Richard Weston
Mayor of Oxford 1786 and 1801
Richard Weston (1733–1822) was the son of the ironmonger Anthony Weston of St Michael’s parish in Oxford. His father had two children by his first marriage, and Richard (baptised on 12 June 1733) was the first of seven children of his second marriage to Ann Fortnam.
Weston followed the trade of his father, eventually taking over his ironmonger’s shop in Cornmarket. He married Mary Burrows at St Peter-le-Bailey Church, Oxford on 27 March 1758, and they had two daughters:
- Mary Weston (baptised at St Michael’s Church on 13 December 1758, died aged 7, buried inside that church on 27 January 1766)
- Ann Weston (baptised at St Michael’s Church on 31 July 1765, just one day after she was born).
On 14 September 1761 there was an announcement in Jackson’s Oxford Journal that Richard Weston, ironmonger, had moved from his father’s old shop to another house in Cornmarket opposite the Star [later the Clarendon Hotel]. Weston’s father died at the age of 62 on 25 July 1767. The 1772 Survey of Oxford shows that Weston’s new shop was at 15 Cornmarket, and had a frontage of 4 yards 1 ft 7 in.
Weston was first elected to the Common Council on 1 October 1764, and was appointed one of the Keykeepers in 1768, purchasing a Chamberlain’s place the next year. In 1775 he was elected Junior Bailiff.
On 19 April 1777 there was an announcement in Jackson’s Oxford Journal that Weston (who was only aged 44) was retiring and that his ironmonger’s shop opposite the Star was to let. It states that the stock had been taken on by Henry Hinton, who had formerly worked for Weston.
On 17 January 1781 Weston was appointed City Postmaster.
In 1785 Weston was elected one of the eight Assistants and in 1786 Mayor (for 1786/7), choosing Joseph Lock as his Child.
In 1801 Weston was elected Mayor a second time (for 1801/2).
Weston’s wife Mary died at the age of 76 on 23 March 1811 and was buried inside St Michael’s Church four days later.
Weston resigned from the council in 1816. He died at the age of 89 and was buried inside St Michael’s Church on 30 March 1822. In the register he is described as being of the parish of St Mary the Virgin.
See also:
- Anthony Weston, Mayor in 1751 and 1762 (his father)
- Jackson’s Oxford Journal, 30 March 1822 (death notice of Weston)
- PCC Will PROB 11/1656 (Will of Richard Weston of Oxford, proved 20 April 1822)