List of lord mayoralties and lord provostships in the United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free 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.
[edit] 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 Woods, Garter Principal King of Arms, 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.[1]
Ten years later his successor as Garter, Sir Alfred Scott-Gatty, 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.[1] In the meantime, the prefix had 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.[2]
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 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.[1][3]
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.[2] The Lord Mayor of Bristol continues to use the prefix without official sanction.[4]
| Lord mayoralty or lord provostship | Year dignity granted | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | ||||
| Birmingham | 1896 | Letters patent dated June 3, 1896.[5] Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated June 25, 1974.[6] |
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| Bradford | 1907 | Letters patent dated 16 September 1907.[7] 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.[8] Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated April 1, 1974.[9] |
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| Bristol | 1899 | The Lord Mayoralty of Bristol was granted as part of the Birthday Honours.[10] Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated April 1, 1974.[9] |
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| Canterbury | 1988 | Letters Patent dated 13 July 1988.[11] The dignity was granted while the 12th Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Church was being held in the city.[12] |
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| Chester | 1992 | Letters Patent dated 10 March 1992.[13] Dignity granted as part of celebrations of 40th anniversary of accession of Elizabeth II. |
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| Coventry | 1953 | Letters patent dated 3 June 1953.[14] Granted as part of the coronation celebrations of Elizabeth II. Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated April 1, 1974.[9] |
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| Exeter | 2002 | Letters patent dated 1 May 2002.[15] Granted as the result of a competition to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II. |
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| Kingston upon Hull | 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[16] [17]
Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 18 March 1975.[18] |
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| Leeds | 1897 | Letters patent dated July 12, 1897.[19] Dignity granted as part of celebrations of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee. Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated April 1, 1974.[9] |
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| Leicester | 1928 | Letters patent dated July 10, 1928.[20]
Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated April 1, 1974.[9] |
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| Liverpool | 1893 | Letters patent dated August 3, 1893.[21]
Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated 25 June 1974.[6] |
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| 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.[22] [23] "Right Honourable" in use since sixteenth century.[24] | ||
| Manchester | 1893 | Letters patent dated August 3, 1893.[21]
Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated April 1, 1974.[9] |
||
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 1906 | Letters patent dated July 27, 1906.[25] The grant was announced by Edward VII on a visit to the city on July 12, having been approved by the Home Office as Newcastle was "the chief town and seaport of the North of England".[26] [2]
Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated April 1, 1974.[9] |
||
| Norwich | 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"[27]
Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated April 1, 1974.[9] |
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| Nottingham | 1928 | Letters patent dated July 10, 1928.[28]
Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated April 1, 1974.[9] |
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| Oxford | 1962 | Letters patent dated October 23, 1962.[29]
Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated April 1, 1974.[9] |
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| Plymouth | 1935 | Letters patent dated May 6, 1935.[30] Dignity granted as part of silver jubilee celebrations of George V.[2]
Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated April 1, 1974.[9] |
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| Portsmouth | 1928 | Letters patent dated July 10, 1928.[31]
Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated April 1, 1974.[9] |
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| Sheffield | 1897 | Letters patent dated July 12, 1897.[19] Dignity granted as part of celebrations of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee.
Confirmed to metropolitan borough by letters patent dated 28 May 1974.[32] |
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| Stoke-on-Trent | 1928 | Letters patent dated July 10, 1928.[33]
Confirmed to non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 28 May 1974.[32] |
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| Westminster | 1966 | Letters patent dated 11 March 1966.[34] | ||
| York (The Rt Hon.) |
c.1389 | Charter of Richard II. It is often claimed that the king wished to make York capital of England, but this is largely discounted by modern historians.[35] [36]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 April 1, 1974.[9]
Reconfirmed by letters patent to unitary authority dated 1 April 1996.[37] |
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| Northern Ireland | ||||
| Belfast (The Rt Hon.) |
1892 | Letters patent under the Great Seal of Ireland, 1892.[38]
Prefix "right honourable" granted 1923 in recognition of the city's status as capital of Northern Ireland.[39] |
||
| Scotland† | ||||
| Aberdeen | 1863 | Dignity granted October 13, 1863 on occasion of conferring of knighthood on provost of city.[40] [41] | ||
| Dundee | 1892 | Royal warrant dated February 12, 1892. The title was used from 1887 in anticipation of the grant.[42] | ||
| Edinburgh (The Rt Hon.) |
1667 | Letter of writ from Charles II 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.[43] | ||
| Glasgow (The Rt Hon.) |
1688 | Courtesy title of "lord" and prefix of "honourable" in use from 1688.[44] The prefix "right honourable" was allowed in 1912.[2] | ||
| Wales | ||||
| Cardiff (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.[45] Confirmed to district by letters patent dated April 1, 1974, and to unitary authority by letters patent dated 29 March 1996.[9] [37] | ||
| Swansea | 1982 | Letters patent dated 22 March 1982.[46] The dignity was announced by Charles, Prince of Wales at a gala to celebrate his wedding in October 1981'[2] | ||
† 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.
