This is a list of mayors of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England, historically part of Staffordshire. Wolverhampton has elected a town council, which in turn has elected a Mayor, since 1848.
Mayors of Wolverhampton 19th century No. Image Mayor Tenure Terms Notes 1 George Benjamin Thorneycroft 1848/49 1 Ironmaster. First Mayor of Wolverhampton. 2 George Robinson 1849/50 1 Solicitor 3 Joseph Walker 1850/51 1 Confectioner. St Mary's Ward. 4 William Warner 1851/52 1 Draper, borough magistrate 5 Jeremiah Wynn 1852/53 1 Factor, Earp & Wynn, St John's Square. Borough magistrate. 6 John Neve 1853/54 1 Ironmonger and nail manufacturer, Magistrate 7 James Shipton 1854/55 1 Timber merchant and licensed carrier 8 Edward Perry 1855/57 2 Japanning and tinplate works owner. Tenure extended due dispute between the council and the Wolverhampton Waterworks Company. County and borough magistrate. St John's Ward. 9 Moses Ironmonger 1857/58 1 Rope and twine factory owner, chief magistrate and president of the Wolverhampton Chamber of Commerce 10 John Hartley 1858/59 1 Ironmaster and borough magistrate. 11 Benjamin Hicklin 1859/60 1 Carrier, railway agent and farmer. Borough magistrate. 12 Charles Clarke 1860/61 1 Grocer, merchant and general warehouseman. St George's Ward. 13 George Lees Underhill 27 November 1861—1862 1 Iron merchant. Led the people of Wolverhampton in a subscription to raise funds to erect a statue in the memory of Prince Albert. Borough magistrate, JP. 14 Henry Hartley Fowler 1862/63 1 Solicitor. Borough magistrate. Afterwards Viscount Wolverhampton 15 John Hawksford 1863/64 1 Attorney & solicitor, First Catholic Mayor of Wolverhampton 16 John Ford 1864/65 1 Hardware merchant 17 Joseph Crowther Smith 1865/66 1 Solicitor 18 Sir John Morris, 1866/67 1 Artificial manure manufacturer and farmer. St Paul's Ward. 19 James Langman 1867/68 1 Master pawnbroker. St George's Ward. 20 Moses Ironmonger 1868/69 1 Rope and twine factory owner. Chief magistrate. Second term as Mayor of Wolverhampton 21 Thomas Bantock 1869/70 1 Ironmaster and industrialist 22 James Walker 1870/71 1 Estate agent 23 Joseph Ford 1871/72 1 Foreign merchant 24 Isaac Jenks 1872/73 1 Ironmaster. Donated the gold chain and badge of office still in use today 25 William Highfield Jones 1873/74 1 Built one of the largest japanning businesses in Wolverhampton. Borough magistrate. St John's Ward. 26 William Edwards 1874/75 1 Edge tool manufacturer and JP. 27 John Clarkson Major 1875/76 1 Yorkshire-born chemist, set up first tar distillery in Wolverhampton 28 Samuel Dickinson 1876/77 1 Iron merchant & broker. Borough magistrate. 29 David Kendrick 1877/78 1 Ironmaster 30 John Jones 1878/81 3 Ironmaster. Opened West Park, the first of Wolverhampton's large parks. Second longest number of consecutive terms as Mayor (3) 31 Herbert C Owen 1881/82 1 Solicitor 32 Francis Davis Gibbons 1882/83 1 Agricultural artificial manure manufacturer. Borough magistrate. St James's Ward. 33 John Brotherton 1883/84 1 Master Tube manufacturer. St George's Ward. 34 John Annan 1884/85 1 Chief engineer and manager, Wolverhampton Gas Company. Dunstall Ward. Borough magistrate. 35 Joseph G Wright 1885/86 1 Ironmaster 36 Thomas Vincent Jackson 1886/87 1 Surgeon. First member of the medical profession to become Mayor. Borough magistrate. St Peter's Ward. 37 Joseph Jones 1887/88 1 Ironmaster. Borough magistrate. St Matthew's Ward. 38 Frederic Edward Manby 1888/89 1 Surgeon 39 John Marston 1889/91 2 Motorcycle and car manufacturer (Sunbeam). Borough Magistrate. Merridale Ward. 40 James Saunders 1891/92 1 Iron broker and agent 41 Charles Tertius Mander 1892/96 4 Created baronet 1911. Longest number of consecutive terms as mayor (four). Park Ward. 42 Stephen Craddock 1896/97 1 Owner with brother George of Craddock Bros, boot and shoe manufacturers of Wolverhampton. Born Northamptonshire 1853, died 1925. St George's Ward. Borough magistrate. 43 Alexander McBean 1897/98 1 Iron merchant. Borough magistrate, JP. Blakenhall Ward. 44 Price Lewis 1898/99 2 Master tailor. Borough magistrate. Graiseley Ward. 45 Samuel Theodore Mander 1899-September 1900 1 Varnish manufacturer. Died in office, 14 September 1900. St Mark's Ward.
