William Richardson was born in Sudbury, Massachusetts, his ancestors having come to this country many years before. Sudbury was a quiet New England town, and as the boy grew to manhood he must have longed to see the world; for in the month of February, 1815, just after the war with England, he left Boston for New Orleans, accomplishing the journey in fifty-three days. He went to Richmond by stage, the rest of the journey through Virginia, Tennessee, etc., on horseback, alone, through the untrodden wilderness, often without food except cold corn bread or hominy at an occasional Indian hovel, fording and swimming through creeks and swamps, often in the worst of weather, sleeping at one time for three weeks on the bare ground, among the snakes of the swamps and the wolves and the panthers of the forest, - his horse sharing with him his hard bed and fare. He reached his destination , April 12, - a journey of eighteen hundred and twenty miles in fifty-three days.
In October of the same year he went to Lexington, Kentucky, on business, and remained through the following winter, returning thence to new Orleans in the spring of 1816. In May, 1818, he was married in Lexington to Miss Synia Higgins of that place. In 1819 he removed to Lexington, which was his home till 1837, when he removed to Louisville, Kentucky, and there resided till his death.
He was a merchant, manufacturer, and banker. For the last twenty-six years of his life he was cashier and president of the Northern Bank of Kentucky, in Louisville. He was for thirty years a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, and had the happiness of receiving seven of his children into the same church. He was the originator of the sunrise prayer-meeting, so generally observed throughout the Southwest and elsewhere on New Year's morning.
Mr. Richardson was especially known for his deep peity, his high sense of honor, and for the lively interest which he ever felt in the Church of Jesus Christ. He was almost like a pastor, in that he visited the congregation and looked after their spiritual wants. He was unusually gifted in prayer, was an elder indeed, faithfully and lovingly fulfilling the duties of his office, and was universally beloved and esteemed. Living in a border State, the Civil War was a great grief to him. He was a steadfast, loyal Union man. He died before its close, and it was believed by many that his heart was broken on account of it.
(Memorials of Richard H. Richardson, D.D. - by Mrs. Richardson, 1893)
In October of the same year he went to Lexington, Kentucky, on business, and remained through the following winter, returning thence to new Orleans in the spring of 1816. In May, 1818, he was married in Lexington to Miss Synia Higgins of that place. In 1819 he removed to Lexington, which was his home till 1837, when he removed to Louisville, Kentucky, and there resided till his death.
He was a merchant, manufacturer, and banker. For the last twenty-six years of his life he was cashier and president of the Northern Bank of Kentucky, in Louisville. He was for thirty years a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, and had the happiness of receiving seven of his children into the same church. He was the originator of the sunrise prayer-meeting, so generally observed throughout the Southwest and elsewhere on New Year's morning.
Mr. Richardson was especially known for his deep peity, his high sense of honor, and for the lively interest which he ever felt in the Church of Jesus Christ. He was almost like a pastor, in that he visited the congregation and looked after their spiritual wants. He was unusually gifted in prayer, was an elder indeed, faithfully and lovingly fulfilling the duties of his office, and was universally beloved and esteemed. Living in a border State, the Civil War was a great grief to him. He was a steadfast, loyal Union man. He died before its close, and it was believed by many that his heart was broken on account of it.
(Memorials of Richard H. Richardson, D.D. - by Mrs. Richardson, 1893)
William Richardson was born in Sudbury, Massachusetts, his ancestors having come to this country many years before. Sudbury was a quiet New England town, and as the boy grew to manhood he must have longed to see the world; for in the month of February, 1815, just after the war with England, he left Boston for New Orleans, accomplishing the journey in fifty-three days. He went to Richmond by stage, the rest of the journey through Virginia, Tennessee, etc., on horseback, alone, through the untrodden wilderness, often without food except cold corn bread or hominy at an occasional Indian hovel, fording and swimming through creeks and swamps, often in the worst of weather, sleeping at one time for three weeks on the bare ground, among the snakes of the swamps and the wolves and the panthers of the forest, - his horse sharing with him his hard bed and fare. He reached his destination , April 12, - a journey of eighteen hundred and twenty miles in fifty-three days.
In October of the same year he went to Lexington, Kentucky, on business, and remained through the following winter, returning thence to new Orleans in the spring of 1816. In May, 1818, he was married in Lexington to Miss Synia Higgins of that place. In 1819 he removed to Lexington, which was his home till 1837, when he removed to Louisville, Kentucky, and there resided till his death.
He was a merchant, manufacturer, and banker. For the last twenty-six years of his life he was cashier and president of the Northern Bank of Kentucky, in Louisville. He was for thirty years a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, and had the happiness of receiving seven of his children into the same church. He was the originator of the sunrise prayer-meeting, so generally observed throughout the Southwest and elsewhere on New Year's morning.
Mr. Richardson was especially known for his deep peity, his high sense of honor, and for the lively interest which he ever felt in the Church of Jesus Christ. He was almost like a pastor, in that he visited the congregation and looked after their spiritual wants. He was unusually gifted in prayer, was an elder indeed, faithfully and lovingly fulfilling the duties of his office, and was universally beloved and esteemed. Living in a border State, the Civil War was a great grief to him. He was a steadfast, loyal Union man. He died before its close, and it was believed by many that his heart was broken on account of it.
(Memorials of Richard H. Richardson, D.D. - by Mrs. Richardson, 1893)
In October of the same year he went to Lexington, Kentucky, on business, and remained through the following winter, returning thence to new Orleans in the spring of 1816. In May, 1818, he was married in Lexington to Miss Synia Higgins of that place. In 1819 he removed to Lexington, which was his home till 1837, when he removed to Louisville, Kentucky, and there resided till his death.
He was a merchant, manufacturer, and banker. For the last twenty-six years of his life he was cashier and president of the Northern Bank of Kentucky, in Louisville. He was for thirty years a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, and had the happiness of receiving seven of his children into the same church. He was the originator of the sunrise prayer-meeting, so generally observed throughout the Southwest and elsewhere on New Year's morning.
Mr. Richardson was especially known for his deep peity, his high sense of honor, and for the lively interest which he ever felt in the Church of Jesus Christ. He was almost like a pastor, in that he visited the congregation and looked after their spiritual wants. He was unusually gifted in prayer, was an elder indeed, faithfully and lovingly fulfilling the duties of his office, and was universally beloved and esteemed. Living in a border State, the Civil War was a great grief to him. He was a steadfast, loyal Union man. He died before its close, and it was believed by many that his heart was broken on account of it.
(Memorials of Richard H. Richardson, D.D. - by Mrs. Richardson, 1893)
Gravesite Details
Buried Jun. 25, 1887
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