List of mayors of Bedford (England) explained

The first known reference to a Mayor of Bedford in England was in 1264.

Prior to the Municipal Corporations Act, 1835, the mayor of Bedford came into office on 29 September. The first mayor of the reformed corporation came into office on 1 January 1836, and subsequent mayors on 9 November. After the Local Government Act, 1948, and the Local Government Act, 1972, the mayors from 1949 onwards came into office in May. The civic mayor was replaced by a directly elected mayor in 2002.

Since April 2009 the Borough of Bedford is a unitary authority, with the executive having the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan county.

List of Mayors of Bedford

Civic mayors

Source: "Past Mayors" Bedford Borough Council

• 1393: William Brown, MP for Bedford, 1397
• 1414–15: John Kent, MP for Bedford, 1406
• 1416–17: John Kent
• 1429–30: John Frepurs, MP for Bedford, 1417 and 1427
• 1432–34: Thomas Hunt, MP for Bedford, 1420
• 1437–38: John Frepurs
• 1444–46: John Frepurs
• 1528–29: John Baker, MP for Bedford, 1529
• 1547–48: William Hall, MP for Bedford, 1554
• 1554–55: William Hall
• 1829–30: Sir William Long^[1]
• 1834–35: Dr. George Witt: head of Bedford Infirmary and a Fellow of the Royal Society.^[2]
• 1855–56: George Hurst^[3]
• 1856–57: William Wells Kilpin
• 1857–58: George Handscomb Miller
• 1858–62: John Howard^[4]
• 1862–63: Robert Couchman
• 1863–65: John Howard^[4]
• 1865–67: William Joseph Nash
• 1867–69: Thomas Tokelove Gray
• 1869–70: Augustus Edgar Burch
• 1870–71: John Richard Bull^[5]
• 1871–72: James Coombs
• 1872–73: Frederick Thomas Young
• 1873–75: George Hurst^[3]
• 1875–77: James Thomas Hobson^[6]
• 1877–78: John Usher Taylor
• 1878: George Hurst^[3]
• 1878–79: Thomas Gwyn Empy Elger
• 1879–80: John Elworthy Cutcliffe
• 1880–81: James Thomas Hobson^[6]
• 1881–82: James Woodward Hill
• 1882–83: Luke Cherry
• 1883–85: Joshua Hawkins^[7]
• 1885–86: Edwin Ransom
• 1886–87: George Hurst
• 1887–90: Joshua Hawkins^[7]
• 1891–92: James Coombs
• 1892–93: Frederick Augustus Blaydes
• 1893–95: George Wells^[8]
• 1895–96: Frederick Augustus Blaydes
• 1896–99: George Wells
• 1901-02: Geoffrey Howard^[9]
• 1902-03: Hedley Baxter, Conservative^[10]
• 2000–01: Hazel Mary Mitchell
• 2001–02: Pat Olney
• 2002: Judith Cunningham

Directly elected mayors

• 2002–09: Frank Branston (died in office)
• 2009–23: Dave Hodgson
• 2023–: Tom Wootton

Notes and References

1. https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/sir-william-long-17561841-mayor-of-bedford-48078 Painting of Sir William Long
2. News: Thomas. Laura. Restricted to men of 'taste and education'. 26 July 2014. Times Higher Education. 25 May 2000.
3. https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/george-hurst-18001898-mayor-of-bedford-1855-18731874-1878-48063 painting
4. https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/john-howard-17911878-mayor-of-bedford-18581861-48064 John Howard painting
5. https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/john-richard-bull-18271880-mayor-of-bedford-18701871-48066 Painting
6. https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/james-thomas-hobson-18171887-mayor-of-bedford-1876-1880-48067 painting of James Thomas Hobson
7. https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/joshua-hawkins-18451892-mayor-of-bedford-18831884-18871888-1890-48072 Painting of Joshua Hawkins
8. https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/george-wells-18411912-jp-mayor-of-bedford-18931894-18961898-48071 George Wells - Mayor
9. Court Circular. 10 October 1902 . 7 . 36895.
10. Election of Mayors . 11 November 1902 . 12 . 36922.