Arthur Frederick Richards was born on 21 Feb 1885 in Bristol, the second son of William Richards and Amelia Orchard. He was educated at Clifton College, Bristol, and Christ Church, Oxford, and in 1908 went to Malaya (Malaysia), first as Assistant Secretary to the British Resident, Selangor, and then as an Assistant District Officer in Port Dickson and various other posts in the Federated Malay States (Malaysia).

In 1920, Richards transferred to Singapore as Second Assistant Colonial Secretary of the Straits Settlements and in 1923 became Secretary to the High Commissioner for the Malay States (Malaysia). He was also appointed Chairman of the Executive Committee for Malaya (Malaysia) in connection with the British Empire Exhibition held in 1924, and Secretary of the Opium Committee, British Malaya. In 1926, Richards returned to Kuala Lumpur as Under Secretary to the Government of the Federated Malay States (Malaysia) and in 1929 became Acting General Advisor to the Government of Johore (Johor).

Richards was Governor of North Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia), 1930-1933; Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Gambia Colony (The Gambia), 1933-1936; Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Fiji, and High Commissioner for Western Pacific, 1936-1938; Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of Jamaica, 1938-1943; and Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Nigeria, 1943-1947.

He was created a Peer in 1947 and took the title of Baron Milverton of Lagos and Clifton in the City of Bristol. He died on 27 Oct 1978.