List of lord mayors of Leicester

Last updated

Lord Mayor of Leicester
Coat of Arms of Leicester City Council.svg
Incumbent
Teresa Aldred
since 15 May 2025 [1]
Style The Right Worshipful (ex officio)
Seat Leicester Town Hall
Appointer Leicester City Council
Term length One year
Inaugural holder
  • William fitz Leveric (as Mayor)
  • James Thomas (as Lord Mayor)
Formation
  • c.1209 (as Mayor)
  • 1928 (as Lord Mayor)
Website

The Lord Mayor of Leicester is the chairperson of Leicester City Council and the first citizen of the city of Leicester, England. The ancient office, formerly known simply as Mayor of Leicester, dates back to at least the year 1209 and is one of the oldest mayoralties in the English Midlands along with Lincoln and Northampton. [2] In 1928 the title was upgraded to that of Lord Mayor by George V following the grant of city status in 1919. [3] It is not to be confused with the new directly elected executive role of City Mayor established by the council in 2010.

Contents

The Lord Mayor is elected annually by the city councillors to undertake a role in their chamber similar to that of the Speaker in the House of Commons. Although chosen from among the predominantly politically affiliated councillors, they take an impartial role as chair during their term of office.

The Lord Mayor is also the principal focus of civic life in the city, responsible for hosting and attending many high profile events in its civic calendar. Thanks to Leicester's status as the county town of Leicestershire, the Lord Mayor is one of the central ceremonial dignitaries of the county, alongside the High Sheriff, the Lord Lieutenant, and the Bishop of Leicester, at civic ceremonies such as the Remembrance Sunday parade at the Arch of Remembrance.

The mayoralty of Leicester has a long and complex history surviving various transitions in local government structures, from the ancient borough, to municipal borough, to the modern unitary authority. It has been held by many notable Leicestrians, such as William Wyggeston, Hugh Aston, Gabriel Newton, John Biggs, and Arthur Wakerley in its 800 year history.

Leicester Town Hall, official seat of the Lord Mayor of Leicester Leicester Town Hall front view.jpg
Leicester Town Hall, official seat of the Lord Mayor of Leicester

History

The first documented mayor of Leicester was the Norman knight "William fitz Leveric" (William son of Leveric) recorded in 1209; however, it is possible that he was not the first. The record, while initially patchy, is continuous from the year 1251 until today. [4] [5] The title was elevated to "Lord Mayor" by letters patent dated 18 June 1928 together with the mayoralties of Nottingham, Stoke-on-Trent, and Portsmouth. [6] This was confirmed for the reorganised non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. [7]

The Mayor's Parlour in Leicester Guildhall, the former official residence of the Leicester's mayors Leicester Guildhall - Mayor's Parlour - Flickr - It's No Game.jpg
The Mayor's Parlour in Leicester Guildhall, the former official residence of the Leicester's mayors

The first Jewish person to be mayor of Leicester was Israel Hart in 1884. [8] The first woman to be Lord Mayor was Alderman Elizabeth Rowley-Frisby in 1941. [9] The first Asian person to hold the office, Gordhan Parmar, was elected in 1987. [10] The first Black person, George Cole, was elected in 2022. [11] [12]

After institution of a directly elected mayor in 2011 the Lord Mayor of Leicester still exists as a ceremonial role under Leicester City Council. [13]

Borough records

List of Mayors of Leicester who lived in the Parish of St Margaret, displayed in St Margaret's Church, Leicester List of Mayors of Leicester from the Parish of St Margaret.jpg
List of Mayors of Leicester who lived in the Parish of St Margaret, displayed in St Margaret's Church, Leicester

The list of the mayors of the ancient borough (1209-1835) are taken from the Records of the Borough of Leicester (edited by Mary Bateson). [14] [15] Those that come 1835-1871 are taken from the Roll of Mayors. [16] The names for the mayors between 1871 and 1894 are taken from John Storey's Historical Sketch of Some of the Principal Works and Undertakings of the Council of the Borough of Leicester (1895).

