I have been researching my paternal Richardson line for a number of years. My 6th great grandfather, Stephen Richardson, was born in Cornworthy, Devon, England, in 1739. But it seems he was not actually born a Richardson; rather, he was a Richards, as his baptism entry indicates. Further, in the record for his marriage in 1765 in Stoke Gabriel, Devon (which I have hopefully attached here), the parish clerk records his name as Richards, but interestingly Stephen signs himself (and was therefore presumably literate) as Richardson. In further searches on his family, there appears to be some inconsistency in other BMD records for the family during this period - at times they are recorded as Richards, at other times Richardson, before eventually settling on Richardson permanently.
In any case it seems that Stephen assumed the name Richardson, and did so consciously knowing that he was originally a Richards. This was not a case of a name evolving due to spelling inconsistencies by parish clerks, etc. Perhaps he did so to distinguish himself from his father, also Stephen. But I don't know. I'm quite puzzled by it.
So my question is this: does anyone else out there know of examples where Richards became Richardson?