List of mayors of Bolton

This is a list of the mayors of Bolton in the north west of England. The office of Mayor is a ceremonial, non-political post. As the Borough's First Citizen, the mayor serves as the civic representative at a wide range of functions and events throughout the local authority.

The mayors of Bolton have represented three types of local government districts. The mayors of the Municipal Borough of Bolton 1838–1889, the mayors of the County Borough of Bolton 1889–1974, and the present mayors of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton since 1974.[1][2]

There was also a transitional mayor / chairman in 1973–1974 who saw over the dissolution of the County Borough of Bolton and the foundation of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton.[3]

Mayors of Bolton

Municipal borough mayors
No.MayorPartyTenureTermsNotes
1 Charles James Darbishire Liberal 1838–1839 1 b.1797 – d.1874. The first Mayor of the Municipal Borough of Bolton.
2 Robert Heywood Liberal 1839–1840 1 b.1786 – d.1868. Father of John Heywood, Mayor of Bolton 1903–05.
3 James Arrowsmith Liberal 1840–1841 1 b.1791 – d.1870. Father of Peter Rothwell Arrowsmith, Mayor of Bolton 1853–55.
4 Thomas Cullen Liberal 1841–1842 1 b.1782 – d.1859.
5 Robert Walsh Liberal 1842–1843 1 b.1791 – d.1873.
6 Thomas Gregson Liberal 1843–1844 1 b.1795 – d.1865.
7 John Slater Liberal 1844–1845 1 b.1798 – d.1861.
8 Stephen Blair Conservative 1845–1846 1 b.1804 – d.1870. Conservative MP for Bolton 1848–52.
9 James Scowcroft Conservative 1846–1847 1 b.1788 – d.1865.
10 Thomas Ridgeway Bridson Conservative 1847–1848 1 b.1795 – d.1863.
11 Thomas Lever Rushton Conservative 1848–1850 2 b.1811 – d.1883.
12 William Gray Conservative 1850–1852 2 b.1814 – d.1895. Conservative MP for Bolton 1857–1874.
13 John Stones Conservative 1852–1853 1 b.c.1804 – d.1859.
14 Peter Rothwell Arrowsmith Liberal 1853–1855 2 b.1816 – d.1890. Son of James Arrowsmith, Mayor of Bolton 1840–41.
15 James Knowles Liberal 1855–1857 2 b.1813 – d.1886.
16 William Makant Liberal 1857–1859 2 b.1807 – d.1880.
17 John Orton Liberal 1859–1860 1 b.1804 – d.1870.
18 John Harwood Liberal 1860–1861 1 b.1802 – d.1875. Brother of Richard Harwood, Mayor of Bolton 1863–64.
19 James Rawthorne Wolfenden Liberal 1861–1863 2 b.1811 – d.1886. Brother of Charles Wolfenden, Mayor of Bolton 1875–77.
20 Richard Harwood Liberal 1863–1864 1 b.1802 – d.1875. Brother of John Harwood, Mayor of Bolton 1860–61, and father of George Harwood, Liberal MP for Bolton 1895–1912.
21 Richard Stockdale Liberal 1864–1866 2 b.1809 – d.1886.
22 Dr Fergus Ferguson Liberal 1866–1867 1 b.1805 – d.1887.
23 James Barlow Liberal 1867–1869 2 b.1821 – d.1887.
24 Thomas Walmsley Conservative 1869–1871 2 b.1812 – d.1890.
25 William Walter Cannon Conservative 1871–1873 2 b.1822 – d.1903. Brother in law of Richard Stockdale, Mayor of Bolton 1864–66.
26 Jeremiah Marsden Conservative 1873–1875 2 b.1820 – d.1877.
27 Charles Wolfenden Conservative 1875–1877 2 b.1826 – d.1884. Brother of James Rawthorne Wolfenden, Mayor of Bolton 1861–1863.
28 James Greenhalgh Conservative 1877–1878 1 b.1822 – d.1881.
29 Peter Crook Marsden Conservative 1878–1879 1 b.1838 – d.1913.
30 Henry Marriott Richardson Conservative 1879–1880 1 b.c.1816 – d.1893.
31 Joseph Musgrave Conservative 1880–1881 1 b.1812 – d.1891.
32 Thomas Glaister Conservative 1881–1882 1 b.1829 – d.1891. Grandfather of Thomas Glaister, Mayor of Bolton 1949–48.
33 Ebenezer Green Harwood Conservative 1882–1884 2 b.1833 – d.1902.
34 Thomas Fletcher Conservative 1884–1887 3 b.1832 – d.1914.
35 Thomas Moscrop Conservative 1887–1888 1 b.1811 – d.1889.
36 John Barrett Conservative 1888–1889 1 b.1842 – d.1908.

