Born on June 12th, 1841, the son of John Richards, solicitor, of Charterhouse Square, and his wife, Fanny. He entered Merchant Taylors' School in March, 1849, was afterwards apprenticed to Fred John Butler at Winchester, and received his professional education at St Bartholomew's Hospital. At the matriculation examination of the London University in 1860 be took honours in mathematics, chemistry, and botany, at the first MB honours in physiology and materia medica, and in the Medical School of his hospital he obtained the First Year's Prize for general proficiency and practical anatomy; in the second year that for anatomy, physiology, and chemistry. After holding the post of Midwifery Assistant in 1866 he joined Dr Butler in partnership at Winchester, and was appointed Assistant Physician to the Hospital there. His promising career was cut short at the age of 29 by his death on February 23rd, 1871. He left a widow and two children.