William Westley Richards

Richards was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England to Theophilus Richards and Mary Bingham.

He married his first wife, Ann Barlow in 1813. They had six children: Westley, Emma, Caroline, Edward Harding, Ellen, and Mary Anne. William and Ann divorced before 1823. He married his second wife, Harriett Seale (1793–1865) on 18 January 1823 at St Pancras Old Church, London. He had three children by his second marriage, Charles, George Seale, and William.

William died 11 September 1865 at Hall Hill, Edgbaston, Warwickshire.

In 1812, at the age of 22, he established the Westley Richards gunmaking business in Birmingham, which still bears his name. His family background had been in fine jewellery, cutlery and the gun trade. He coined the motto, "to be the maker of as good a gun as can be made" which is still used.