County borough mayors
No.MayorPartyTenureTermsNotes
1 John Barrett Conservative 1889–1890 1 b.1842 – d.1908. The first Mayor of the County Borough of Bolton.
2 Matthew Fielding Conservative 1890–1891 1 b.1848 – d.1915.
3 William Nicholson Conservative 1891–1894 3 b.1825 – d.1915.
4 Lt Col. Sir Benjamin Alfred Dobson Conservative 1894–1898 4 b.1847 – d.1898. Knighted on the 21 July 1897. Died in office.
5 William Nicholson Conservative 1898–1899 2 b.1825 – d.1915. Acted as caretaker Mayor in 1898, and re-elected the same year.
6 John Edwin Scowcroft Conservative 1899–1901 2 b.1845 – d.1901. Died in office.
7 William Nicholson Conservative 1901 1 b.1825 – d.1915. Acted again as caretaker Mayor in 1901.
8 John Miles Conservative 1901–1903 2 b.1841 – d.1917.[4][5]
9 John Heywood Conservative 1903–1905 2 b.1849 – d.1910. Son of Robert Heywood, Mayor of Bolton 1839–40.
10 Colonel George Hesketh Conservative 1905–1906 1 b.1853 – d.1930. Appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1918.
11 Thomas Barlow Tong Conservative 1906–1908 2 b.1850 – d.1917. Uncle of Walter Wharton Tong, Mayor of Bolton 1940–41.
12 William Henry Brown Conservative 1908–1909 1 b.1850 – d.1931.
13 Joseph Tyas Cooper Liberal 1909–1911 2 b.1852 – d.1929.
14 James Young Conservative 1911–1913 2 b.1861 – d.1917.
15 John Turner Brooks Conservative 1913–1914 1 b.1836 – d.1918.
16 James Seddon Conservative 1914–1916 2 b.1856 – d.1923.
17 Sir Knowles Edge Liberal 1916–1918 2 b.1854 – d.1931. Knighted on the 12 August 1919. Father of Sir William Edge, Liberal MP for Bolton 1916–23.
18 Lord Leverhulme Independent 1918–1919 1 b.1851 – d.1925. Created Baron Leverhulme in 1917, and Viscount Leverhulme in 1922.[6] He is the only Mayor who was not a Councillor.
19 Robert Parkinson Conservative 1919–1921 2 b.1862 – d.1936.
20 William Russell Conservative 1921–1922 1 b.1859 – d.1937. Conservative MP for Bolton 1922–23.
21 Alfred Potts Labour 1922–1923 1 b.1867 – d.1945.
22 Edmund Aspinall Conservative 1923–1924 1 b.1858 – d.1940.
23 John Fletcher Steele Liberal 1924–1925 1 b.1867 – d.1941.
24 Percy Knott Conservative 1925–1926 1 b.1865 – d.1943.
25 Sir Thomas Evans Flitcroft Liberal 1926–1928 2 b.1861 – d.1938. Knighted in the King's Birthday Honours list 1913.
26 Frank Cheadle Labour 1928–1929 1 b.1885 – d.1940.
27 Robert Edwards Roberts Conservative 1929–1930 1 b.1876 – d.1944.
28 Henry Warburton Liberal 1930–1931 1 b.1865 – d.1936. Nephew of Thomas Warburton, founder of Warburtons the bakers.
29 George Sykes Conservative 1931–1932 1 b.c.1874 – d.1958.
30 Samuel Lomax Labour 1932–1933 1 b.1871 – d.1944.