20th century
No. Image Mayor Tenure Terms Notes 46 Price Lewis 1900 (September–November) 1 Master Tailor. JP 47 John Walton Hamp 1900 (November)–1901 1 Surgeon & Chief Magistrate. St John's Ward. 48 Charles Paulton Plant 1901/02 1 Wine merchant & brewer. St Peter's Ward. Chairman Streets Committee. 49 George Rennie Thorne 1902/03 1 Liberal. Solicitor & Lay preacher. St Matthew's Ward. 50 Levi Johnson 1903/04 1 (29 May 1850 - 12 August 1937) Brewer & Wine merchant. First treasurer of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Elected to Town Council in 1881 St John's Ward. Borough Magistrate in 1899, in 1900, Honorary Freeman of the Borough in 1926. Daughter called Alice Wulfrun Bayley Johnson born during mayoralty. Pioneer of cycle trade and chairman of Star Motor Company. Chairman of Wolverhampton Freeholders Permanent Building Society. 51 Richard Evans Willoughby Berrington 1904/05 1 Civil engineer 52 Albert Baldwin Bantock 1905–1907 2 Coal & Iron agent, High Sheriff of Staffordshire 53 Fred Evans 1907/08 1 54 Edward Lewis Cullwick 1908–1909 (April) 1 Harness manufacturer. Died in Office, 1 April 1909 55 Fred Evans 1909 (April–November) 1 56 John Grout 1909 (November)–1910 1 Physician And surgeon 57 Charles Thomas Richards 1910/11 1 Pawnbroker And Jeweller 58 Thomas William Dickinson 1911–1913 2 Fruit merchant & farmer 59 Frederick Howard Skidmore 1913/14 1 Auctioneer & Valuer 60 Albert Baldwin Bantock 1914/15 1 First Mayor to stand for a third term 61 Arthur Charles Skidmore 1915–1917 2 (–28 May 1940) Solicitor, Borough Coroner 62 John Francis Myatt 1917/18 1 Brewer 63 Alfred George Jeffs 1918/19 1 Wholesale grocer 64 Thomas Austin Henn 1919/20 1 (–6 May 1948), Jeweller. Freeman of Wolverhampton. 65 James Thompson 1920–1922 2 (, Bilston–1934), Chairman of John Thompson Ltd., manufacturers. High Sheriff of Staffordshire, he lived at Ludstone Hall, Claverley. He was injured in a fall from a horse in 1933 and died the following year 66 Thomas Frost 1922/23 1 (–22 May 1953) Founder of Thomas Frost Shopfitting 67 Joseph Clark 1923–1925 2 68 Frederick Albert Willcock 1925–1927 2 Retired chemist 69 Albert Edward Wood 1927–1929 2 70 Alan Davies 1929/30 1 (–24 January 1954) 71 Joseph Haddock 1930/31 1 (–25 June 1957), later manager of the Star and Garter Hotel. 72 John Lewis 1931–1932 (February) 1 Died in Office, 25 February 1932 73 Joseph Haddock 1932 (March–November) 1 Elected Mayor for remainder of Municipal year 74 Sir Charles Arthur Mander (Baronet) 1932 (November)–1933 1 Alderman 75 Bertram Kidson 1933/34 1 Chartered Accountant 76 Morris Christopher 1934/35 1 77 James Whittaker 1935/36 1 (–3 April 1940). Died following a motor car accident near Ascot. 