The son of a merchant tailor in Penzance, Cornwall, William began his career as a tailor and woollen draper in South Parade Street, Penzance. After marriage to Esther Watts of Plymouth and the birth of nine children, four of whom did not survive infancy, he was persuaded to take advantage of the prospects of a better life, and a future for his children, to emigrate in 1840. As he was too old at 43 years of age to receive a free passage, he paid for himself and his family. Unfortunately he was destined to travel to South Australia in 1840 on the ill-fated Java, a ship so poorly provisioned and managed that around 50 of the 500 passengers, mostly children, died of disease, malnutrition and/or starvation. One of his children (Caroline) died of whooping cough while the ship was somewhere in the Indian Ocean. He kept a brief diary of the voyage, which is kept in the State Library of South Australia. William Richards, wife Esther & five children (William, George, Laura, Cyrus and Caroline ) on board the 'Java' arrived Feb. 6th 1840 at Holdfast Bay.
CHECK - no record of book online, publication date 2013 but acquired 2003
Local notes
CHECK - no record of book online, publication date 2013 but acquired 2003