31 Dr Ernest Monks Conservative 1933–1934 1 b.1871 – d.1941. Father of Dr John Richard Monks, Mayor of Bolton 1970–71.
32 John Percy Taylor Liberal 1934–1935 1 b.1868 – d.1945. Appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1926.
33 Benjamin Kirkman Labour 1935–1936 1 b.c.1864 – d.1953.
34 James Alfred Russell Conservative 1936–1937 1 b.1873 – d.1948.
35 Thomas Halstead Labour 1937–1938 1
36 James Entwistle Conservative 1938–1939 1
37 Charles Harold Beswick Liberal 1939–1940 1 b.1874 – d.1945.
38 Walter Wharton Tong Conservative 1940–1941 1 b.1890 – d.1978. Nephew of Thomas Barlow Tong, Mayor of Bolton 1906–08. Knighted on the 11 February 1955.
39 Alfred Booth Labour 1941–1942 1 b.1893 – d.1965. Labour MP for Bolton East 1950–1951.
40 James Bleakley Conservative 1942–1943 1 b.1893 – d.1993.
41 Fred Bentley Liberal 1943–1944 1
42 Walter Bradley Conservative 1944–1945 1
43 Robert Demaine Labour 1945–1946 1 b.1874 – d.1948.
44 Dr Horace Wilfred Taylor Conservative 1946–1947 1
45 John Henry Hampson Labour 1947–1949 2
46 Thomas Glaister Conservative 1949–1950 1 b.1886 – d.1974. Grandson of Thomas Glaister, Mayor of Bolton 1881–82, and brother-in-law of William Wharton Tong, Mayor of Bolton 1940–41.
47 Helen Wright Labour 1950–1951 1 b.1892 – d.1970. The first female Mayor of Bolton.
48 Thomas Parry Dunning Conservative 1951–1952 1 b.1893 – d.1973.
49 James Vickers Labour 1952–1953 1 b.1895 – d.1972.
50 James Parkes, Conservative 1953–1954 1 b.1893 – d.1980.
51 Peter Flanagan Labour 1954–1955 1 b.1887 – d.1964.
52 Stanley Entwistle Conservative 1955–1956 1 died 1978.
53 Peter Lowe Labour 1956–1957 1 b.1904 – d.1986.
54 Frank Young Conservative 1957–1958 1 b.1904 – d.1977.
55 Elizabeth Ann Ashmore Labour 1958–1959 1 b.1895 – d.1972.
56 Edwin Taylor Conservative 1959–1960 1 b.1905 – d.1973. Conservative MP for Bolton East 1960–64.
57 James Gradwell Labour 1960–1961 1 b.1891 – d.1972.
58 William Harold Bateson Conservative 1961–1962 1 b.1897 – d.1967.
59 John Arthur Childs Labour 1962–1963 1 b.1899 – d.1965.
60 Thomas Connor Liberal 1963–1964 1
61 Harry Wood Conservative 1964–1965 1
62 Charles Henry Lucas Labour 1965–1966 1 Awarded a CBE in 1970.
63 Nora Vickers Conservative 1966–1967 1
64 Clarence Leat Labour 1967–1968 1 b.1892 – d.1973.
65 Ethel Maisie Ryley Conservative 1968–1969 1
66 Herbert Glynn Labour 1969–1970 1 b.1908 – d.1995.[7]
67 Dr John Richard Monks Conservative 1970–1971 1 b.1911 – d.1985. Son of Dr Ernest Monks, Mayor of Bolton 1933–34.
68 Arnold Townend Labour 1971–1972 1
69 Alan Ellis Clarke Labour 1972–1973 1 b.1931. Triplet brother of Donald Stewart Clarke, Mayor of Bolton 1977–78.
70 Henry Devenish Labour 1973–1974 1 b.1926 – d.2010.

