FRCS Edin 1876; LRCP Edin 1884; MRCS Eng 1873; LSA 1871; MD Durham 1890.
Martin, from Little Hulton near Bolton, studied medicine at MRI and Manchester Royal School of Medicine. He may have been the son of Johnson Martin (LSA 1851, LFPS Glas 1867) who was medical officer and public vaccinator in Bolton and surgeon to the Bridgewater Collieries. Richard Johnson Martin was medical officer of Atherton District of Leigh Union and medical referee to a number of insurance companies. He was later appointed honorary consulting surgeon to Leigh Infirmary. Martin was a member of MMS and of Manchester Clinical Society.