The Richardson surname was a popular name among the Normans which is where the surname most likely originated.   The earliest records of our Richardson family lineage can be traced back to Sir Thomas Richardson living in the small village of Westmill in England. His descendants continued living in this small village for nearly six generations.

In 1623, Amos Richardson, a descendant of Sir Thomas Richardson was born in Westmill, England. At seven years old, his father passed away and four years later in 1634, his mother passed as well. Orphaned at 11 years old, the prospects for Amos were not ideal. Given the circumstances, it is possible that Amos was forced into a type of indentured servitude which eventually led to his immigration to the  American colonies between 1635 and 1639.

Prior to 1630, there were no known Richardson surnames in America. However, soon after that date, several instances of Richardsons were recorded. One of these instances Amos Richardson was residing at Boston when he witnessed (along with Stephen Winthrop and Thomas Lechford) a deed between Thomas Purchase and Gov. John Winthrop of the Mass. Bay Company on 22 July of 1639. 

Amos lived in the Boston area for the next twenty years where he gained local prominence as a merchant trader and part-time attorney. Many businessmen acted as attorneys in Massachusetts' early history because the concept of a practicing lawyer did not exist yet. As a result, Amos Richardson was one of the top three most active attorneys in the law courts during the life of the Massachusetts colony. 

In Boston, Amos established his own shipping business and had his own vessels shipping goods between the American colonies and the West Indies. In about 1665, records show that Amos became a "freeman" This implies that until this point Amos was in the colonies under some type of indentured servitude. While details concerning any such arrangement are limited, given his powerful status, the sobriquet was likely mostly symbolic.

Around 1665, Amos acquired a large tract of land (as much as five thousand acres) near Stonington, Connecticut. Amos referred to this land in his Will as "Quanaduck" which was located near Stonington, CT. He became the Attorney for the Town of Stonington and was known as a trusted friend of Gov. John Winthrop as a man of strong conviction and great respectability. Although he maintained a residence in Boston, Amos continued living near Stonington with his wife until his death in 1683. His land and possession were then passed down to his children.

For several generations after Amos Richardson, his descendants continued to reap the benefits of his industrious efforts. However, the Richardson family began to spread out across the east coast following the American revolutionary war. One of Amos descendants, John Richardson, lived in a mountain town in Allegheny Co., Virginia with his parents. Sometime before 1807, John started looking for an opportunity to acquire land of his own. Following other pioneers, the young John decided to move westward over the Appalachian mountains in search of a new homestead.

In December of 1807, local records indicate that John Richardson married Elizabeth Manring in Gallia, Ohio, near the Ohio River. Now married, John and Elizabeth started a family in Ohio. By 1820, John was listed in the local census as a farmer with several children. The descendants of John and Elizabeth continued living in southeastern Ohio in places such as Chillicothe, Ironton, and Portsmouth. For example, William Henry Richardson and his wife Florence (Willis) lived in Portsmouth with their twelve children. One of their sons, Frank Edgar Richardson, became a nationally recognized linotypist. Frank was known for this excellent spellings skills and owned many small town newspapers and printing companies.

Although Frank E. Richardson lived most of his life in Portsmouth, his career took him to many places across the United States. Close to home, in Russell, KY, Frank met and married a local resident, Bess Barnhart. Together they had six children, many of whom would come to live in the Cincinnati area.