmonds 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 formerly was the property of Judge Perez Richmond and extends from 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 Colonel Richmond, tore the old house down and made the Richmond farm complete as it was in the beginning before the Colonel's gifts Collins. There is a noted historical place on the farm called Awashonks Rock, or Treaty Rock (named after Awashonks, the Queen of the Sogonate Indians) where Col. Benjamin Church made his treaty with Awashonks, the Queen, in King Philip's War. It was through his means and negotiations that the Indians of Seaconnet were induced to break with Philip. The following inscriptions is upon the tombstone in the old family burial place, located near the house; "Col. William Richmond, who having served his country in several public stations for many years, departed this life Sept 23, 1807, 81 years of age." Colonel 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 beloved 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, Colonel Richmond was told by the presiding officer that his vote would be taken out of the ballot box (though he was 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 midst of which an unexpected combatant appeared. Primus Collins, who had been honored with election to the Negro governorship of Rhoda Island (an ancient custom in the state) and who was always call Governor Collins, was in the gallery. 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 gallery 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 had been a slave of the Colonel, and was subject to twenty five years service but he liberated him and afterwards gave him a farm. This farm was called the Primus Flat Iron. When he became a free voter, by the ownership of land, Colonel Richmond took him to the polls and told him to put in his vote. The moderator forbade it, and said he had no right. Colonel Richmond drew up his cane and with a loud voice declared, "That man shall vote," and Collins became a voter until his death. Afterwards, however, Issac Wilbour (who was Chief Justice and member of Congress) of Little Compton got the word white inserted in the statute respecting voting. Colonel Richmond had another slave named Saul, who had the entire supervision and control of his farm. He found a Negro woman and bought her, and had Saul marry her. They had children, one of whom he gave to the Rev. Mase Shepard, his minister, and others to some of his friends. 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 Richmonds of Little Compton, " Damned proud family, they esteem their Negroes better then 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 Barzilla 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 Scriptures 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 God, if you don't this morning, I will 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 a doubt. Primus Collins lived in Little Compton many years, and died in February 1858 aged eighty one years. He was highly esteemed and was a worthy and pious man. His daughter married Charles Simmons, and lived one time at the head of Middle Street, New Bedford, Mass