|
Bristol Mayors - a collection of historical data |
Britton: George Bryant Britton was born in 1857. He founded the boot manufacturing business which bore his name and played an active part in the initiation of an electric tram service to Kingswood. He became a Bristol councillor in 1897, an alderman in 1921 and served as Lord Mayor in 1920. He was also Liberal MP for Bristol East from 1918 - 1922. He died on 11th July 1929.
Brown: Mrs Florence Mills Brown was the first female Lord Mayor of Bristol in 1963.
Bryant: Walter Bryant was associated in business with the quarrying industry and served as a Bristol councillor from 1921 he was Lord Mayor in 1929. He died on 9th November 1935 aged 61.
Butler: Lt. Col. Joseph Beaumont Butler served in the Boer war and was Sheriff in 1916 but he relinquished the post in order to take up military duties. He was the son of William Butler and director of Wm. Butler & Co. Ltd., of Silverthorne Lane and Crews Hole. He died on 30th April 1935.
Castle: Adam Cottam Castle was a solicitor and a Bristol councillor from 1910 until 1929. He served as Sheriff in 1913 and died on 9th March 1934.
Cowlin: Francis Nicholas Cowlin was sheriff in 1921 and was knighted in the 'birthday honours' June 1935.
Edwards: Sir George Edwards was one of the directors of the tobacco manufacturers Edwards Ringer & Bigg of Redcliffe Street and one of the founders of the Bristol Stock Exchange. He was Mayor on four occasions(1876,1877,1878 & 1886) and died on 18th March 1902
Eyles: Walter Henry Eyles was a wholesale fruit merchant who became a Bristol councillor in 1919 and served as Lord Mayor in 1928/29. He died on 5th February 1931.
Francombe: James T. Francombe was born in 1843. He was a schoolteacher and became headmaster of Redcliffe school. He was the Unionist party candidate for Bristol South in 1910 (he lost by 138 votes) and became a Bristol councillor in 1911. He became an alderman, JP and Served as Lord Mayor in 1919. He died on 11th September 1924
Gardner: Charles Edward Ley Gardner was born in 1843. He was a wholesale grocer and a Wesleyan Methodist and in his early life he had been a captain in the volunteer Bristol Artillery. He was a member of the Bristol council from 1882 until 1929 and served as Lord Mayor in 1901. He died on 14th December 1932.
Haberfield: John Kerle Haberfield was born in 1783. He was six time Mayor of Bristol. As an early director of Bristol General Cemetery Company, he bought his own place in the crypt of the Anglican Chapel at Arnos Vale cemetery. Unfortunately, due to vandalism the Chapel is now closed.
Hare: Charles Bowles Hare was head if the firm of John Hare & Co. Ltd., manufacturers of paint, floor cloth and linoleum. He was a conservative and a Bristol councillor from 1871 to 1896 and an alderman from 1896 until he died on 7th October 1911 - he died suddenly whilst visiting an exhibition at the Coliseum. He was also master of the Society of Merchant Venturers in 1876 and Sheriff of Bristol in 1878.
Hayman: Sir William Hayman was Mayor of Bristol 1684/5 - Judge Jeffreys visited the city towards the end of his 'Bloody Assizes' and attacked prominent citizens for getting involved with the kidnapping trade (men, women and children were being kidnapped and sent as 'white slaves' to work in the new plantations of Virginia and the West Indies... supplementing those 'supplied' by magistrates who generously commuted hanging sentences to transportation). He briefly addressed the council and then turned on the Mayor, Sir William Hayman who was seated beside him and called him a kidnapping knave, he ordered him to leave the bench and stand at the bar with his fellow aldermen and they were charged with transporting a pickpocket to Jamaica. He fined the Mayor £1000 and turned him over as prisoner to his own Sheriffs, Giles Merricke and James Twyford, threatening to hang him but he spared him ' out of 'respect to the city'. All of thee aldermen were ordered to find two sureties of £5000 each to answer indictments in the King's bench division for kidnapping. They were never brought to trial and the charges were quashed three years later when they were given a general amnesty (this story was reported by Max Barnes and originally published in the Bristol Evening Post) .
James: Sir Edward Burnet James was a partner in the tobacco manufacturers Edwards, Ringer & Bigg (which later became part of W.D. & H.O. Wills). He was a Conservative and was knighted during the royal visit to Open the Royal Edward Dock in 1908 (when he was Lord Mayor). He died on 27th December 1927.
Robinson: Elisha Smith Robinson was born in 1815 and lived in Tewkesbury where his father ran a paper mill. He moved to Bristol in 1844 and set up a business making paper bags. In partnership with Alfred Robinson the business expanded and by the 1860's the firm or E.S. & A. Robinson was well established in Bristol. Elisha was Mayor in 1866. he died in 1885. His monument can be seen at Arnos Vale cemetery.
Smith: Alfred John Smith was a ship owner and coal merchant. He became a Bristol councillor in 1898 (he had also represented Bedminster on Somerset county council). He served as Lord Mayor in 1905/6. He died on 12th March 1920.
Swaish: Sir John Swaish was knighted in 1920. He had founded a local pawn broking business in Bristol. He became a Bristol councillor in 1890 and an alderman in 1906 then served as Lord Mayor 1913/14. He died on 19th January 1931.
Titley: William Alfred Titley was a Bristol Councillor from 1908 to 1919 in which year he was sheriff. He died on 11th March 1934.
Walker: Horace Walker was chairman of H.J. Packer & Co. Ltd. He was a Bristol councillor from 1921 to 1927 and sheriff in 1922. He died in April 1930.
Wathen: Charles Wathen was a wool merchant and he was Mayor of Bristol no less than six times. His monument can be seen at Arnos Vale cemetery
Weston: Joseph Weston was born in Kingsdown, Bristol in 1822, the son a Redcliffe iron merchant. His family were also ship owners. he was May or Bristol no less than four times and he was also a local MP. The many things he worked for which helped the prosperity of his fellow citizens, included the introduction of a public library service and the purchase and development of the Portishead and Avonmouth docks. He died in 1895. His monument can be seen at Arnos Vale cemetery
Many of these historical notes were taken from pamphlets published by the Bristol Branch of the Historical Association. Some of these interesting pamphlets may be purchased from the Bristol Museum Shop.