Roland Hazard (II) was the son of Roland Gibson Hazard and grandson of Roland Hazard (I), who began the family's textile business in Peacedale, Rhode Island. He was an eighth generation descendent of  Thomas Hazard who first emigrated to America from Wales around 1630. 

In 1853, when this letter was sent, Roland's father; Roland Gibson Hazard was  president of the company, which at that time was known as the Peacedale Manufacturing Company. Roland became president of the company in 1892.

Roland's lineage is as follows:
Thomas Hazard - first generation; Robert Hazard - second generation; Thomas Hazard - third generation; Robert Hazard - fourth generation; Thomas Hazard - fifth generation; Roland Hazard - sixth generation; Roland Gibson Hazard - seventh generation; Roland Hazard - eighth generation.

Roland Hazard was born to Roland Gibson and Caroline Newbold Hazard in Newport, Rhode Island on August 16, 1829. The family moved to Peacedale in 1833, where Roland came of age. He attended Friends College (Quaker) in 1845 at Haverford, CT and graduated from Brown University in 1849. He was ranked in the upper third of the graduating class and was ranked first in mathematics during his first three years at Brown. He also won a prize in philosophy for his essay in that department.

Roland was quite active in local village and town affairs. In 1854 he organized a Sunday School at the schoolhouse and on February 13, 1857 in response to his invitation, 13 people met at his home and  organized the Second Congregational Church of South Kingstown. In 1872 he built a stone church, which still stands; drawing up the plans himself. The worsted mill in Peacedale was built according to his plans in 1872. The picturesque stone bridges all around Peacedale were built by Roland. One of the bridges, which had a single stone arch spanning over 40 feet was the largest single arch bridge built in the state up to that time. Roland was largely instrumental in establishing the Narragansett Library in 1855 and was involved in the organization of the High School - donating the land for the building and assisting in its maintenance. 

Roland Hazard introduced the first system of profit sharing in the United States for his employees at the Peacedale Mills. He also maintained an interest in agriculture and in the breeding of cattle. He was elected as President of the Washington County Agricultural Society in 1876. He served as a Moderator for the township of South Kingstown and in the State legislature as representative in 1863 and as a senator in 1867-68.  Roland Hazard was a candidate for governor as an independent in 1875, but was not elected.

Roland's other interests included a lead mine in La Mote, Missouri , which he took charge of in 1875. He introduced the manufacture of soda-ash into the country in 1881 and was instrumental in organizing the Solvay Process Company of Syracuse, New York becoming it's president in 1883. The first soda-ash made by ammonia process in America was produced by his company in January of 1884.

Roland Hazard married Margaret Ann Rood of Philadelphia; the daughter of Reverend Anson Rood and Alida Ogden Rood. (She was living in New Haven at the home of a relative; Mrs. M. G. Ogden while Roland was courting her.) Margaret Rood was born on September 28, 1834 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died on August 7, 1895.

Roland and Margaret had 5 children as follows:

Roland Gibson Hazard was born on January 22, 1855. He was married to Mary Pierpont on November 16, 1880. He became president of the Peacedale Manufacturing Company in 1898 on the death of his father. 

Caroline Hazard  was born June 10, 1856. She was the editor of a collected edition of her grandfather's  philosophical and economic writings under the title of "Works of Roland Gibson Hazard," (five volumes). She was also the author of a biography titled "Thomas Hazard, son of Robert, called College Tom,"  "A study of Life in Narragansett in the 18th century," and a volume of poems titled "Narragansett Ballads." She was the co-author and editor of a volume titled "A Memorial of T. Lewis Diman, of Brown University."

Frederick Roland Hazard was born June 14, 1858

Helen Hazard was born January 15, 1861

Margaret Hazard was born May 31, 1867.