Richard was born in either Hovingham or Fryton, Yorkshire, England and was the second son of Lancelot Holtby of that place by Ellen (née Butler] of Nunnington, in Ryedale, Yorkshire.
After spending two years at Christ's College, Cambridge, and migrating to Caius College on 19 August 1573, aged 20,[REF] he removed to Oxford, where in 1574 he joined Hart Hall, the principal of which, Philip Rondell, was a papist, "but durst not show it".