The position of Lord Mayor of Leicester is a mainly ceremonial post, being the title of the chairman of the

Leicester City Council Leicester City Council is a unitary authority responsible for local government in the city of Leicester, England. It consists of 54 councillors, representing 22 wards in the city, overseen by a directly elected mayor. It is currently control ...

. The Mayor is elected annually by the members of the council. The role of Lord Mayor is in many ways similar to that carried out by the Speaker of the House of Commons. From the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

until 1928 the title was simply Mayor of Leicester. Until the 19th century, the mayors were usually elected annually by the Corporation of Leicester. Since the development of forms of local democracy, the mayors and Lord Mayors of the city have been elected indirectly from among elected councillors and

aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members the ...

, but since 1971 no unelected aldermen have been entitled to vote.

History

The first mayor of Leicester was the Norman knight "Peter fitz Roger" (Peter son of Roger) in 1251. The title was elevated to "Lord Mayor" by letters patent dated 10 July 1928. This was confirmed for the reorganised non-metropolitan district by letters patent dated 1 April 1974. The first Asian Lord Mayor of Leicester, Gordhan Parmar, was elected in 1987. The first Black Lord Mayor, George Cole, was appointed in 2022. After institution of a directly elected mayor in 2011 the Lord Mayor of Leicester still exists as a ceremonial role under

List of mayors

Mayors of Leicester include: *1499 William Wyggeston, MP for Leicester, 1504 *1510 William Wyggeston *1521

Robert Harward Robert Stiles Harward, Jr. (born 1956), known as Bob Harward, is a retired United States Navy SEAL and a former Deputy Commander of the United States Central Command, under the leadership command of General James Mattis. After working as a Chief ...

, MP for Leicester, 1529 *1541 Hugh Aston, MP for Leicester, 1554 *1545 Robert Cotton, MP for Leicester, 1553 *1576 John Stanford, MP for Leicester, 1572 and 1593 *1592 John Stanford *1615 William Ive, MP for Leicester, 1624 *1625 William Ive *1634 William Ive *1688 William Bentley *1732 Gabriel Newton *1741 John Cartwright *1759 Nicholas Throsby *1771 John Cartwright *1776 Joseph Johnson, Esq, succeeded by Samuel Jordan before Nov 1776 *1777 Samuel Jordan, Esq, *1793 John Mansfield Snr, co-founder Oliver & Mansfield - Leicester Bank *1815 John Mansfield Jnr *1836 Thomas Paget, MP for

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire ...

, 1831 *1837 Robert Brewin *1838 Thomas Stokes *1839 Joseph Whetstone *1840 John Biggs MP for Leicester 1855–62 *1841 Thomas Stokes *1842 William Biggs, MP for Newport, Isle of Wight, 1852 *1843 Richard Harris *1844 John Mellor *1845 Edward Weston *1846 Joseph Fielding *1847 John Biggs *1848 William Biggs *1849 Thomas Nunneley *1850 John Dove Harris, MP for

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

, 1857 and 1865 *1851 George Toller *1852 John Manning *1853 Samuel How *1854 Richard Harris junior *1855 John Biggs *1856 John Dove Harris *1856 Joseph Underwood *1857 Joseph Underwood *1859 William Biggs *1859 James Francis Hollings *1860 Edward Shipley Ellis *1861 Samuel Viccars *1862 George Toller *1863 George Baines *1864 Alfred Burgess *1865 Thomas William Hodges *1866 Thomas William Hodges *1867 Thomas William Hodges *1868 John Baines *1869 George Stevenson *1870 John Stafford ;Leicester county borough (created 1889) *1889 Henry Lankester *1890 William Kempson *1891 Thomas Wright *1892 John Underwood *1893 Israel Hart *1894 George Green *1895 Edward Wood *1896

Joseph Herbert Marshall Sir Joseph Herbert Marshall (1851-1918) was a concert impresario and Mayor of Leicester. Life Joseph Herbert Marshall was born at Zouch Mills, near Hathern, Leicestershire. Marshall was elected to Leicester town council in 1888, for East St. Mar ...

*1897

Arthur Wakerley Arthur Wakerley (May 15, 1862 – 4 April 1931) was a British architect, businessman and politician. Life Born in Melton Mowbray, he was articled to James Bird. He was a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and sometime President o ...

*1898 George Clifton *1899 Thomas Windley

20th century

*1900-01 Alderman Samuel Lennard *1901-02 Thomas Windley *1902-03 Alderman William Wilkins Vincent *1903-04 Albert Edwin Sawday *1904-05 Stephen Hilton *1905-06 Henry Bailey Bruce *1906-07 Edward Wood *1907-08 Thomas Smith *1908-09 Charles Lakin *1909-10 George Chitham *1910-11 William Wilkins Vincent *1911-12 Arthur Tollington *1912-13 James McCall *1913-14 John Russell Frears *1914–17 Jonathan North (three terms) *1918-19 Walter John Lovell *1919-20 Jabez Chaplin *1920-21 George Edward Hilton *1921-22 James Wedgwood Heath *1922-23 Amos Sherriff *1923-24 John Mantle Hubbard *1924-25 Herbert Simpson *1925-26 George Banton *1926-27 Thomas Watson Walker

List of lord mayors

*James Thomas (1927–1928) *Harry Hand (1928–1929) *William Hincks (1929–1930) *Harry Carver (1930–1931) *Walter Wilford (1931–1932) *Arthur Hawkes (1932–1933) *William Billings (1933–1934) *Ernest Grimsley (1934–1935) *Richard Hallam (1935–1936) *Arthur Swain (1936–1937) *Frank Acton (1937–1938) *Thomas Gooding (1938–1939) *George Parbury (1939–1940) *William Joseph Cort (1940–1941) *Elizabeth Rowley Frisby (1941–1942) *Sydney Taylor (1942–1943) *Charles Edward Gillot (1943–1944) *

John Minto John Minto (born ) is a New Zealand political activist known for his involvement in various left-wing groups and causes, most notably Halt All Racist Tours. A 2005 documentary on New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers listed him as number 89. Tod ...

