William Richardson (Maryland politician)

William Richardson (1735–1825) was a Maryland politician and Continental Army officer. Richardson served in the Maryland Assembly from 1773–1776, introducing the bill that formed Caroline County in 1774.[1] As Colonel of the 5th Maryland Regiment[2] of the Maryland Line,[3] he participated in the Battle of Harlem Heights in 1776, and later moved the Continental Treasury from Philadelphia to Baltimore in 1777. He was a delegate to the Maryland State Convention of 1788, to vote whether Maryland should ratify the proposed Constitution of the United States.[4] He fought at the Battle of Camden in 1780.[5] In later life he also served as a Presidential Elector.[6]

Colonel Richardson High School[7] and Colonel Richardson Middle School in Federalsburg, Maryland are named for him.

Richardson, like many wealthy Marylanders of his time, was a slaveholder. In his will of June 19, 1823, Richardson made bequests of over fifty enslaved persons to approximately thirty of his own family members.[8]

References
  1. "Colonel William Richardson Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  2. "List of Continental Army Units in 1777 to 1780". American Revolutionary War. 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  3. Steuart, Rieman (1969). A History of the Maryland Line in the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. Society of the Cincinnati of Maryland. pp.10 & 19.
  4. Secretary of State of Maryland (1915). Maryland Manual 1914–1915: A Compendium of Legal, Historical and Statistical Information relating to the State of Maryland. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: The Advertiser-Republican.
  5. http://www.battleofcamden.org/oob-camden.pdf
  6. Jones, Elias. History of Dorchester County, Maryland
  7. http://cl.k12.md.us/CRHS/Home_Pagex.html
  8. "Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYMH-1JL?cc=1803986&wc=SNYZ-MNT%3A146535101%2C146874601 : 20 May 2014), Caroline > Wills 1803-1825 vol C > image 271 of 286; Hall of Records, Annapolis. Page 528


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