List of lord mayoralties and lord provostships in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
This is a list of lord mayoralties and lord provostships in the United Kingdom. The dignity of having a lord mayor
as civic head is granted to certain districts enjoying city status
in England
, Northern Ireland
and Wales
. In Scotland the similar office of lord provost
is reserved for the convener of the four largest cities.
† The Lord Provostships of the cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow were confirmed to the new local authorities formed by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973
and Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994
.
, Garter Principal King of Arms
, was of the opinion that
, decided that this was in error. However, the Lord Mayors of Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol continued to use the prefix. The matter came to a head in 1921, when King George V
visited Liverpool, and the Home Office
was forced to write to the council to inform that it could not be used without the express permission of the monarch. In the meantime, the prefix had been formally granted to the Lord Provost of Glasgow in 1912. In 1923 the Lord Mayor of Belfast was granted the honour in recognition of the city's new status as capital of Northern Ireland
.
The controversy continued however. Professor John J Clarke of the University of Liverpool
(author of Outlines of Local Government), the Corporation of Manchester and Herbert Woodcock, MP
for Liverpool Everton
all pressed for the dignity to be applied to all lord mayors. The official position was set out in a parliamentary statement by the Home Secretary, William Joynson-Hicks in July 1927, and repeated in a Home Office document issued in July 1932:
The number of lord mayors or provosts in the United Kingdom entitled to the prefix now stands at six: in 1956 the dignity was allowed to the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, when the city was declared capital of Wales. The Lord Mayor of Bristol continues to use the prefix without official sanction.
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
as civic head is granted to certain districts enjoying city status
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. In Scotland the similar office of lord provost
Lord Provost
A Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities of Scotland. Four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have the right to appoint a Lord Provost instead of a provost...
is reserved for the convener of the four largest cities.
List
| Lord mayoralty or lord provostship | Year dignity granted | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | ||||
| Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... |
1896 | Letters patent Letters patent Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation... dated 3 June 1896. Confirmed to metropolitan borough Metropolitan borough A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted... by letters patent dated 25 June 1974. |
||
| Bradford City of Bradford The City of Bradford is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Bradford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Keighley, Shipley, Bingley, Ilkley, Haworth, Silsden and... |
1907 | Letters patent dated 16 September 1907. At the time, Bradford was the seventh most populous borough in England and Wales, and the second largest in area, and thus the largest municipality without a lord mayor. Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. |
||
| Bristol Bristol Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007... |
1899 | The Lord Mayoralty of Bristol was granted as part of the Birthday Honours. Confirmed to non-metropolitan district Non-metropolitan district Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement... by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. |
||
| Canterbury City of Canterbury The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. The main settlement in the district is Canterbury, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.-History:... |
1988 | Letters Patent dated 13 July 1988. The dignity was granted while the 12th Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Church was being held in the city. |
||
| Chester Chester (district) Chester was a non-metropolitan local government district of Cheshire, England, with the status of a city and a borough.Apart from Chester itself, which was the principal settlement, the district covered a large rural area... |
1992 | Letters Patent dated 10 March 1992. Dignity granted as part of celebrations of 40th anniversary of accession of Elizabeth II Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,... . |
||
| Coventry Coventry Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although... |
1953 | Letters patent dated 3 June 1953. Granted as part of the coronation celebrations of Elizabeth II. Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. |
||
| Exeter Exeter Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the... |
2002 | Letters patent dated 1 May 2002. Granted as the result of a competition to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II The Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50... . |
||
| Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of... |
1914 | Declaration that the Chief Magistrate and Officer of the City to bear the style and title of Lord Mayor due to "the city's high position in the roll of ports of [the] kingdom" 26 June 1914 Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 18 March 1975. | ||
| Leeds City of Leeds The City of Leeds is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, governed by Leeds City Council, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. The metropolitan district includes Leeds and the towns of Farsley, Garforth, Guiseley, Horsforth, Morley, Otley, Pudsey, Rothwell,... |
1897 | Letters patent dated 12 July 1897. Dignity granted as part of celebrations of Queen Victoria's Victoria of the United Kingdom Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India.... diamond jubilee Diamond Jubilee A Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 60th anniversary in the case of a person or a 75th anniversary in the case of an event.- Thailand :... . Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. |
||
| Leicester Leicester Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest... |
