Richard Partridge was observed through the window by a sick girl when he took washing from her mother's clothes line. 
First fleeter, Arrived on the Scarborough 27/01/1788 
Was sentenced to transportation for seven years at the Old Bailey on 30 April1783 for theft of a linen shirt, an apron, cotton stockings and some linen cover sluts (greased rags used for candles) at Whitechapel road. The witness said she saw him three weeks later. "He broke three pales and got out," and she said he had run when he observed her. He had insisted he had only gone to the nearby "necessary".
On the 16/08/1783 he was embarked for America on the swift transport, which the convicts took over and ran ashore in the channel near Rye, Sussex on the 30th, many escaping. Partridge was retaken on 10 September near Tunbridge, Kent, tried again at the Old Bailey, sentenced to death and repreived and sentenced to transportation at the end of the sessions. On the 4th October he was sent to the Censor hulk, aged 26, and delivered by the wagon on the 24 Febuary 1787 to embark on Scarborough at Portsmouth on the 27th (He may have been the Richard Partridge aged 19 who was sentenced to 3 years hard labour on the hulks.)
At port Jackson he was associated with Mary Greenwood who had been sentenced with a George Partridge. When a pair of his shoes was stolen in October 1789, Mary was the witness, and on 3 November 1793 he had by her a son Richard. On the 27/07/1791 Partridge was for the first time designated as alias Rice. On 30/09/1794 Richard received a pardon, and on 24/10/1795 he was off stores, a watchman in November 1795 and constable in 1796 he was given a 60 acre grant at Northern Boundary Farms, and Mary Greenwood bore him a daughter Mary on 15/02/1797, the year in which he received an absolute pardon in September. At mid 1800 he had 21 acres sown in wheat and 4 ready for planting maize. A woman, two children and one servant were all on stores. He owned a horse,ten pigs, one goat and four sheep. In 1802 he was recorded with a gun and a sword in his possession.
By 1802 he had cleared 36 acres with 30 sown in wheat and 4 ready for maize. Now owning 6 sheep, 2 goats and 16 pigs, he had 30 bushels of wheat and 40 of maize in hand. Partridge, two children and 5 servants were on stores, Mary Greenwood was not receiving a government ration. He was also selling grain to stores. By August 1804 he had received another 80 acres, holding 140 of which in 1806, 40 were grain, the rest pasture,vegetables and garden. He owned 3 horses, 100 sheep, 16 pigs and 12 goats and was victualled from stores, but his wife and 3 convicts he employed were not. On 05/11/1810 he made a legal marraige with Mary Greenwood.
In 1815 he had a contract for the carriage of bricks and materials for government buildings at Parramatta, and supplied provisions for the working party under William Cox then constructing the new road across the Blue Mountains, a contract extended in 1816 to conveying provisions to the detachment of the 46th regiment and workers stationed at Parramatta and Cox's river. 
   In 1828 aged 69 he was working as a carter
    Guilty of return from transportation following the Swift mutiny. Night watch member. Known in NSW as "Rice-the left handed flogger".
He died at Parramatta on 22/05/1831, his age given as 72.
Buried at St Johns Parramatta. He had died suddenly in his bed, he was found dead by his wife after having appeared in perfect health the day before. Savings of several hundred pound were found in an old tea pot.