Albert Francis Richins was the son of Joseph Richins and Jane Morse Richins. He was born at Sheepscombe, Gloucestershire, England, on May 3, 1855. He was baptized on October 8, 1864 at Caudle Green, England, by John Dalton, and confirmed on the same day by Robert Jones. He immigrated to Utah with his parents in the fall of 1872, as converts to the LDS Church, settling in Henefer, Utah, where he went to work for Bishop Charles Richins. He was about seventeen years old at the time. He later worked as a section hand on the railroad for a time.

He formed a friendship with Mary Jane Jones and they were married on November 16, 1874 in the old Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah by Wilford Woodruff, Albert being nineteen years of age and Mary Jane being sixteen. He was ordained an Elder the same day by William J. Smith. They went to Salt Lake City with Sandy Glenn, who was taking a load of grain. The load being heavy, it was necessary for Albert and Jane to walk up all the hill and then they would ride on the load downhill.

After their marriage, they returned to Henefer to make their home. They lived in the home of William Betteridge, where their first baby boy, Sidney, was born on August 8, 1875. He died on August 16, 1875 of prematurity. The following winter they moved to a house closer into the settlement where their daughter, Eliza, was born on October 9, 1876.

In the winter of 1877, there appeared in the Deseret News a letter from Isaac Kimball, son of Heber C. Kimball, giving an account and description of the Grouse Creek Valley, saying that it was a good place for settlers. A few days later, five young men, desirous of finding places where they could build homes, decided to go to Grouse Creek and look the situation over. Those who made the trip were: William Betteridge Sr., William P. Paskett, R. Allen Jones and Albert F. Richins and Philip A. Paskett. They left Henefer on March 16, 1877 and arrived in the Grouse Creek Valley on March 21, 1877.

The Heneferites, as they were known, decided that two men should remain at Grouse Creek and hold the land while the others returned to Henefer for their families. Richins, Jones and William Paskett returned by train from Terrace to Henefer in April. Allen Jones decided he did not want to move. On May 24, 1877, Albert Richins and his wife and small daughter and James Simpson and his wife and child, left Henefer for Grouse Creek. They traveled by ox team in the same wagon, with a milk cow tied behind the wagon, her calf riding in the wagon and a coop of chickens tied on the back of the wagon. It was a long, slow journey with plenty of trouble. At Uintah their wagon broke down, which delayed them three days, and it rained on them most of the journey.

When they reached Locomotive Springs, they turned their oxen loose to graze for the night. They strayed away and got mixed with a large herd of cattle scattered in the swamp land. The cattle were in charge of one white man, one Indian and a Negro. Albert and James Simpson walked for miles the next day trying to find their oxen. Jane was also in search in another direction, when she came upon the Negro. She told him about their trouble and he helped locate the missing oxen. He was on a horse, which he rode out into the swamp to bring the oxen out.

Arriving at Dove Creek, some forty miles east of Grouse Creek, they were met by William Betteridge and Philip Paskett. They left Dove Creek and were at what is known as Pucket Springs, when Jane became sick and asked to get out of the wagon. There being a steep mountain to climb, the rest of them went on to the top. Albert then came back to where Jane was and helped her on up to the wagon. She had hoped that they would not return for her. She was so sick. They were soon on their way again, arriving at Grouse Creek on June 10, 1877. Then, upon their arrival, William Betteridge and Philip Paskett returned to Henefer to move their families, which they did the following October.