1928 | Letters patent dated 10 July 1928. Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. |
||
| Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880... |
1893 | Letters patent dated 3 August 1893. Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated 25 June 1974. |
||
| City of London (The Rt Hon.) |
Assumed by 1540 | Customary title, never formally granted. Title of Lord Mayor used intermittently from middle of 14th century, consistently from 1540. "Right Honourable" in use since 16th century. | ||
| Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater... |
1893 | Letters patent dated 3 August 1893. Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. | ||
| Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne... |
1906 | Letters patent dated 27 July 1906. The grant was announced by Edward VII Edward VII of the United Kingdom Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910... on a visit to the city on 12 July, having been approved by the Home Office as Newcastle was "the chief town and seaport of the North of England". Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. |
||
| Norwich Norwich Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom... |
1910 | The Lord Mayoralty was granted in 1910 "in view of the position occupied by that city as the chief city of East Anglia and of its close association with his Majesty" Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. | ||
| Nottingham Lord Mayor of Nottingham The Lord Mayor of Nottingham is a largely ceremonial role for the city of Nottingham, England. The position was historically Mayor of Nottingham; this was changed to Lord Mayor in 1928. The current Lord Mayor of Nottingham for 2010/2011 is Councillor Brian Grocock... |
1928 | Letters patent dated 10 July 1928. Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. | ||
| Oxford Mayors of Oxford The earliest recorded Mayor of Oxford in England was Laurence Kepeharm .Since 1962 there has been a Lord Mayor of Oxford. Notable figures who have been Lord Mayor of Oxford include J. N. L. Baker , Air-Vice-Marshal William Foster Macneece Foster and Olive Gibbs .The Lord Mayor for 2010–11 is Cllr.... |
1962 | Letters patent dated 23 October 1962. Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. |
||
| Plymouth Plymouth Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound... |
1935 | Letters patent dated 6 May 1935. Dignity granted as part of silver jubilee Silver Jubilee A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark... celebrations of George V George V of the United Kingdom George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936.... . Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. |
||
| Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... |
1928 | Letters patent dated 10 July 1928. Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. |
||
| Sheffield Lord Mayor of Sheffield The Lord Mayor of Sheffield is a ceremonial post held by a member of Sheffield City Council. They are elected annually by the council. The post originated in 1843, with the appointment of William Jeffcock as the first Mayor of Sheffield... |
1897 | Letters patent dated 12 July 1897. Dignity granted as part of celebrations of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee. Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated 28 May 1974. |
||
| Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area... |
1928 | Letters patent dated 10 July 1928. Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 28 May 1974. |
||
| Westminster City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary... |
1966 | Letters patent dated 11 March 1966. | ||
| York (The Rt Hon.) |
c. 1389 | Charter of Richard II Richard II of England Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III... . It is often claimed that the king wished to make York capital of England, but this is largely discounted by modern historians. The use of the prefix "right honourable" appears to have been used since the creation of the lord mayoralty. Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. Reconfirmed by letters patent to unitary authority dated 1 April 1996. |
||
| Northern Ireland | ||||
| Belfast Lord Mayor of Belfast The Lord Mayor of Belfast is the leader and chairman of Belfast City Council, elected annually from and by the City's 51 councillors.The Lord Mayor is Niall Ó Donnghaile of Sinn Féin, while the Deputy Lord Mayor is Ruth Patterson of the Democratic Unionist Party, who were elected in May 2011.The... (The Rt Hon.) |
1892 | Letters patent under the Great Seal of Ireland, 1892. Prefix "right honourable" granted 1923 in recognition of the city's status as capital of Northern Ireland. | ||
| Scotland† | ||||
| Aberdeen | 1863 | Dignity granted 13 October 1863 on occasion of conferring of knighthood on provost of the city. | ||
| Dundee | 1892 | Royal warrant dated 12 February 1892. The title was used from 1887 in anticipation of the grant. | ||
| Edinburgh (The Rt Hon.) |
1667 | Letter of writ from Charles II Charles II of England Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War... to the chief magistrate of Edinburgh, reserving the title "lord provost" to the burgh and giving the same precedence as the Lord Mayors of London and Dublin. The prefix "right honourable" was used from this date. |
||
| Glasgow (The Rt Hon.) |
1688 | Courtesy title of "lord" and prefix of "honourable" in use from 1688. The prefix "right honourable" was allowed in 1912. | ||
| Wales | ||||
| Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... (The Rt. Hon.) |
1956 | Style of "right honourable" conferred on Lord Mayor by letters patent dated 26 October 1956. The city was designated the capital of Wales at that date. Confirmed to district by letters patent dated 1 April 1974, and to unitary authority by letters patent dated 29 March 1996. | ||
| Swansea Swansea Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands... |
1982 | Letters patent dated 22 March 1982. The dignity was announced by Charles, Prince of Wales Charles, Prince of Wales Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay... at a gala to celebrate his wedding in October 1981. |
||
† The Lord Provostships of the cities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow were confirmed to the new local authorities formed by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973
The Local Government Act 1973 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in Scotland, on May 16, 1975....
and Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994
Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994
The Local Government etc. Act 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the current local government structure of 32 unitary authorities covering the whole of Scotland....
.
Use of prefix "right honourable"
The most ancient lord mayors and lord provosts (London, York and Edinburgh) had established the right to the use of the honorific prefix "the right honourable" (The Rt. Hon) by the seventeenth century. When new lord mayoralties were created in the 1890s it was not clear if they also enjoyed this privilege. When the grant of a lord mayor was made to Liverpool and Manchester in 1893, Sir Albert William WoodsAlbert Woods
Sir Albert William Woods, GCVO, KCB, KCMG, KGStJ, FSA was an English officer of arms. The Woods family has a firm tradition at the College of Arms. Albert Woods was the son of Sir William Woods, Garter Principal King of Arms from 1838 until his death in 1842...
, Garter Principal King of Arms
Garter Principal King of Arms
The Garter Principal King of Arms is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms. He is therefore the most powerful herald within the jurisdiction of the College – primarily England, Wales and Northern Ireland – and so arguably the most powerful in the world...
, was of the opinion that
...the chief magistrates of those cities on which the dignity was conferred should be able to use the prefix of "right honourable" in the same way as London had done from time immemorial.Ten years later his successor as Garter, Sir Alfred Scott-Gatty
Alfred Scott-Gatty
Sir Alfred Scott Scott-Gatty, KCVO, KStJ, FSA was a long serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London and a successful composer.-Personal life:...
, decided that this was in error. However, the Lord Mayors of Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol continued to use the prefix. The matter came to a head in 1921, when King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
visited Liverpool, and the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
was forced to write to the council to inform that it could not be used without the express permission of the monarch. In the meantime, the prefix had been formally granted to the Lord Provost of Glasgow in 1912. In 1923 the Lord Mayor of Belfast was granted the honour in recognition of the city's new status as capital of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
The controversy continued however. Professor John J Clarke of the University of Liverpool
University of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
(author of Outlines of Local Government), the Corporation of Manchester and Herbert Woodcock, MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Liverpool Everton
Liverpool Everton (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool Everton was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
all pressed for the dignity to be applied to all lord mayors. The official position was set out in a parliamentary statement by the Home Secretary, William Joynson-Hicks in July 1927, and repeated in a Home Office document issued in July 1932:
The only Lord Mayors and Provosts in the United Kingdom who are entitled to be styled "Right Honourable" are the Lord Mayors of London and York and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh who have had the privilege from time immemorial, and the Lord Provost of Glasgow and the Lord Mayor of Belfast on whom it has been conferred by grant in modern times. If it has been used in other cases, this has been done through a misunderstanding and without authority; and whenever the attention of myself or of my predecessors has been called to such unauthorised use, or inquiries on the subject have been made, it has always been pointed out that the style could not be used without His Majesty's permission.
The number of lord mayors or provosts in the United Kingdom entitled to the prefix now stands at six: in 1956 the dignity was allowed to the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, when the city was declared capital of Wales. The Lord Mayor of Bristol continues to use the prefix without official sanction.
See also
- City status in the United KingdomCity status in the United KingdomCity status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
- List of cities in the United Kingdom
- Cities in Ireland
- Towns of the United KingdomTowns of the United KingdomIn England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a town is traditionally any settlement which has received a charter of incorporation, more commonly known as a town charter, approved by the monarch. In Scotland, the equivalent is known as a burgh...