Richard Richardson

Richard Richardson (1663–1741) was an English physician, botanist and antiquarian. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1712.

Life Born at North Bierley on 6 September 1663, and baptised at Bradford on 24 September, he was the eldest son of William Richardson of North Bierley (1629–1667), who married at Elland in Halifax on 2 August 1659 Susannah (d. 1708), daughter of Gilbert Savile of Greetland. His father died intestate.

Richardson was educated at Bradford Grammar School, and on 20 June 1681 matriculated at University College, Oxford. He left without a degree. On 10 November 1681 he was entered as a student at Gray's Inn. He matriculated at Leyden University on 26 September 1687, and lodged for three years with Paul Hermann, the professor of botany; Herman Boerhaave was among his fellow-students. When he returned to England and settled on his property, he practised as M.D.: most of his professional services were free. and John Edward Smith. Dawson Turner edited for Francis Currer, in 1835, a privately printed volume of Extracts from the Literary and Scientific Correspondence of Richard Richardson, M.D. singled out Richardson and William Sherard for botanical investigations that enlarged the list of English plants, and determined the habitats of specimens. He also mentioned Richardson's services in collecting mosses. Linnæus called a plant after him. A daughter, Dorothy, married Sir John Lister Kaye, 4th Baronet.

Rev. Henry Richardson (1758–1784), later known as Henry Richardson Currer, was a grandson, being the son of Rev. Henry Richardson (died 1778), rector of Thornton-in-Craven, son of Richard Richardson. Frances Mary Richardson Currer, heiress to the Currer and Richardson estates, was his posthumous daughter. Dorothy Richardson (1748–1819), sister of Henry (1758–1784), had artistic and antiquarian interests, and left travel journals.