Richard Gardner (1812 – 4 June 1856), was an English member of the United Kingdom Parliament, representing Leicestershire.

Gardner was born in Manchester, the eldest son of Robert Gardner, then a merchant in London. He attended first Charterhouse School,^[1] then Manchester School, then finally Wadham College, Oxford University where he graduated with a BA in 1838, at the same time he joined the Inner Temple and practised as a barrister. Through this time he spoke about universal suffrage and published some political pamphlets on the subject.^[2][3] He was elected as a Liberal member of parliament for Leicester in 1847 and was defeated in June, 1848, then re-elected in the general election of 1852, and held the seat until his death 4 June 1856.^[2][3]

He married in 1850,^[4] Lucy, the only daughter of count de Mandelsloh, minister plenipotentiary from Wurtemberg. He died 4 June 1856 from a heart condition,^[5] leaving his wife and two daughters.^[3] He is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery.

• An address to the middle and working classes engaged in trade and manufactures throughout the empire on the necessity of union at the present crisis (1842)