Richard John Wicksteed was born on October 3, 1842, in Kingston, Ontario.

He was an advocate, attorney, and military officer. He graduated from McGill University (B.A., 1863; B.C.L., 1864; M.A, 1866; LL.D., 1868). He was admitted to the Bar of Quebec in 1867. In 1872, Wicksteed was called to the Bar of Ontario and was appointed Law Clerk and English Translator in the House of Commons. His military service spanned over twenty years. He began as a Private in the Civil Service Rifle Corps for three years before becoming a 2nd Lieutenant in the Quebec Garrison artillery and finally achieving the rank of Captain. He participated in the Fenian Raids of 1866 and 1871. He was a member of the Retired Officers Association of Ottawa. Wicksteed compiled several indexes and tables to the Statutes of Canada. He also authored many pamphlets and contributed to several periodicals and Canadian newspapers. He was a member of the Natural History Society (1865) and Numismatic and Antiquarian Society (1869). In 1898, he succeeded his father as Le Seigneur de Champlain. Wicksteed never married, and upon his death, he bequeathed his estate, including his extensive library, to McGill University.

He died on June 12, 1912, in Ottawa, Ontario.