Thomas was raised in the city of Lancaster, England. After the death of his father in 1812, Thomas began working in the cotton mills to help support his family. During this time, he began associating with another factory worker, Mary Mallalieu. Thomas married Mary on Nov 12, 1826 in Walton-le-Dale, England.
After his baptism, Thomas was called as a missionary. In 1841, the Richardson family began their journey to the United States of America to live with the Saints. It is possible they sailed on the Caroline on Aug 8, 1841 from Bristol and arrived in Quebec, Canada, Oct 22.1 3 During this voyage, Thomas was appointed President of the company of Saints. The company arrived in Nauvoo, Illinois, during the last week of Oct 1841.
Because of the severity of his family, Thomas joined the Mormon Battalion in hopes of blessing from God and money from the Government. Thomas was enlisted on July 16, 1847 in Company E as a Private.
The Richardson family joined the Thomas C.D. Howell Company on June 7, 1852 and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on Sep 2. During this time, Thomas participated in the Utah War. The Richardson family moved from place to place before finally moving to Richmond.