Transitional mayor
No.MayorPartyTenureTermsNotes
1 John Collins Hanscomb Conservative 1973–1974 1 Councillor for Deane cum Heaton Ward. Chairman (1973–1974) and Transitional Mayor (1974) during the dissolution of the County Borough and the foundation of the Metropolitan Borough.[3]

Metropolitan borough mayors
No.MayorPartyTenureTermsNotes
1 Doris Berry Conservative 1974–1975 1 b.1912 – d.1992. The first Mayor of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton.
2 John Arthur Foster Labour 1975–1976 1 b.1927 – d.2010.
3 James Rigby Conservative 1976–1977 1 b.1918 – d.1998.
4 Donald Stewart Clarke Labour 1977–1978 1 b.1931 – d.2005. Triplet brother of Alan Ellis Clarke, Mayor of Bolton 1972–73.[8]
5 Adam Hibbert Conservative 1978–1979 1 b.1910 – d.1992.
6 Elizabeth Olwen Hamer Labour 1979–1980 1 b.1928 – d.1995.
7 James Smith Conservative 1980–1981 1 b.1912 – d.1994.
8 Joseph Wild Labour 1981–1982 1 b.1916 – d.1994.
9 John Collins Hanscomb Conservative 1982–1983 1 Councillor for Deane cum Heaton Ward b.1924 – d.2019. Previously Chairman / Transitional Mayor 1973–74. Appointed a CBE in December 1980.
10 Alan Samuel Brigg Labour 1983–1984 1 b.1911 – d.1988.
11 Barbara Annette Hurst Conservative 1984–1985 1 b.1919 – d.2001. Awarded an MBE in 1993.[9]
12 William Hardman Labour 1985–1986 1 b.1939 – d.1999.[10]
13 Arthur Poulsom Conservative 1986–1987 1 b.1913 – d.1988.
14 William Arthur Robinson Labour 1987–1988 1 b.1923 – d.1990.
15 Brian Melvyn Allanson Conservative 1988–1989 1 b.1927.
16 Kenneth MacIvor Labour 1989–1990 1 b.1925 – d.2004.
17 Geoffrey Smith Conservative 1990–1991 1 b.1945.
18 Gerald Riley Labour 1991–1992 1 b.1929.
19 Ernest Crook Conservative 1992–1993 1 b.1927.
20 Campbell Jocelyn H Benjamin Labour 1993–1994 1 b.1914 – d.2004. The first black Mayor of Bolton. Appointed an OBE in 1996.[11]
21 Thomas Anderton Labour 1994–1995 1 Councillor for Daubhill Ward b.1924.
22 Frank Alan Rushton Conservative 1995–1996 1 Councillor for Deane cum Heaton Ward and later for Heaton and Lostock Ward b.1934.
23 Eric Johnson Labour 1996–1997 1 b.1923. Also was Mayor of Blackrod 1988–89 and 1993–94.
24 Peter Gareth Birch Labour 1997–1998 1 b.1948 – d.2001.[12]
25 Peter Louis Finch Labour 1998–1999 1 Councillor for Westhoughton Ward b.1937. Also was Mayor of Westhoughton 1986–87.
26 John Monaghan Labour 1999–2000 1 Councillor for Blackrod Ward b.1936 – d.2008.[13] Also was Mayor of Blackrod 1992–93 and 1997–98.
27 Alan Wilkinson Conservative 2000–2001 1 Councillor for Bromley Cross Ward b.1948.
28 Kevan James Helsby Labour 2001–2002 1 Councillor for Horwich Ward b.1950. Received an MBE in the Millennium honours list. Also was Mayor of Horwich 1987–88 and 2004–05.[14]
29 John Walsh Conservative 2002–2003 1 Councillor for Astley Bridge Ward b.1952. Appointed an OBE in 1994.
30 Clifford Morris Labour 2003–2004 1 Councillor for Halliwell Ward.
31 Prentice Howarth Labour 2004–2005 1 Councillor for Great Lever Ward b.1936.
32 Frank Richard White Labour 2005–2006 1 Councillor for Tonge with the Haulgh Ward b.1940. Labour MP for Bury and Radcliffe 1979–1983.
33 Walter Hall Conservative 2006–2007 1 Councillor for Bradshaw Ward b.1935.
34 Barbara Olwyn Ronson Liberal Democrats 2007–2008 1 Councillor for Horwich North East Ward b.1942. Also was Mayor of Horwich 1996–97.[15]
35 Anthony Connell Labour 2008–2009 1 Councillor for Little Lever and Darcy Lever Ward b.1941.[16]
36 Norman Critchley Conservative 2009–2010 1 Councillor for Bromley Cross Ward b.1938.[17]
37 John Byrne Labour 2010–2011 1 Councillor for Breightmet Ward.[18]
38 Anthony Noel Spencer Labour 2011–2012 1 Councillor for Farnworth Ward.
39 Guy Harkin Labour 2012–2013 1 Councillor for Crompton Ward.[19][20]
40 Colin Shaw Conservative 2013–2014 1 Councillor for Heaton and Lostock Ward.[21]
41 Martin Donaghy Labour 2014–2015 1 Councillor for Tonge with the Haulgh Ward.[22]
42 Carole Swarbrick Liberal Democrats 2015–2016 1 Councillor for Smithills Ward.[23]
43 Lynda Byrne Labour 2016–2017 1 Councillor for Breightmet Ward.
44 Roger Hayes Liberal Democrats 2017–2018 1 Councillor for Smithills Ward.[24]
45 Elaine Sherrington Labour 2018–2019 1 Councillor for Tonge with the Haulgh Ward.
46 Hilary Fairclough Conservative 2019–2020 1 Councillor for Astley Bridge Ward.[25]
47 Linda Thomas Labour 2020–2022 2 Councillor for Halliwell Ward. Served a two-year term of office due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also was Mayor of Westhoughton 1995–96.
48 Akhtar Zaman Labour 2022–2023 1 Councillor for Halliwell Ward. The first Asian and Muslim mayor of Bolton.
49 Mohammed Ayub Labour 2023–2024 1 Councillor for Great Lever Ward.

