Bill Richmond (A Man of Colour, and a Native of America)
Thursday, 5 June 2025, 20:28
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Edited by Steven Oliver, Sunday, 8 June 2025, 20:11
I wasn't sure that I would be able to find much in the way of a link between York and the A223 content on Early Modern Black Lives, but a Black History Month link from the University of York brought a fascinating one in the person of Bill Richmond, bare knuckle boxer! (To be fair Bill only just makes it into the OU definition of early modern, born in 1763 and doing most of his fighting in the early 19th century - but it was too good a story to pass over). There's not space for the full biography, but there is a good summary in the ODNB. Born into enslavement on Staten Island, Richmond was brought to the UK, as a free man, by Hugh Percy who would in due course become second Duke of Northumberland (he had been serving with the British army in North America during the War of Independence). Percy apparently set Richmond up with an education and an apprenticeship in joinery. It was the latter which brought him to Yorkshire, probably from around 1779.
A couple of 'secondary sources' Luke Williams's biography of Richmond and George (Flashman) MacDonald Fraser's fictional account of Tom Molyneaux's life story
A lot of the descriptions of Bill Richmond's life come from later accounts by journalists, produced once he'd become a high profile boxer and also a trainer and fight promoter. They make great reading. The following section is from BOXIANA; or Sketches of Ancient and Modern Pugilism; From the days of the renowned Broughton and Slack to the HEROES of the present MILLING ERA! written by Pierce Egan. It describes one of Richmond's 'amateur' fights whilst in York (he moved to London with his wife by the mid 1790's), and also the provocation for it.
'RICHMOND, in
passing through the streets of York, one evening, with a female under his
protection, was accosted by one Frank Myers, with the epithets of “black
devil,” &c. and who otherwise insulted the young woman for being in
company with a man of colour. BILL, full of gallantry, and with a
becoming spirit of indignation, requested him to desist for the present moment,
but to meet him at the Groves on the next Monday morning, when they would
settle this difference, (the circumstance happening on a Saturday night,) to
which Myers agreed. The affair of honour being buzzed about on the
Sunday, a great concourse of people assembled early the next day to witness the
conflict; RICHMOND was there at the appointed hour, and after suffering
considerable time to elapse, and Myers not making his appearance, the spectators
became impatient, and it was judged expedient that RICHMOND and his friends
should repair to house of Myers, to remind him of his engagement. This Myers
kept a bagnio, with a woman of the name of Shepherd, at Uggleford, to
which play they went and found Myers, who after some hesitation, agreed to go
to the Groves, where he was followed by this shepherdess and her flock.
The battle now commenced and raged with fury for some time, but upon Myers
getting the worst of it, the above Covess and her damsels rushed into
the ring to prevent their Bully from being annihilated, and took him
away; but the spectators interfering, persuaded Myers to return and
finish the battle like a man, who being ashamed of his conduct, agreed to it, when RICHMOND soon taught him very properly to acknowledge, that it was wrong, and beneath the character of an Englishman, to abuse any individual for that he could not help - either on account of his COUNTRY or his colour. Myers, very properly, received a complete milling.'
(There's more on Richmond in York in this blog post)
Richmond picked up professional boxing in his forties and had a successful career, he was also linked with an even more famous Black boxer - Tom Molyneaux, also a former slave, who was involved in what (I've now discovered) was a very famous couple of fights (1810-11) with the British champion of that time, Tom Cribb. Richmond trained and promoted Molyneaux, who came close to taking the title (in fact might have been effectively cheated of it in his first bout, through a 'long count' in the 28th round!).
These were all such larger than life stories, described in fabulous melodramatic prose - they really added a different perspective to the OU chapter. Whilst people like Richmond and Molyneaux were subject to prejudice and abuse and were highly constrained by the social forces in play in the late 18thC /early 19thC there is also a lot of agency exhibited as they 'negotiated' there way through life. I'm glad I've encountered their stories - and will see what more I can find out about them.
Bill Richmond (A Man of Colour, and a Native of America)
A couple of 'secondary sources' Luke Williams's biography of Richmond and George (Flashman) MacDonald Fraser's fictional account of Tom Molyneaux's life story
A lot of the descriptions of Bill Richmond's life come from later accounts by journalists, produced once he'd become a high profile boxer and also a trainer and fight promoter. They make great reading. The following section is from BOXIANA; or Sketches of Ancient and Modern Pugilism; From the days of the renowned Broughton and Slack to the HEROES of the present MILLING ERA! written by Pierce Egan. It describes one of Richmond's 'amateur' fights whilst in York (he moved to London with his wife by the mid 1790's), and also the provocation for it.
'RICHMOND, in passing through the streets of York, one evening, with a female under his protection, was accosted by one Frank Myers, with the epithets of “black devil,” &c. and who otherwise insulted the young woman for being in company with a man of colour. BILL, full of gallantry, and with a becoming spirit of indignation, requested him to desist for the present moment, but to meet him at the Groves on the next Monday morning, when they would settle this difference, (the circumstance happening on a Saturday night,) to which Myers agreed. The affair of honour being buzzed about on the Sunday, a great concourse of people assembled early the next day to witness the conflict; RICHMOND was there at the appointed hour, and after suffering considerable time to elapse, and Myers not making his appearance, the spectators became impatient, and it was judged expedient that RICHMOND and his friends should repair to house of Myers, to remind him of his engagement. This Myers kept a bagnio, with a woman of the name of Shepherd, at Uggleford, to which play they went and found Myers, who after some hesitation, agreed to go to the Groves, where he was followed by this shepherdess and her flock. The battle now commenced and raged with fury for some time, but upon Myers getting the worst of it, the above Covess and her damsels rushed into the ring to prevent their Bully from being annihilated, and took him away; but the spectators interfering, persuaded Myers to return and finish the battle like a man, who being ashamed of his conduct, agreed to it, when RICHMOND soon taught him very properly to acknowledge, that it was wrong, and beneath the character of an Englishman, to abuse any individual for that he could not help - either on account of his COUNTRY or his colour. Myers, very properly, received a complete milling.'
These were all such larger than life stories, described in fabulous melodramatic prose - they really added a different perspective to the OU chapter. Whilst people like Richmond and Molyneaux were subject to prejudice and abuse and were highly constrained by the social forces in play in the late 18thC /early 19thC there is also a lot of agency exhibited as they 'negotiated' there way through life. I'm glad I've encountered their stories - and will see what more I can find out about them.