78 Sir Charles Arthur Mander (Baronet) 1936/37 1 79 Richard Ernest Probert 1937/38 1 80 George Edwin John Luce 1938/39 1 81 Harry Austin White 1939/40 1 (–24 November 1947) 82 Albert Abraham Beach 1940/41 1 83 George Bates 1941/42 1 84 Anacletus Byrne-Quinn 1942/43 1 Physician & Surgeon, MB BS MRCS Eng. LRCP Lond. The Poplars, Third Ave., Low Hill, Fallings Park. (13 July 1903—1987 W'ton) 85 Frederick Stephen Thompson 1943/44 1 (–27 March 1945) Boiler Works Manager 86 Thomas William Phillipson 1944/45 1 Former Wolves footballer and prolific striker. 87 William Lawley 1945/46 1 88 Cyril Bernard Vincent Taylor 1946/47 1 89 Herbert Edwin Lane 10 November 1947–23 May 49 2 90 Henry "Harry" Bowdler 1949/50 1 (–1 April 1957) 91 Louis Reginald Guy 1950/51 1 (1899 W'ton—1974 W'ton) 92 James Beattie 1951/52 1 Joint Managing Director of James Beattie Ltd., grandson of the founder. (chairman and managing director in 1961) 93 Harold Thomas Fullwood 1952/53 1 94 Alice Annie Braybrook 18 May 1953–1954 1 Wolverhampton's first woman Mayor. 95 Leonard James Woolridge 24 May 1954/55 1 96 Frank Mansell 23 May 1955/56 1 97 George Rastall 28 May 1956/57 1 98 Ruby Florence Ilsley 20 May 1957–1958 1 99 John Clement Horner 1958/59 1 100 Norman Frank Bagley 1959/60 1 101 Harold Marsh 1960/61 1 102 Charles Herbert Davies 1961/62 1 103 Malcolm Pascal Birch 1962/63 1 104 Herbert Preece 1963/64 1 105 Harry Bagley 1964/65 1 106 Frank Clapham 1965/66 1 107 Frank Stanley Smith 1966/67 1 108 Edward (Ted) Yardley Fullwood 1967/68 1 109 Robert Campbell 1968/69 1 110 Stanley Steventon Tatem 1969/70 1 111 Gerald Anthony Guy 1970/71 1 112 Francis Victor Law 1971/72 1 113 Arthur Storer 1972/73 1 114 Dennis Arthur Birch 1973/74 1 115 Samuel Herbert Reynolds 1974/75 1 116 Edward Mitchell 1975/76 1 117 Arthur Ernest Steventon 1976/77 1 118 Jessie Emma Beddoes 1977/78 1 119 Violet Amy Fletcher 1978/79 1 120 Ian George Claymore 1979/80 1 121 Herbert Edwin Lane 1980/81 1 2nd term as Mayor 122 Ernest William Bold 1981/82 1 123 John Arthur Morey 1982/83 1 124 Alfred Christopher Laws 1983/84 1 125 Stanley Arthur Ledsam 1984/85 1 126 George Fredrick Howells 1985/86 1 127 Bishan Dass 1986/87 1 Labour, Ettingshall Ward, first elected 1 May 1975. 128 Doreen Mildred Seiboth 1987/88 1 129 Philip Reginald Richards 1988/89 1 130 Richard Reynolds 1989/90 1 131 John Geraghty 1990–1990 (October) 1 132 Richard Reynolds 1990 (October)–1991 1 2nd term as Mayor 133 Surjan Singh Duhra 1991/92 1 Labour, St Peter's Ward, election history from 4 May 1978 to 5 May 2011. 134 Raymond Bert Swatman 1992/93 1 135 Richard Fredrick Whitehouse 1993/94 1 Liberal Independent, Spring Vale Ward, first elected 3 May 1984. 136 Stanley Arthur Ledsam 1994/95 1 2nd term as Mayor 137 Margaret Mary Benton 1995/96 1 Labour, Bilston North Ward, election history from 2 May 1991 to 1 May 2003. 138 George Fredrick Howells 1996/97 1 2nd term as Mayor 139 Francis Docherty 1997/98 1 Labour, East Park Ward, election history from 2 May 1991 to 5 May 2011. 140 Gwendoline (Gwen) Mary Stafford Good 1998/99 1 141 Peter Alan Bilson 1999/2000 1 Labour, Bushbury South and Low Hill Ward, first elected 6 May 1982.
21st century