Description:An abridged version of his biography from the Handsworth Magazine. The full version is available for download.
The name of H S Richards, manufacturer, author, artist, actor and cricketer is one to conjure with in and around Birmingham. For many years his bright and amusing operettas, witty monologues, farcical dramas and clever extravaganzas have proved a source of innocent delight to young and old alike; and his histrionic gifts have placed him high in the list of Birmingham’s amateur actors – a once renowned circle of which he is now almost the sole survivor. How many thousands of Englishmen have laughed at the quaint conceits of “the showman” or gone away from “Professor Bird’s Comic Lecture on Natural History” in a state of puzzled bewilderment and wholly uncontrollable mirth. What a multitude of cares have been dispersed and for the nonce entirely forgotten in the cheery atmosphere created by Mr Richards in his Dutch impersonations and rollicking songs. And how many failures have befallen the unwary in heroic efforts to appear at ease whilst pronouncing that polysyllabic curiosity “Keropoieticautomata”. But apart from his successes as dramatist and actor Mr Richards has given many evidences of being a man of culture and refinement. He is above the average as an artist. We have seen much of his black and white work and can vouch for its excellence and individuality; and the oil paintings which hang upon the drawing-room walls of “Beechwood”, his residence in Holyhead Road, are beautiful studies of lake scenery. He is well read, a witty speaker and a conversationalist of no mean calibre. Full of resource and nothing if not versatile, he has ere now written a play, taken the principal part in it, illustrated in a thoroughly artistic manner the programme, posters and handbills and painted the whole of the scenery. If the necessity arose, we have no doubt that he would be found capable of designing the dresses and directing the orchestra.
He was born in Birmingham on January 8, 1852. In 1854, his parents moved to Liverpool and her was educated partly at the Liverpool Institute and partly at the Proprietary School in Birkenhead Park. As a boy his elocutionary and histrionic performances showed the bent of his mind and gave promise of bigger things in the days to come. Thus we find in the Birkenhead Guardian of August 1st, 1868, under the heading of “Speech Day at the Proprietary School” that Master Harry Richards took part in a French play and also in Goldsmith’s “Good-natured Man”, entering fully into the spirit of the respective authors and evincing “considerable dramatic ability”. Upon the death of his father, young Richards, then a lad of sixteen, was apprenticed to a broker in Liverpool. Four years later he came to Birmingham and on the attainment of his majority, started a business for himself as a manufacturer in Rolfe Street, Smethwick. The oil and colour manufactory in Brook Street and the branch establishment in Pool Street are models of their kind and amply prove that it is possible for a man of an artistic temperament, with a passion for the drama and belles letters, to shine both in this direction and also in the more mundane pursuits of commerce. At the age of 24 he joined the circle of Benedicts, his wife being a daughter of the late Mr T W Holdsworth.
To the general public Mr Richards is much more than a prosperous manufacturer of oils. A man far less gifted may be that. He is pre-eminently a manufacturer of mirthful moments and a never-failing antidote to melancholia, or that distressing malady y-cleped “the blues”. He can play upon words with the drollery of a Theodore Hook or even that inimitable punster and poet, Tom Hood; and his show is like that of the immortal Artemus Ward, “a grate moral entertainment”, which “Konsists of a serious of wax works” and other things.
For many years he has kept a file of newspaper references and has now fifteen large volumes comprising a record of innumerable concerts, dramatic performances, public speeches and the like and these show how happy a combination he has made of philanthropy and pleasure, all his entertainments having been given in aid of deserving causes. Nearly £45 was realised by a performance given in the Public Hall at Smethwick and at one time and another over £2,000 has been taken and handed over to various institutions. For many years ungrudging pains have been bestowed upon this labour of love and Mr Richards speaks enthusiastically of the devoted assistance he has received from Mr and Mrs Walters, Dr E Luke Freer, Mr E C Holden and other ladies and gentlemen. The great success of the wax work show “Keropoieticautomata” he attributes, not to the libretto or to his own acting, but to ”the marvellous manner in which Dr E Luke Freer, one of Birmingham’s best amateur actors, took the various parts”. In 1880 “Beautiful Belinda” was written by Messrs Richards and Freer in collaboration and it leaped at once into popularity. Roars of laughter greeted its production at the Town Hall in aid of the funds of Perry Barr Institute, of which Sir (then Mr.) Henry Irving was at that time president. Other works followed in such rapid succession that merely to quote their titles would require more space than we have at our command. Some of these titles are particularly happy and linger for long in the memory. Thus we have “The Gipsy Party, or the Belated Beauty, the Bold Bohemian and the Baffled Baronet,” in which the alliterative “B” plays no inconsiderable part.” “Round the World by Fits and Starts” indicates the humorous character of this piece and rollicking fun is obviously concealed under the florid title of “Vox Stellarum” or the Cracked Sorcerer, a whimsical, witchical, comical, tragical, meteorological, magical mystery in one fizzle. And “alliteration’s artful aid” is invoked in “The Blighted Buccaneer”, or the Maid, the Model and the Musical Masher”, a comic operetta which contains many bright catchy airs, composed by Mr W Morgan, who acts the part of A S Sullivan to our local W S Gilbert.
In March, 1890, Mr Richards made his debut in an entirely new but altogether welcome character – that of an aspirant to a seat on the Smethwick Local Board. A public meeting was held in a Board School in support of the candidature of the genial humorist and three colleagues – Messrs. Brookes, Harris and Cheshire and so warm was the public’s interest in the contest, that for a second meeting it was deemed advisable to hire the Public Hall itself. And the result showed that this was a very wise step to take. The hall was packed and the full report given by the Smethwick Telephone in a special edition, must undoubtedly have carried terror and confusion into the ranks of “the other side” “Mr Richards’ speech was ‘a scorcher’, said the Telephone and most assuredly it kept the audience in a good humour.” “Laughter”, “Cheers”, “Applause” and “Hear, hear” are the signposts which point out to the reader a home thrust for an opponent, a particularly audacious pun, a smart remark, or topical allusion. There was no prosiness about Mr Richards nor for the matter of that, about his colleagues and the “key to memory” which the former gave was faithfully observed on the polling day, to the utter rout and discomfiture of the opponents to this sturdy quartette. The key to memory was a happy idea. It was given impromptu and ran-
This is the key to voting carries,
Vote for Brookes and vote for Harris.
It’s really very simple bless yer,
Vote for Richards, vote for Cheshire.
Mr Richards contented himself with speech making. He did no canvassing and was far away in Devonshire during the poll. Nevertheless he was an easy first in the list of successful