(1944–1945) *Charles Edward Worthington, CBE (1945–1946) *William Henry Smith (1946–1947) *John Newton Frears (1947–1949) *John William Wale (1949–1950) *Alderman Frederick Ernest Oliver (1950–1951) *Aderman Thomas Rowland Hill (1951–1952) *Alderman Geoffrey Morris Barnett (1952–1953) *Alderman Charles Robert Keene (1953–1954) *Alderman Cecil Herbert Harris (1954–1955) *Alderman Samuel Cooper (1955–1956) *Alderman Alfred Harkyard (1956–1957) *Alderman Frederick John Jackson (1957–1958) *Alderman Sidney Brown (1958–1959) *Alderman Bertram Powell (1959–1960) *Alderman Dorothy Russell (1960–1961) *Alderman May Goodwin (1961–1962) *Alderman Harold Heard (1962–1963) *Alderman Constance Elizabeth Jackson (1963–1964) *Alderman Archibald Henry William Kimberlin (1964–1965) *Alderman Sidney William Bridges (1965–1966) *Alderman Mrs Monica Mary Trotter (1966–1967) *Alderman Sir

Mark Henig Sir Mark Henig (11 February 1911 – 30 January 1979) was a British politician and businessman, Lord Mayor of Leicester and the first chairman of the English Tourist Board. Early life Mark Henig was born in Leicester on 11 February 1911. He was ...

(1967–1968) *Alderman Kenneth William Bowder (1968–1969) *Alderman Edward Marston (1969–1970) *Alderman George Baldwin (1970–1971) *Alderman Percy Watts (1971–1972) *Alderman Herbert Stanley Tomlinson (1972–1973) *Councillor Clarence Arnold Wakefield (1973–1974) ;Leicester non-metropolitan district *Councillor Mrs Anne Irene Pollard (1974–1975) *Councillor Mrs Lily Roma Marriott, JP (1975–1976) *Councillor Bernard Toft (1976–1977) *Councillor Albert Turner Baker (1977–1978) *Councillor Albert Sylvester Watson (1978–1979) *Councillor William Henry Scotton (1979–1980) *Councillor Herbert Henry Sowden (1980–1981) *Councillor Archibald Berridge (1981–1982) *Councillor William Page (1982–1983) *Councillor George Billington (1983–1984) *Councillor Michael Cufflin (1984–1985) *Councillor Mrs Janet Setchfield (1985–1986) *Councillor Sydney St. John Phipps (1986–1987) *Councillor Gordhan Parmar (1987–1988) *Councillor Guy Collis (1988–1989) *Councillor David Anthony Taylor (1989–1990) *Councillor Peter Kimberlin (1990–1991) *Councillor Colin Grundy (1991–1992) *Councillor Robert Wigglesworth (1992–1993) *Councillor Henry Dunphy (1993–1994) *Councillor Margaret Bell (1994–1995) *Councillor Michael Johnson (1995–1996) *Councillor Culdipp Bhatti (1996–1997) *Councillor Raymond Flint (1997–1998) *Councillor John Mugglestone (1998–1999) *Councillor Phil Swift (1999–2000) *Councillor Mrs Barbara Chambers (2000–2001) *Councillor John Allen (2001–2002) *Councillor Maggie Bodell-Stagg (2002–2003) *Councillor Ramnik Kavia (2003–2004) *Councillor Piara Singh Clair (2004–2005) *Councillor Mary Draycott (2005–2006) *Councillor Paul Westley (2006–2007) *Councillor Gary G Hunt (2007–2008) *Councillor

Manjula Sood Manjula Sood, MBE, is a British politician, community service participant and former educator. In 2008, Sood became the first Asian female Lord Mayor in the United Kingdom. Early life Sood immigrated to the United Kingdom in 1970. She became i ...

(2008–2009) *Councillor

Roger Blackmore Roger Brian Blackmore (born 1941) is a Liberal Democrat politician. He was leader of Leicester City Council from 2003 to 2004 and 2005 to 2007 and Lord Mayor of Leicester 2009/10. Education He was educated at Abingdon School from September 1 ...

(2009–2010) *Councillor Colin Hall (2010–2011) *Councillor Robert Wann (2011–2012) *Councillor Abdul Osman (2012–2013) *Councillor Mustafa Kamal (2013–2014) *Councillor John Thomas (2014–2015) *Councillor Ted Cassidy (2015–2016) *Councillor Stephen Corrall (2016–2017) *Councillor Rashmikant Joshi (2017–2018) *Councillor Ross Grant (2018–2019) *Councillor Annette Byrne (2019–2021) *Councillor Deepak Bajaj (2021–2022) *Councillor George Cole (2022–2023)

References

{{Lists of Lord Mayors in the United Kingdom Leicester

Leicestershire-related lists