The Mayor of Monmouth is an elected position given to a town councillor in

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. The position dates back about 750 years.

History

The position of Mayor in Monmouth was established in the thirteenth century by the people who were controlling the town's market. A seal was obtained from King Henry III confirming the rights and privileges of the position and the right to also establish bailiffs for the town. The position was confirmed in 1447 when Henry VI granted a charter to the town which permitted the town to raise taxes to pay for the town and also gave some freedom from the King's taxes. (Henry VI's father had been born in the town.) This charter confirmed the position of mayor as an annual elected position and agreed that two maces should be carried before the elected person. These maces survive and carry the arms of the

Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is the private estate of the British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster. The principal purpose of the estate is to provide a source of independent income to the sovereign. The estate consists of a portfolio of lands, properti ...

. An elected mayor and bailiffs came to lead this body and by the middle of the thirteenth century a seal had been acquired from King Henry III with certain privileges. The office of mayor can be dated from this time.

John Speed John Speed (1551 or 1552 – 28 July 1629) was an English cartographer, chronologer and historian of Cheshire origins.S. Bendall, 'Speed, John (1551/2–1629), historian and cartographer', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (OUP 2004/ ...

mentions the position again in 1611 when he itemises the authorities as a mayor, two bailiffs and fifteen councillors. This list is still true in 2012. In 1813 that was a court case concerning the over the influence of the Duke of Beaufort in the appointment of Mayors of Monmouth. The case was won by a team including local historian,

Charles Heath Charles Theodosius Heath (1 March 1785 – 18 November 1848) was a British engraver, currency and stamp printer, book publisher and illustrator. Life and career He was the illegitimate son of James Heath, a successful engraver who enjoyed ...

but the Duke found other ways of

gaming the system Gaming the system (also rigging, abusing, cheating, milking, playing, working, or breaking the system, or gaming or bending the rules) can be defined as using the rules and procedures meant to protect a system to, instead, manipulate the system ...

. Heath eventually became Mayor in 1819 and 1821. In 1835 the

Municipal Corporations Act Municipal Corporations Act (with its variations) is a stock short title used in the United Kingdom for legislation relating to municipal corporations. List *The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 (5 & 6 Will 4 c 76) *The Municipal Corporation (Boun ...

adjusted the powers but identified 1666 as the defining date of Monmouth's last charter. William Sambrook who was a local chemist and a keen supporter of Monmouth Baptist Church was elected Mayor of Monmouth nine times.

List of mayors (incomplete)

* 1675 – Richard Ballard * 1744 – William Williams * 1785 – William Cecel * 1786 – Luke Phillips * 1787 – Thomas Morrison? * 1806 – Thomas Prosser

Keith Kissack Keith Edward Kissack MBE (18 November 1913 – 31 March 2010) was a British schoolteacher and historian. He is notable for his many publications on the history of Monmouth and Monmouthshire. Life Kissack was born in Clun, Shropshire, to Rev. ...

, ''Monmouth School and Monmouth 1614–1995'', Lapridge Publications, 1995, , p.41 * 1819 –

* 1820 – Rev. Thomas Prosser * 1821 –

* 1822 – Hezekiah Swift * 1836 – Thomas Watkins * 1837 – Thomas Watkins * 1838 – Thomas Prosser * 1839 – Thomas Prosser * 1839 – Thomas Dyke

, ''Victorian Monmouth'', The Monmouth Historical and Educational trust, , page 196 * 1840 – John Leach Nicholas * 1841 – John Leach Nicholas * 1842 – George Willis * 1843 – George Willis * 1844 – James Pearce King * 1845 – James Pearce King * 1852 – John Mayou * 1860 – John Leach Nicholas * 1861 – John Leach Nicholas * 1862 – George Willis M.D. * 1863 – George Willis M.D. * 1864 – James Pearce King * 1865 – James Pearce King * 1870 –

Alexander Rolls Major Alexander Rolls (18 July 1818 – 22 April 1882) was a native of Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales. A member of the renowned Rolls family of The Hendre at Llangattock-Vibon-Avel near Monmouth, Monmouthshire, his life in public service in ...

* 1871 – Alexander Rolls * 1872 – Alexander Rolls * 1873 – Alexander Rolls * 1874 – Thomas Jones Baker * 1875 – Thomas Richard Hyam * 1876 – Thomas Richard Hyam * 1877 – Joseph Coates * 1879 – Arthur Vizard * 1880 – G.P. Tippins * 1883 – Champney Powell * 1884 – Champney Powell * 1885 – Champney Powell * 1889 – William Hall * 1891 – William Honeyfield, 1891–96 * 1896 –

John Rolls, 1st Baron Llangattock John Allan Rolls, 1st Baron Llangattock, (19 February 1837 – 24 September 1912) was a Victorian landowner, Conservative Party politician, socialite, local benefactor and agriculturalist. He lived at The Hendre, a Victorian country hous ...

* 1896 – Col J.H. Walwyn * 1898 – Col J.H. Walwyn * 1899-1900 – James Howse * 1900-01 – Hamilton Traherne Baillie * 1901-02 – Hamilton Traherne Baillie (second term) * 1902-03 – Hamilton Traherne Baillie (third term)Alan Sutton Publishing, ''Monmouth and the River Wye in Old Photographs'', Alan Sutton Publishing, 1989, , page 16 * 1903 - G. R. Edwards * 1904 - G. R. Edwards * 1906 – Major

John Rolls, 2nd Baron Llangattock John Maclean Rolls, 2nd Baron Llangattock (25 April 1870 – 31 October 1916) was a British barrister and army Major. Biography Rolls was son of John Rolls, 1st Baron Llangattock, and his wife Georgiana Marcia Maclean. He was born in London, b ...

* 1907 – Major

* 1908 – W Sambrook * 1909 – W Sambrook * 1914 - W Bunting * 1910 – W Sambrook * 1921 – A.T. Blake Alan Sutton Publishing, ''Monmouth and the River Wye in Old Photographs'', Alan Sutton Publishing, 1989, , page 35 * 1934 – Charles James Jones * 1950 – Bernard Partridge * 1951 – Bernard Partridge * 1952 – Bernard Partridge * 1953 – Bernard Partridge * 1954 – Stanley Howard Bowen * 1955 – Stanley Howard Bowen * 1956 – James Benjamin Breakwell * 1957 – James Benjamin Breakwell * 1958 – Richard Pryce Burnet Thomas * 1959 – Richard Pryce Burnet Thomas * 2009 – Terry Christopher * 2010 – Ann Were * 2011 – Jeana Hall * 2012 – Gerry Bright * 2013 – Jeana Hall * 2014 – Jane Gunter * 2015 – Graham Pritchard * 2016 - Terry Christopher * 2017 - Felicity Cotton * 2018 - Terry Christopher * 2019 - Richard Roden * 2020 - Mat Feakins * 2021 - Terry Christopher * 2022- Alice Fletcher

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mayor Of Monmouth Politics of the United Kingdom Ceremonial officers in the United Kingdom Monmouth, Wales