13th cent

Earliest nonconsecutive records
Consecutive list

14th cent

15th cent

16th century

Statue of William Wyggeston Junior on the Haymarket Memorial Clock Tower Leicester Clock tower William Wigston.jpg
Statue of William Wyggeston Junior on the Haymarket Memorial Clock Tower

17th century

18th century

Tomb of James Bishop, Mayor of Leicester (1782-1783) - St Margaret's Church, Leicester. Tomb of James Bishop, Mayor of Leicester (1782-1783) - St Margaret's Church, Leicester.jpg
Tomb of James Bishop, Mayor of Leicester (1782-1783) - St Margaret's Church, Leicester.

19th century

Hamlet Clark's memorial in St Nicholas Church, Leicester. Hamlet Clark Memorial - St Nicholas Church, Leicester.jpg
Hamlet Clark's memorial in St Nicholas Church, Leicester.
End of the ancient borough of Leicester
Leicester county borough (created 1889)

20th century

List of lord mayors (1927-present)

Silver jubilee medal of George V and Queen Mary issued by the city of Leicester in 1935, in the name of Alderman E. Grimsley, JP, Lord Mayor White metal (silver) silver jubilee (1935) medal of George V and queen Mary. Issued by the city of Leicester. (FindID 505152).jpg
Silver jubilee medal of George V and Queen Mary issued by the city of Leicester in 1935, in the name of Alderman E. Grimsley, JP, Lord Mayor
Leicester non-metropolitan district
Unitary Authority

References

  1. ↑ Richardson, Hannah (16 May 2025). "'New mayor confirmed for Leicester". Leicestershire Live. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  2. ↑ Bateson, Mary (1899). Records of the Borough of Leicester 1103-1327. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 401–403.
  3. ↑ "No. 33405". The London Gazette . 20 June 1928. p. 4898.
  4. ↑ Agnes Johnson Glimpses of ancient Leicester – Page 60 1891 "The first Mayor of Leicester, A.D. 1251.
  5. ↑ The history of the boroughs and municipal corporations of the ... – Page 229 Henry Alworth Merewether, Archibald John Stephens – 1835 "The mayor of Leicester and his brethren, having, with the consent of the commonalty, by the last ordinance, placed the town under the government of the aldermen, appear, in the 4th year of the reign of King Henry VII., to have adopted 1488. a ..."
  6. ↑ "No. 33405". The London Gazette . 20 June 1928. p. 4898.
  7. ↑ "No. 46255". The London Gazette . 4 April 1974. p. 4400.
  8. ↑ "A brief history of the community". Leicester Hebrew Congregation. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Alderman Elizabeth Rowley-Frisby 1877-1946" (PDF). judiciary.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  10. ↑ What participation by foreign residents in public life at local ... – Page 91 Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe – 2000 "In 1981 serious riots broke out in the city that were dubbed "race riots" in Highfields and the City centre. ... In 1987 the first Asian Mayor of Leicester was elected, Councillor Gordhan Parmar and the first Asian Member of Parliament, Keith Vaz
  11. ↑ Noble, Samantha (19 May 2022). "Leicester's first black lord mayor to take on role". BBC News . Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "City welcomes its first African Caribbean Lord Mayor". Leicester City Council . 19 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  13. ↑ BBC Leicester's elected mayor reports lord mayor over parking August 2011
  14. ↑ Bateson, Mary (1899). Records of the Borough of Leicester 1103-1327. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 401–403.
  15. ↑ Bateson, Mary (1901). Records of the Borough of Leicester 1327-1509. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 447–449.
  16. ↑ Stone, S. (1871). Roll of Mayors: A List of the Mayors, Magistrates, Aldermen, and Councillors, of the Borough of Leicester, since the passing of the Municipal Corporations Reform Act. Leicester.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  17. ↑ "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. pp. ref:odnb/58341. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/58341.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  18. ↑ "Edward Shipley Ellis, Chairman, Midland Railway, 1863, JP and Mayor of Leicester".
  19. ↑ "Election of Mayors". The Times. No. 36922. London. 11 November 1902. p. 12.
  20. ↑ "Leicester City Council".
  21. ↑ Mack, Tom (18 May 2024). "'People person' Bhupen Dave becomes Leicester's new Lord Mayor". Leicestershire Live. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
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