According to historian William C. Nell in his book, Colored Patriots of the American Revolution (1855), Richard Seavers was born in Salem or its vicinity. After working as a sailor, he eventually made his way to England at the age of 16, where he joined the British Navy.  When the War of 1812 broke out, Seavers refused to fight against his birth country and was subsequently imprisoned at England’s Dartmoor Prison. Historian Nell recounts that Seavers was well-known in Boston for his height—right before his death, it was documented that he was 6 feet 5 inches tall. At Dartmoor, his height led to him being known as "King Dick."  While in the Navy and at Dartmoor, Seavers learned how to box. He used those skills to work as a boxing instructor when he moved to Boston. At his death, he was heralded as a "man of mighty mould" (Nell 27).