Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 48.djvu/256

 , which became connected in the same year with the university of Durham.

In June 1856 Richardson was made lecturer on chemistry in the university of Durham, and the degree of M.A. was conferred on him by that university. In 1855, together with Thomas J. Taylor, he began to collect information on the history of the chemical industries of the Tyne district. He was helped later by J. C. Stevenson, R. C. Clapham, and by, F.R.S. [q. v.], and published in collaboration two interesting reports on the subject in the ‘Report of the British Association’ for 1863 (pp. 701, 715). These were incorporated in a book on ‘The Industrial Resources of … the Tyne, Wear, and Tees,’ edited by himself, William G. (now Lord) Armstrong, [Sir] Isaac Lowthian Bell, and John Taylor; two editions appeared in 1864.

He published, together with Armstrong and James Longridge, three important reports (dated 25 Aug. 1857 and 16 Jan. 1858) on the use of the ‘Steam Coals of the Hartley District of Northumberland in Steam-Boilers,’ addressed to the Steam Collieries Association of Newcastle-on-Tyne. The reports contain a record of a large and carefully conducted series of experiments; the conclusions were opposed to those of Sir [q. v.] and Dr. Lyon (now Lord) Playfair, on whose recommendation Welsh steam coal had been exclusively adopted by the navy. Richardson's reports were republished in 1859, together with T. W. Miller and R. Taplin's ‘Report … on Hartley Coal.’ About 1866 Richardson carried out, with Mr. Lavington E. Fletcher at Kirklees, near Wigan, a similar series of experiments, which were published in 1867 as ‘Experiments … [on] the Steam Coals of Lancashire and Cheshire.’ Richardson became an associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers on 3 May 1864, was elected F.R.S. on 7 June 1866, and fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in the same year. He was also a member of the Royal Irish Academy. He died of apoplexy at Wigan on 10 July 1867.

Richardson published fifteen independent papers and six in collaboration with E. J. J. Browell (a fellow lecturer at the Newcastle school of medicine, and partner), John Lee, J. Pelouze, T. Sopwith, and [q. v.], on various chemical questions.



RICHARDSON, THOMAS MILES (1784–1848), landscape-painter, was born at Newcastle on 15 May 1784. His father, George Richardson (d. 1806), who came of an old Tynedale family, was the master of St. Andrew's grammar school, Newcastle. [q. v.] was a younger brother. Richardson was at first apprenticed to an engraver and afterwards to a cabinet-maker, whom he left to set up in business for himself. After five years' experience of cabinet-making, he turned teacher, and from 1806 to 1813 filled the post which his father had held at the grammar school. Then he decided to adopt an artistic career, and soon acquired some distinction as a painter of landscape. He worked chiefly in watercolour, and found most of his subjects in the scenery of the Borders and the Highlands, though in later life he went as far afield as Italy and Switzerland. His first picture of importance was a ‘View of Newcastle from Gateshead Fell,’ which was purchased by the corporation of his native town. In 1816 he began to illustrate with aquatints his brother's ‘Collection of Armorial Bearings … in the Chapel of St. Andrew, Newcastle-upon-Tyne,’ which was published in 1818, and followed in 1820 by a larger work dealing with the church of St. Nicholas, and also illustrated by Richardson. In 1833 and 1834 he was engaged upon a work on the ‘Castles of the English and Scottish Borders,’ which he illustrated with mezzotints. Neither of these publications was finished. Richardson became well known as a contributor to the London exhibitions from 1818, when he sent his first picture to the Royal Academy, and was elected a member of the New Watercolour Society, now the Royal Institute. His work is represented in the public galleries at South Kensington, at Dublin, and at Liverpool. He died at Newcastle on 7 March 1848, leaving a widow and a large family, one of whom, Thomas Miles, has followed the father's profession.



RICHARDSON, VAUGHAN (1670?–1729), organist and composer, was present, when a child of the Chapel Royal, at the coronation at Westminster of James II and Queen Mary on 23 April 1685. In June 1693 he was appointed organist of Winchester Cathedral. He composed in 1697 ‘An Entertainment of New Musick on the Peace of Ryswick.’ Owing perhaps to his enthusiasm, a series of musical celebrations of St. Cecilia's day was held annually at