William Fisher (mayor)
Colonial mayor of Philadelphia
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William Fisher III (1718–1787) was the 43rd Mayor of Philadelphia and served during the period of the 13 colonies.
William Fisher | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Philadelphia | |
| In office October 5, 1773 – October 4, 1774 | |
| Preceded by | John Gibson |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Rhoads |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1718 |
| Died | 1787 (aged 68–69) |
| Spouse | Sarah Coleman (m. 1738) |
| Occupation | Merchant |
Early life and family
Fisher was born in 1718 to William Fisher, Jr. and Tabitha Janney.[1] Fisher's grandfather of the same name came to the Colony of Pennsylvania from Herefordshire in 1684.[2] He was a Quaker and a merchant in the city of Philadelphia,[3] and married to Sarah Coleman[4] on November 24, 1738.[5] Their son was James C. Fisher.[6]
He was a friend of founding father Henry Laurens.[7]
His grandson William Wharton Fisher, through his father James, owned a mahogany tea table that sold at auction in 2007 for $6,761,000 ($10,767,000 in 2026).[8]
Career
In 1770, he was a manager for the Corporation for the Relief of the Poor.[4] He was a proponent against George Croghan's artificial price control of the fur trade and formally signed a complaint with seven others against the policy.[9]
By 1767, he was a common councilman,[10] and became an alderman on October 2, 1770.[11] He held the office of mayor from October 5, 1773[12] to October 4, 1774.