References
  1. Links in a Chain - Bolton 1838–2008. URL accessed 11 May 2008.
  2. Famous Boltonians. URL accessed 11 May 2008.
  3. Links in a Chain - John Collins Hanscomb. URL accessed 11 May 2008.
  4. "Election of Mayors". The Times. No. 36609. London. 11 November 1901. p. 7.
  5. "Election of Mayors". The Times. No. 36922. London. 11 November 1902. p. 12.
  6. Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages . URL accessed 15 May 2008.
  7. "Former Mayor dies, 87". The Bolton News. Newsquest Media Group. 29 November 1995.
  8. "'He lived life to the full'". The Bolton News. Newsquest Media Group. 17 March 2005.
  9. "'First Citizen' dies". The Bolton News. Newsquest Media Group. 13 September 2001.
  10. "Former mayor dies". The Bolton News. Newsquest Media Group. 2 March 1999.
  11. "Award 'a major boost to ethnic minorities'". The Bolton News. Newsquest Media Group. 30 December 1995.
  12. "Ex-mayor dies after heart attack". The Bolton News. Newsquest Media Group. 4 December 2001.
  13. "Tributes to former Mayor of Bolton". The Bolton News. Newsquest Media Group. 4 May 2008.
  14. Former mayor retires from politics. The Bolton News, first published 12 April 2007.
  15. "History as Lib-Dem takes over as Mayor". The Bolton News. Newsquest Media Group. 17 May 2007.
  16. Bolton's new Mayor all set for a Marathon year. The Bolton News, first published 15 May 2008.
  17. "New Mayor pays tribute to the people of Bolton". The Bolton News. Newsquest Media Group. 13 May 2009.
  18. "It's hello Mr Mayor". The Bolton News. Newsquest Media Group. 20 May 2010.
  19. Member's Details - Councillor Guy Harkin Archived 2012-03-05 at the Wayback Machine. Bolton Council. Retrieved on 17 May 2012.
  20. "I'm proud to be mayor of 'Britain's friendliest town'". The Bolton News. Newsquest Media Group. 17 May 2012.
  21. "Links in a Chain - the Mayors of Bolton". Bolton Council. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  22. "Meet the new Mayor of Bolton - Martin Donaghy". Bolton News. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  23. "Smithills councillor Carole Swarbrick inaugurated as the new Mayor of Bolton". Bolton News. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  24. "The Mayor". Bolton Council. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  25. "The Mayor of Bolton for 2019-20 is Councillor Hilary Fairclough". Bolton Council. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
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