Complex sentence: Christopher Raymond Perry (December 4,1761--June 1,1818) was an officer in the United States Navy who was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for Washington County, Rhode Island in 1780 and served until 1791.
Split into simpler sentences: Christopher Raymond Perry (December 4,1761--June 1,1818) was an officer in the United States Navy. In 1780, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas (equivalent to a District Court today) for Washington County, Rhode Island, which position he held until 1791.