Anthony Weston
Mayor of Oxford 1751/2 and 1762/3
Anthony Weston (or Wesson/Wessin/Wessen/Westen (1704–1767) was the son of Richard Weston, a husbandman of Shippon in Berkshire, and his wife Mary, who baptised six children at St Helen’s Church in Abingdon (the parish church for Shippon): Edward (5 June 1688); J(o)ane (15 January 1690/1, buried eight days later); Elizabeth (7 April 1692, buried 1 December 1696); William (24 April 1695); Frances (16 July 1696); and Anthony himself (26 December 1704).
Weston was appenticed to the Oxford ironmonger John Halifax for seven years from 25 March 1718. After setting up his own business as an ironmonger in Cornmarket, Oxford, he married Elizabeth Weston (possibly a cousin) at St Michael’s Church in Oxford on 31 July 1729. Three months later he was first elected on to the Common Council, paying £3 10s. and 3s. 4d. for not serving as Constable.
Weston and Elizabeth baptised two children at St Michael’s Church: Robert on 26 July 1730 and Elizabeth on 4 November 1731. His wife must have died soon after the birth of their second child.
On 10 August 1732 Weston, still only 27 but described as a widower, married Ann Fortnam at St Michael’s Church. They proceeded to baptise nine children there, but at least six of them died in childhood and were buried inside the church: Richard (baptised 12 June 1733); Mary (11 July 1734, buried two years later); Edward (6 June 1735, buried five days later); Ann (28 April 1736, buried nine years later); another Mary (6 December 1737, buried nine months later); William (20 December 1738); Sarah (5 January 1739/40); Catherine (11 February 1740, buried three months later); John (2 March 1742/3), and Anthony (20 March 1743/4, buried 2½ years later).
In September 1737 Weston was proposed by the Mayor, Thomas Lawrence, as his Chamberlain, but there was a dispute, and after a poll he did not get the position that year, although he did succeed in being appointed Mayor’s Chamberlain by John Treacher four years later in 1741. In 1745 he was elected Senior Bailiff.
On 6 July 1750 Weston was elected as one of the eight Mayor’s Assistants by a majority of 35 votes, and on 16 September 1751 was elected as Mayor, choosing Richard Piddington as his Child.
Weston’s son Richard came of age in 1751, and at about this time took over his father’s shop, but moved to new premises in 1761.
In September 1762 Weston was elected Mayor for a second time, this time choosing Edward Lock as his Child.
Weston died at the age of 62 on 25 July 1767 and was buried at St Michael’s Church three days later. His widow, Ann, died suddenly at the same age on 23 March 1768 and was buried with him four days after her death. Their house in Cornmarket was offered to let shortly afterwards, and the next year their daughter Sarah (named as Sally in Jackson’s Oxford Journal) married James Burrows, a baker of St Peter-le-Bailey, at St Michael’s (26 September 1769).
See also:
- Richard Weston, Mayor in 1786 and 1801 (his son)
- Malcolm Graham, Oxford City Apprentices 1697–1800, entry numbered 1016
- PCC Will PROB 11/934 (Will of Anthony Weston, Ironmonger of Oxford, proved 11 December 1767)