A Mariner of England: An Account of the Career of William Richardson

From merchantman to man-of-war… William Richardson was always certain he would be a seaman. His father and all his brothers were mariners so it was not unusual that he should go to sea in his turn. By the last part of the eighteenth century Richardson was an accomplished and experienced young mariner who had made steady progress in promotion and who had travelled sea-routes across the globe, including time served in the notorious slave trade. These were the days of the press gangs and many a mer