Henry Richards (March 1747 – 19 December 1807) was a priest and academic administrator at the University of Oxford.
Richards was born in Tawstock, a village in north Devon, southwest England.[1] He was educated at Barnstable School and Exeter College, Oxford from Michaelmas Term 1763, where he gained a BA degree. On 30 June 1763, he was elected as a Fellow at Exeter College. He was awarded a Master of Arts degree on 29 April 1770 and a Bachelor of Divinity on 9 November 1781. Later he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree.
On 13 March 1794, Richards became Rector at Bushey, Hertfordshire, within the Diocese of London.On 23 July 1797, he was elected Rector (head) of Exeter College, a post he held until his death on 19 December 1807.[2] While Rector, Richards was also Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University from October 1806 until his death in 1807.[3] In accordance with his Will, he was interred in the chapel at Exeter College and left much of his property to the College.