Early Life
Born the second son of Captain Edwin Richards RN, of Solsboro, County Wexford and Mary Anne Richards (née Kirwan), daughter of the Revd Walter Blake Kirwan, dean of Killala, Richards was educated at the Royal Naval School, New Cross and entered the Royal Navy as a naval cadet in 1848. He was promoted to acting mate in the sloop HMS Fantome on the Australia Station on 8 January 1854. Promoted to lieutenant on 31 October 1855, he joined the second-rate HMS Ganges, flagship on the Pacific Station, in 1857. He became flag-lieutenant to the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station in April 1859 and was given command of the paddle-sloop HMS Vixen on the China Station during the Second Opium War in February 1860. He was given command of the gunboat HMS Dart in the West Africa Squadron in March 1862.
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