Totnes Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about west of Paignton, about west-so ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, England received its first borough charter from

King John King John may refer to: Rulers * John, King of England (1166–1216) * John I of Jerusalem (c. 1170–1237) * John Balliol, King of Scotland (c. 1249–1314) * John I of France (15–20 November 1316) * John II of France (1319–1364) * John I o ...

and the recorded list of mayors dates from 1359. The town was incorporated in 1505 with a governing structure consisting of a mayor, recorder and a single council of burgesses. A further charter in 1596 concentrated power in the hands of the town's leading merchants, redefining the corporation as a governing body of 14 ‘masters’, including the mayor, with an inferior council of 20 burgesses. The masters filled vacancies in their ranks by co-option and nominated the mayoral candidates. The following have been mayors of Totnes: *1396–98: Walter Browning (MP for

), 1388 *1399–1400: Walter Browning *1401–03: Walter Browning *1517-1518: John Giles *1535-37: Christopher Savery *1548-49: Christopher Savery *1556-57: Christopher Savery *1585–86: Nicholas Ball *1589–90: Nicholas Hayman *1593–94:

Leonard Darr Leonard Darr (c. 1554–1615), a merchant by profession, was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Totnes in 1601. He was previously Mayor of Totnes from 1593–4. In 1602 He retired to South Pool South Pool is a village, parish and f ...

*1598–99:

Philip Holditch Philip Holditch (died c. 1608), of Totnes and Blackawton, Devon, was an English merchant and politician. He was elected Mayor of Totnes for 1598–99 and a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Totnes Totnes ( or ) is a market tow ...

(MP for Totnes, 1601) *1605–06: Christopher Wise *1612-13: Richard Rodd *1620: Richard Lee (d.1620) *1621–22: Christopher Wise *1623–24: Philip Holditch II (son of Philip Holditch above, MP for Totnes, 1626) *1638–39: Philip Holditch II 1687 Robert Symons *1718–19: Nicholas Trist (

High Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...

, 1708) *1737–38: Nicholas Trist (

, 1708) *1754-55: Benjamin Babbage (grandfather of

Charles Babbage Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Babbage is considered ...

) *1780–81: William Adams (MP for

Plympton Erle Plympton is a suburb of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England. It is in origin an ancient stannary town. It was an important trading centre for locally mined tin, and a seaport before the River Plym silted up and trade moved down river to Pl ...

1796–1801 and

1801–11) *1788–89: William Adams *1797–98: William Adams *1866–67: Thomas Edward Owen *1870–1871: Robert W.Chaster *1872: Robert Bourne *1873: James Smith Rose *1874–1875: Jeffery Michelmore *1876–1877: Joseph Roe *1878: John P.F.P.Haines *1879: Jeffery Michelmore *1880–1881: Edward Harris *1882–84: Frederick Bowden *1902-03: Dr. J. G. Gibson * 1945–1946: Lilley Ramsden (1st Female Mayor of Totnes) *1950–51: Charles Stanley Jacka *1970–71: Jean M Gilbert

21st century

*2001–02: Pruw Boswell-Harper *2003–04: J.A. Westacott *2004–05: Jim Parkes *2005–07: Pruw Boswell-Harper *2008–09: David Horsburgh *2009–10: Jean Rosemary Harrop *2010–11: Anthony Whitty *2011–12: Judy Westacott *2012–14 Pruw Boswell-Harper *2014–16: Jacqui Hodgson *2016–17 Eleanor Cohen *2017–18 Rosie Adam *2018–19 Judy Westacott

References

Totnes mayors {{UK-mayor-stub