In 1834, George Richardson (1822 - 1912), Harrie’s grandfather (Mary’s great grandfather,) was the first generation to come to Canada (settling near Guelph, Ottawa) from Roxburghshire Scotland (near the border with England). In 1851, he married Helen McLean (1831 - 1913) who had arrived from County Mayo Ireland at age 13. Originally a Catholic, she adopted her husband’s religion and became Anglican. The couple ultimately settled in Kincardine, Ottawa where they raised three daughters and five sons, including Harrie’s father, Peter “Frank” Richardson. According to their obituaries, both George and Helen were genuine people and good citizens: “He was esteemed for the nobleness of his character.” They celebrated sixty years of marriage in 1911.
Frank Richardson (Harrie’s father) moved west to the British Columbia where he settled in Victoria. Apparently he worked as an importer and manufacturer’s agent. A partnership with a relative of his future wife was announced as dissolved in 1891 shortly after his marriage to Mary Florence Heathorn. Little information known at this time. The Heathorns were a prominent, first settler family in Victoria BC and Mary Florence attractive and talented. (See link below for more information). It appears that two of her four children died in infancy. An incident happened, presumably due to severe depression and she was institutionalized around age 40. She lived her life out at the institution until her death at 76. Frank had returned to Ottawa with his two boys, Harrie and his brother Wilfred.