Joseph Richardson (February 1 1778 – September 25 1871) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.Born in Billerica Massachusetts Richardson attended public and private schools. He was graduated from Dartmouth College Hanover New Hampshire in 1802. He was a teacher in Charlestown 1804-1806. He studied theology and was ordained a minister and assigned to the first parish of the Unitarian Church in Hingham on July 2 1806.