Richard was the fourth child of James and Elizabeth and was baptised on 4th April 1830.

He was 16 years old in 1846 when his father died and strangely despite the will directing that his mother and younger siblings should benefit from the continuation of their father's trade until they reached the age of `17, Richard was not mentioned in this respect.

In 1851 he and his brothers were still living with their mother in Greenhithe - Charles was head of the house and he was described as a carpenter, the trade he was to follow for most of his life..

He was the first of his siblings to marry as on 9th July 1853, at the age of 23, he married Jane Hubsdell in Frindsbury, Kent. Jane was from Gosport in Hampshire, the daughter of James Hubsdell, a sailmaker and Richard's sister Louisa was one of the witnesses.  Frindsbury is near Rochester, about 10 miles east of Greenhithe and it is possible that Jane was working in service there (she was living with her parents in Gosport in 1851). They are both stated to be living in Fridsbury and "of full age".  Whilst this is true for Richard, Jane was at the most 20 years old at the time.

By 1855 they had returned to Greenhithe as their first child, James Richard, was born ithere although he died soon after birth. Shortly after that they moved to Gosport wheretheir next child, Louisa J was born in 1857. A second son, Frederick was born two years later followed by their second daughter, Elizabeth in 1861.

 Richard, Jane and the three surviving children are recorded living in Gosport in the 1861 census. Richard is described as a "Carpenter, Journeyman".

Jane had 6 further children, Gertrude (b 1865), twins James Edward and Richard Henry (b 167) George William (b 1869), Eliza (b 1871) and finally Harry (b 1873). The twins and Eliza all died shortly after birth.

Harry was not Jane's last pregnancy as  2 years later, in 1875, she died aged 42, from complications of a miscarriage having previous given birth to 10 children.

In 1878 Richard married again,  to Henrietta Maria Hedingham (nee Ellis), born in Ipswich and aged 37.  (Richard was by this time aged 51).  Henrietta was the widow of John Hedingham, who she had married in 1872,  He had died 4 years later, leaving two children, Henrietta (b 1874) and John (b 1875).  He was possibly in the army, and had died in Ormskirk.

The 1881 census shows George and Harry living with Richard and his new wife, plus a new child Florinda (b 1880) and Richard's stepson John, who was born in Liverpool in 1875.  Richard and Henrietta had four further children, Ernest (b 1882), Annie (b 1884), Arthur (b 1889) and Alfred 1890). This family and Henrietta's daughter Henrietta are all shown on the 1891 census. By this time Richard is described as a Joiner, and the eldest child living with them (Harry) was now working as a plumber.

Richard died in 1897 at the age of 67, having fathered 15 children from his two marriages. Although he was working as a joiner in 1891 it would appear that he later became a grocer.