Robert Richard Randall
Encyclopedia
Captain Robert Richard Randall was a noted sea captain in life and since his death in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 on the 5th of June, 1801 has been a philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...

 who has helped thousands of seafarers through the charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

 he directed be formed from his estate in New York City; later to be officially called The Trustees of the Sailors' Snug Harbor in the City Of New York. Captain Randall's will directed an array of political, religious, and civic leaders in the city with the task of erecting an "Asylum or Marine Hospital, to be called the Sailors' Snug Harbor for the purpose of maintaining and supporting aged, decrepit, and worn-out sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...

s."

Captain Randall was born in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 about 1750. There seems nothing unusual about his life and he played no conspicuous part in political life. Like many thoughtful men, his dream of the future was his greatest achievement in life. His Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

 estate was inherited from his father Captain Thomas Randall five years before Robert died at age 51. As a seaman himself, Robert possessed sympathy and appreciation of the difficult life of a sailor. He recognized the family kinship to the sea as well as indebtedness to it but he returned it measure for measure in the document that would one day give to thousands of seamen a dignified existence in their later years- a trust to exist in perpetuity
Perpetuity
A perpetuity is an annuity that has no end, or a stream of cash payments that continues forever. There are few actual perpetuities in existence...

.
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