[1] He served in the Portuguese Army during the War of the Spanish Succession and was killed when a mine was detonated by the enemy while in command of the defence at the Siege of Alicante.
[2] He served with the Austrians during the War of the Grand Alliance and then, following the Peace of Ryswick of 1697, he transferred along with his brother Jacob into the Venetian forces.
[3] At the outbreak of the War of Spanish Succession, England's ally Portugal requested that London send some experienced officers to assist them.
[4] During the ensuing campaigns he worked closely with British forces, whose artillery train included his own brother Michael.
Despite his awareness of the danger, Richards repeatedly refused to surrender as he felt duty bound to continue to hold out.