Wakefield Family History Sharing
Extracts from
Walkers History of Wakefield
2nd edition 1939 (privately printed)
Gentlemen who have been elected to the office of Mayor 1848-1938
Towards the end of the first half of the 1800's much dissatisfaction was felt in the streets of Wakefield in consequende of the inadequate government by the Streets' Commisioners. These men published no accounts as to how money was raised and even more upsetting how the money was spent. As a result of this streets were neglected, dirty and unsafe for people. Another cause for consern was that townsmen had no choice in the selection of these Commissioners who filled up vacancies upon death or removal at their own pleasure. 1847 saw a committee raised to prepare an Act for the better governing of the town. A public meeting held on April 21st in the Court House saw resolutions made for better paving in the street, draining, lighting and sanitary regulations and more especially the ineficient state of the police. This meeting resulted in an application for a Charter of Incorporation being forthwith made to the Queen in Council. The Queen had instructed the Privy Council that a petition being taken into consideration and as a result Wakefield was granted the Charter on March 15 1848. The Charter granted for a Mayor, 8 Alderman and 24 Councillers. The first election took place nine days later and resulted in George William Harrison being elected the first Mayor of the Borough and as a result the first borough police force came into being. Street Commissioners, however, still retained control of the streets and sanitary administration of the town until the Public Health Act of 1853.
Year | Mayor of Wakefield | Year | Mayor of Wakefield |
1848 | George William Harrison | 1894 | Jonas Nicholson |
1849 | Joseph Holdsworth | 1895 | William Henry Milne |
1850 | James Micklethwaite | 1896 | Henry Smith |
1851 | Benjamin Walker | 1897 | Alfred William Stansfield |
1852 | John Gregory | 1898 | George Henry Roberts |
1853 | Henry Brown | 1899 | Barron Kilner |
1854 | Thomas Clayton | 1900 | Frederick Simpson |
1855 | John Gregory | 1901 | Henry Slade Childe |
1856 | Henry Brown | 1902 | Edward Allen Brotherton |
1857 | Thomas Mark Carter | 1903 | William Rhodes |
1858 | George Hudswell Westerman | 1904 | Edmund Stonehouse |
1859 | Henry Brown | 1904 | Henry Slade Childe |
1860 | Thomas Haigh | 1905 | Henry Slade Childe |
1861 | William Shaw | 1906 | William Henry Kingswell |
1862 | Samuel Holdsworth | 1907 | William Henry Kingswell |
1863 | Samuel Holdsworth | 1908 | Albert Hudson |
1864 | William Hartley Lee | 1909 | Albert Hudson |
1865 | Joseph Rhodes | 1910 | Albert Hudson |
1866 | William Shaw | 1911 | Henry White |
1867 | William Hartley Lee | 1912 | Edwin Lodge Hirst |
1868 | Samuel Holdsworth | 1913 | John William Saville |
1869 | Samuel Whiteham | 1914 | Edmund Stonehouse |
1870 | Henry Lee | 1915 | Edmund Stonehouse |
1871 | Wm Henry Bedford Tomlinson | 1916 | Edmund Stonehouse |
1872 | Thomas Wilton Haigh | 1917 | George Blakey |
1873 | Thomas Wilton Haigh | 1918 | George Blakey |
1874 | William Henry Stewart | 1919 | George Blakey |
1875 | William Henry Gill | 1920 | George Foster |
1876 | William Henry Gill | 1921 | George Blakey |
1877 | William Henry Stewart | 1922 | George Foster |
1878 | Thomas Taylor | 1922 | Harold Holroyd Holdsworth |
1879 | William Hartley Lee | 1923 | John Tennant |
1880 | William Hartley Lee | 1924 | John William Smith |
1881 | Francis Milthorpe | 1925 | Charles Mellor |
1882 | George Mander | 1926 | George Henry Sherwood |
1883 | William Hartley Lee | 1927 | George Brown Hillman |
1884 | George Moorhouse | 1928 | John Hardy Richards |
1885 | Reuben Reynolds | 1929 | Burley Johnson |
1886 | Henry Lee | 1930 | Samuel Pickles |
1887 | Henry Lee | 1931 | Samuel Butterworth |
1888 | William Hartley Lee | 1932 | Walter Emmett |
1889 | Benjamin Watson | 1933 | Tuke Brewer |
1890 | Joseph Haslegrave | 1934 | F W T Mills |
1891 | William Nicholson | 1935 | Albert Charlesworth |
1892 | John Samuel Booth | 1936 | George Hemingway |
1893 | Walter Wade | 1937 | Tom Crowe |