Nothing was reported of William Richards; however a man of the same name was subsequently recorded along with other Mullion men in the deeds of bravery at the shipwreck of the "Anson" at Loe Bar in December 1807. HMS "Anson", Captain Lydiard, was a 64 gun ship of the line. She was returning from the Bay of Biscay in a WSW gale. She made land near Mullion Island intending to stand off to sea but was unable to tack and became embayed. Her anchors failed to save her and she was washed north onto Loe Bar resulting in dreadful loss of life. Although Loe Bar is several miles north of Mullion the wreck of the naval ship "Anson" was a notable one. Several men from Mullion, using a coastal road then in existence from Poldhu through Gunwalloe to Porthleven were involved in the rescue of the crew. One such man was William Foxwell, a Mullion Preacher who was the first in a group to gain access to the ship and in the process helped to save many lives for which he was given an award. He was a man who became noted for providing help, clothing and food to many shipwrecked sailors along this coast.