[edit] See also
- City status in the United Kingdom
- List of cities in the United Kingdom
- Cities in Ireland
- Towns of the United Kingdom
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Lord mayors (Titular Distinctions)". Hansard 1803–2005. Parliament of the United Kingdom. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1927/jul/25/lord-mayors-titular-distinction. Retrieved on 26 December 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f J V Beckett, City Status in the British Isles, 1830 - 2002, Aldershot, 2005
- ^ The Title of Lord Mayor - Use of the Prefix "Right Honourable", The Times, July 7, 1932, p.16
- ^ "Lord Mayor of Bristol". Bristol City Council. http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/Elected-Representatives/lord-mayor-of-bristol.en. Retrieved on 26 December 2008.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 26746, p. 3314, 4 June 1896. Retrieved on 2008-06-16.
- ^ a b London Gazette: no. 46303, pp. 6485–6486, 28 June 1974. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 28065, pp. 6575–6575, 1 October 1907. Retrieved on 2008-06-16.
- ^ A New Lord Mayor, The Times, September 7, 1907, p.7
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n London Gazette: no. 46255, p. 4400, 4 April 1974. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
- ^ Birthday Honours, The Times, 3 June 1899, p.11
- ^ London Gazette: no. 51416, p. 8235, 20 July 1988. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
- ^ "The Office of Lord Mayor". Canterbury City Council. 2008. http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/buildpage.php?id=478. Retrieved on 2008-06-16.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 52861, p. 4553, 13 March 1992. Retrieved on 2008-06-16.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 39883, p. 3215, 9 June 1953. Retrieved on 2008-06-16.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 56556, p. 5325, 1 May 2002. Retrieved on 2008-06-16.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 28845, p. 5067, 30 June 1914. Retrieved on 2008-06-16.
- ^ The King's Honour to Hull, The Times, 27 June 1914
- ^ London Gazette: no. 46522, p. 3729, 20 March 1975. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
- ^ a b London Gazette: no. 26872, p. 3895, 13 July 1897. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 33405, p. 4898, 20 June 1928. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ a b London Gazette: no. 26432, pp. 4641–4642, 15 August 1893. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ "The origins of the Lord Mayor’s Show". Lord Mayor's Show. 2008. http://www.lordmayorsshow.org/visitors/history/origins. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ "Lord Mayor’s Show". Time Magazine. 1924-11-24. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,719473-2,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ "The office of Lord Mayor". City of London. http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/leisure_heritage/corp_history/lm_history_office.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 27936, p. 5232, 31 July 1906. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ The King and Queen at Newcastle-on-Tyne, The Times, July 12, 1906, p.8
- ^ The King and Norwich, The Times, 7 February 1910
- ^ London Gazette: no. 33405, p. 4898, 20 June 1928. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 42815, p. 8278, 23 October 1962. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 34160, p. 3139, 14 May 1935. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 33405, p. 4898, 20 June 1928. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ a b London Gazette: no. 46334, p. 7419, 31 May 1974. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 33405, p. 4898, 20 June 1928. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 43921, p. 2704, 11 March 1966. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ "Timeline". VisitYork.org. 25 October 2007. http://www.visityork.org/information/timeline.asp.
- ^ FRH Du Boulay and CM Barron (eds.), The Reign of Richard II, London 1971
- ^ a b London Gazette: no. 54363, p. 4925, 4 April 1996. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
- ^ The Lord Mayor of Belfast, The Irish Times, June 11, 1892, p.5
- ^ Irish Times, February 28, 1923, p.3
- ^ Edinburgh Gazette, Issue No. 7384, page 1521, 1 December, 1863
- ^ Press and Journal, November 11, 1926
- ^ "City of Dundee, Scotland: A Chronicle of The City's Office Bearers, Chambers, Regalia, Castles & Twin Cities" (PDF). Dundee City Council. 1999. http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/dundeecity/uploaded_publications/publication_69.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ John Anderson, A History of Edinburgh from the Earliest Period, Edinburgh, 1856
- ^ Francis H Groome (1882 - 1885). "Glasgow". Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland. University of Edinburgh School of GeoSciences. http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/towns/townhistory338.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 40911, p. 6041, 26 October 1956. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 48932, p. 4121, 25 March 1982. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.

