Biography
He was the son of Robert Richardson, burgess of Jedburgh (died ca. 1556). His great grandfather arrived in Scotland in 1424 in the reign of James I. The historian George Crawfurd asserts that he was descended of a stock of ancient and opulent burgesses of Edinburgh, but there is little to connect him with the city before 1553, when he was made a burgess at the request of the fourth earl of Huntly.
He matriculated at St Salvator's College, St Andrews, in 1531, and graduated MA in 1532. Nothing is known of his early career except that in April 1544 he was involved with the Earl of Lennox in armed opposition to the Regent Arran at the battle of Glasgow, for which he later received remission. He was presented to the vicarage of Dunsyre in 1549 and held the vicarage of Eckford by 1552. In that year he was provided by the Pope to the archdeaconry of Teviotdale, which he held until 1565 along with the appropriated parsonage of Morebattle. In 1558 he obtained crown presentation to the priory of St Mary's Isle, near Kirkcudbright, which he also resigned in 1565, retaining the usufruct.
Richardson's career as a royal official began around 1549 when he was comptroller clerk. In November 1552 he was an auditor of the treasurer's account. Gilbert Kennedy, 3rd Earl of Cassilis, appointed lord treasurer in April 1554, delegated the entire conduct of business to Richardson as treasurer clerk. After Cassillis's death in November 1558 Richardson continued as treasurer clerk and acting treasurer.
Read more about this topic: Robert Richardson (Lord Treasurer)
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