Francis Henry Richardson was born 11th December 1896, and attended King Edward’s School Five Ways before transferring to King Edward’s School in 1910. He lived with his mother Minnie, his father John (manager of a wholesale depot) and two siblings in Stechford, before moving to Littleton Road, Kenilworth.
Francis ranked highly in his class across the arts subjects throughout his time at KES, though French was demonstrably his strongest subject, coming second in his final year. His strong academic performance is most impressive given his transfer to KES late in his school career.
After leaving school, Francis emigrated to Canada where he worked as an insurance clerk. He enlisted as a Private with the Canadian Infantry in September 1914, and was killed in a gas attack at Ypres on 24th April 1915, aged eighteen. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate.