Richard Wise
Mayor of Oxford 1716/17
Richard Wise (c.1670–1736) may be the brother of Henry Wise, mayor in 1711 and again in 1730, whose brother Richard was baptised in Drayton St Leonard in 1667.
Richard Wise was an upholsterer in All Saints parish. He had the following children:
- Elizabeth Wise (baptised at All Saints Church on 10 June 1694)
- Richard Wise (baptised at All Saints Church on 25 September 1700)
- Catherine Wise (baptised at All Saints Church on 5 December 1701)
- Benjamin Wise (baptised at All Saints Church on 7 March 1702/3)
- John Wise (baptised at All Saints Church on 6 May 1704)
- Ann Wise (baptised at All Saints Church on 15 July 1705)
- William Wise (baptised at All Saints Church on 27 December 1708).
Wise came on to the common council in September 1697, and in September 1698 the new Mayor, John Knibb, selected him as his Child.
Wise took on Robert Scaife as an apprentice upholsterer in November 1700, John Clements in September 1701, George Hartwell in April 1706, John Higgins in June 1718, his own son Benjamin Wise in March 1718/19, and John Barton in November 1725.
In May 1716 Wise was made one of the eight Assistants, and in September that year was elected Mayor (for 1716/17), choosing the mercer John Crook as his Child and William Winter as his Chamberlain.
Wise continued to serve as one of the Mayor’s Assistants until his death. He was buried at All Saints Church on 24 January 1736.
See also:
- Henry Wise, Mayor in 1711/12, 1718/19, and 1730/1
- Thomas Wise, Mayor in 1746/7
- Malcolm Graham, Oxford City Apprentices 1697–1800, entries numbered 133, 215, 425, 999, 1027, and 1264
- MS Wills Oxon W. 210.267