Richard Weston

Who was Richard Weston?

Richard Weston was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660.

Weston was the son of Edward Weston of Hackney. He matriculated at Corpus Christi, Cambridge in 1639, and migrated to Jesus College, Cambridge on 6 September 1641, but left without taking a degree. He was admitted to Gray's Inn on 10 August 1642, and was called to the bar in 1649.

In April1660, Weston was elected Member of Parliament for Weobley in the Convention Parliament. However the election declared void on 16 July 1660 on the grounds that the Sheriff had failed to send a precept and had not given due notice of the time. By 1662, Weston's arguments in court had attracted attention and were noticed by Thomas Raymond in his Reports of Cases.

Weston was made Lent reader at Gray's Inn in 1676, Serjeant-at-law on 23 Oct. 1677, and became King's Serjeant on 5 February 1678. He was knighted at the same time. He was judge in several important trials between 1678 and 1680. On 7 February 1680 he was made Puisne Baron of the Exchequer.