| Richard Birkin | |
| Birth Date: | 6 July 1805 |
| Birth Place: | Belper, Derbyshire, England |
| Death Place: | Nottingham, England |
| Occupation: | Lace manufacturer |
| Lord Mayor of Nottingham | |
| Term: | 1849/50, 1855/56, and 1861/63 |
| Boards: | Midland Railway Company |
| Children: | 2, including Thomas |
Richard Birkin (6 July 1805 – 10 October 1870) was a British lace manufacturer.
Richard Birkin was born in Belper, Nottinghamshire, on 6 July 1805, the eldest son of Richard Birkin, a calico handloom weaver, and started working in Strutt's Mill aged 7.[1] [2]
In 1824, Birkin formed a partnership with Thomas Biddle in Hyson Green, having worked for him for two years.[1] By 1832, they had 50 employees, including Birkin's parents and two sisters.[1]
In 1850, his sons Richard and Thomas joined the partnership.[3]
In 1855, he had built the four-storey Birkin Building, a grade II listed warehouse in Nottingham's Broadway, by Garland & Holland, with Thomas Chambers Hine as the architect.
He retired in 1856.[3]
Birkin was married and had two sons, Richard and Thomas.[3]
He was a magistrate, and a director of the Midland Railway Company.[3] He was Lord Mayor of Nottingham in 1849/50, 1855/56, and 1861/63. He bought Aspley Hall, Nottingham, for £60,000.
He died on 10 October 1870, at Aspley Hall.[4] [2]