Description:Harry Richardson's biography comes from the Handsworth Magazine, and is also available as a download file. Mr Richardson lived at 166 Oxhill Road.
Mr Harry Richardson, A.M.I.C.E., who was appointed surveyor for the Urban District of Handsworth in February last, possesses a life-long acquaintance with the district. He was born in Barker Street, Villa Cross, thirty-seven years ago and has never resided for any great length of time outside a radius of a few miles of that spot. He has watched the development of the suburb from a rural village to a thriving town and knows the highways and bye ways, if not as minutely as Councillor J.J. Hughes, whose knowledge of local topography is as Dominie Sampson would say “Prodigious”, at least as well as most other Handsworthians. Many of his earliest recollections are associated with the neighbourhood. Thirty-two years ago his father Mr Samuel Richardson, co-operated with the Rev. Mr Peel (at that time rector) in starting the Handsworth Working Men’s Club – an institution which filled an honourable niche in the social life of the parish. As a boy Harry Richardson took part on many occasions in the athletic sports promoted by this club and held in the Old Rectory Grounds, Hamstead Road. When nine years of age he was admitted to the choir of the Parish Church and won the good opinion of Dr Randall. He was educated at his father’s school in Farm Street, Birmingham, from whence he obtained admission to the King Edward’s Grammar School.
It will be seen that the new chief of the surveyor’s department is at home in this locality. He is equally at home in his profession. As soon as he had completed his educational course, he was admitted to the surveyor’s office at Aston Manor and had the good fortune to serve under Mr J W Brown, an eminent engineer, who now holds the important appointment of borough engineer to the West Hartlepool Corporation. He was admitted to the Institution of Civil engineers (London) as a Student in 1885 and was admitted an Associate Member of the Institution in 1890.
The subject of our sketch was not permitted to leave Oldbury without carrying away with him tangible tokens of the high esteem in which he was held there. A very handsome gold watch, which came into his possession at that time, contains an inscription which tells its own story. Here it is: “Presented to Captain Harry Richardson by the members and officers of the Urban District Council of Oldbury, in remembrance of eight years faithful service 1887-1895.” The workmen in the Highway Department gave Mr Richardson a pair of bronzes, whilst the Fire Brigade presented their first captain with a silver-mounted spirit case in oak.
The exigencies of space rather than the paucity of material to work upon, compel us to bring our sketch to a close. Mr Richardson is a many-sided man and from whatever point of view he is regarded there is much to admire in his character. Patient and painstaking, competent and courteous, he may be trusted to right royally maintain the best traditions of his office. “We want to appoint the best man we can possibly get” said a member of the Handsworth District Council when a vacancy was caused by the resignation of that able officer Mr E Kenworthy. And another councillor added, “It would never do for us to appoint a second-rate man. Our new surveyor must be first-rate.” May we venture the opinion that the Council have made a most popular choice and one which ought to exactly fit in with their requirements as specified by the two speakers whose remarks we have quoted.