Born on 24 June 1884 the eldest child of R T Richardson, MRCS, who practised at Trowbridge, Wilts, and Amelia Anne Tasker, his wife. He was educated at Epsom College and at the Leeds Medical School. He graduated at the University of London with distinction in pharmacology and honours in medicine. At the Leeds General Infirmary he held in succession the posts of house surgeon, resident casualty officer, and resident surgical officer. In August 1913 he became surgical tutor and registrar, in 1920 he was elected assistant surgeon, and in 1927 he succeeded to the office of surgeon, becoming professor of clinical surgery in the University of Leeds in 1933. During the war, he acted as surgeon to the second Northern General Hospital at Beckett Park, with the rank of captain, RAMC (T), his commission being dated 3 January 1915. He married Muriel Gladys Smith on 30 September 1916, who survived him but without children. He died after an attack of coronary thrombosis on 22 April 1934, and was buried in Lawnswood cemetery, Leeds. Richardson is described as a strong and very lovable man who was taken away in the full tide of his career. A popular and stimulating personality amongst the students, his method of teaching was simple, clear, and concise, punctuated with witty and sometimes caustic comments, which effectively brought home the points he wished to make. As a surgeon he combined a delicate and perfect technique with a rare judgement, which enabled him to carry a difficult operation to a successful issue. His only publication appears to have been: A case of sacro-coccygeal chordoma, with A L Taylor, *Brit med J* 1926, 1, 862.