Mayor of Derry

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council is an honorary position bestowed upon a Citizen of Derry City & Strabane District in Northern Ireland, who is in practice a member of Derry and Strabane District Council, chosen by his or her peers on the Council to serve a one-year term.[1] The Mayor is Chairman of the Council as well as the city's first citizen. The current Mayor is Brian Tierney of the Social Democratic and Labour Party.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council
Incumbent
Brian Tierney
since 1 June 2020
AppointerDerry and Strabane District Council
Term lengthOne year
Inaugural holderJohn Rowley
Formation1604 (as Provost)
1613 (as Mayor)
WebsiteCouncil Website

The post has a long history. A provost, Sir Henry Docwra, was appointed in the initial city charter of 1604 by James I. In 1613, this post was replaced with that of governor, or mayor, with John Rowley being the first to serve.[2] The City charter of 1665 which provided:

And further we will, and by these presents for us our heirs and successors do grant and ordain, that for ever hereafter there be and shall be within the city of Londonderry aforesaid one of the more honest and discreet citizens of the said city, or of the more honest and discreet inhabitants within the liberty of the same, in form hereafter in these presents mentioned, from time to time to be elected, who shall be and called the mayor of the said city.[3]

During much of its history, it has been held by unionists (largely due to the practice of gerrymandering),[4] but in recent years, the majority of mayors have been Irish nationalists, reflecting the majority of the city's population.

From 1921 until 1969, the Mayor was automatically entitled to a seat in the Senate of Northern Ireland.

List of Mayors of Derry
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

17th Century
From To Name Party
1615 John Vaughan
1617 Sir John Vaughan
1618 John Wray
1620 1621 Jesse Smith
1625 H Vaughan
1629 Sir John Vaughan
1631 William Gage
1636 Thomas Hammond
1641 James Vaughan
1643 Sir Robert Stewart[5]
1644 Colonel Audley Mervyn
1646 Sir Charles Coote
1653 Henry Finch
1654 Ralph King
1655 1656 John Handford
1657 John Elwin
1658 Samuel Dawson (died in office)
1659 John Westgate
1660 Luke Ash
1662 William Gardner
1664 Colonel John Gorges
1670 Thomas Skipton
1671 Hugh Edwards
1672 1674 Samuel Norman
1675 1676 Gervais Squire
1677 Colonel William Cecil
1678 1680 Thomas Moncrieff
1681 1682 John Campsie
1683 Alexander Tomkins
1684 James Hobson
1685 1686 John Campsie
1687 Andrew Coningham (died in office)
1688 John Campsie
1690 Gervais Squire
1691 Alexander Lecky
1692 William Squire (died in office)
1693 James Lenox
1694 Henry Long
1695 Alexander Lecky
1696 Henry Ash
1697 James Lenox
1698 Horace Kennedy
1699 Gervais Squire
1700 Edward Brooks

18th Century
From To Name
1701 Thomas Moncrieff [6]
1702 Robert Shannon [6]
1703 1704 Samuel Leeson [6]
1705 Henry Ash [6]
1706 George Tomkins [6]
1707 Charles Norman [6]
1708 Thomas Lecky [6]
1709 Thomas Ash [6]
1710 Samuel Leeson [6]
1711 Robert Norman [6]
1712 John Wotton [6]
1713 Alexander Tomkins [6]
1714 John Wotton [7]
1769 1770 Robert Fairly[8]
1771 Adam Schoales [7]
1772 Hugh Hill [7]
1773 William Lecky [7]
1774 1775 Charles M'Manus [7]
1776 Thomas Bateson [7]
1777 John Coningham [7]
1778 John Ferguson [7]
1779 George Ash
1780 1781 Thomas Lecky [7]
1782 Robert Fairly [7]
1783 1784 John Coningham [7]
1785 1786 Squire Lecky [7]
1787 1788 John Coningham [7]
1789 Squire Lecky [7]
1790 1791 Eneas Murray [7]
1792 1793 Stephen Bennett [7]
1794 1795 George Kennedy [7]
1796 1797 Andrew Ferguson [7]
1798 1799 John Darcus [7]
1800 1801 William Walker [7]

19th Century
From To Name Party
1802 R. G. Hill [7]
1803 John Darcus [7]
1804 1805 R. Murray [7]
1806 1807 William Walker [7]
1808 1809 Thomas Lecky [7]
1810 1811 Thomas Scott [7]
1812 1813 John Curry [7]
1814 1815 Marcus S. Hill [7]
1816 1817 William Alexander [7]
1818 1819 William Scott [7]
1820 1821 Sir John Maginnis [7]
1822 1823 John Dysart [7]
1824 1825 John Rea [7]
1826 1827 Richard Young [7]
1828 1829 Conolly Skipton [7]
1830 Sir R.A. Ferguson (resigned), then J. Dysart [7]
1831 Richard Young [7]
1832 1833 George Hill [7]
1834 1835 Joshua Gillespie [7]
1836 1837 Thomas P. Kennedy [7]
1838 1839 Sir Robert Bateson, Bt [7]
1840 1841 Joseph E. Miller [7]
1842 1843 Conolly Lecky [9]
1843 1845 William Haslett [9]
1845 1846 John Munn [9]
1846 1847 Daniel Baird [9]
1847 Alexander Lindsay [9]
1859 1862 Bartholomew McCorkell JP[9]
1868 1869 Sir Edward Reid[10] Conservative
1875 1877 Sir William Miller, MD[11] Conservative
1883 Henry Darcus
? 1887? (Sir) Thomas Lecky [12]
1888 1889 Sir William Miller Conservative
1898 1899 Sir John Barr Johnston
1899 1900 Sir William McLearn Irish Unionist

20th Century
From To Name Party
1901 1902 Sir Francis Henry Miller Irish Unionist
1908 1911 John McFarland Irish Unionist
1911 1912 Matthew Anderson Ballantine Irish Unionist
1912 1913 John McFarland Irish Unionist
1913 1915 William McLearn Irish Unionist
1915 1920 Robert Newton Anderson Irish Unionist
1920 1923 Hugh O'Doherty Nationalist
1923 1925 Maxwell Scott Moore UUP
1925 1927 John Gilbert Magee UUP
1927 1929 James Hamilton UUP
1929 1935 Dudley McCorkell UUP
1935 1939 James McElmunn Wilton UUP
1939 1940 Basil McFarland UUP
1940 1945 Frederick James Simmons UUP
1945 1950 Basil McFarland UUP
1950 1952 Gerald Stanley Glover UUP
1952 1954 Samuel Orr UUP
1954 1957 Samuel Sydney Dowds UUP
1957 1961 John Gordon Colhoun UUP
1961 1963 Gerald Stanley Glover UUP
1963 1968 Albert Anderson UUP
1968 1969 William Beatty UUP
1969 1973 Post vacant - council replaced by interim development commission
1973 1974 Raymond McClean SDLP
1974 1975 Jack Allen UUP
1975 1976 Ivor Canavan Alliance
1976 1977 James Hegarty Nationalist
1977 1978 Hugh Doherty SDLP
1978 1979 Thomas M. Craig UUP
1979 1980 Pat Devine SDLP
1980 1981 Marleen Jefferson UUP
1981 1982 Joe Fegan SDLP
1982 1983 William O'Connell SDLP
1983 1984 Len Green SDLP
1984 1985 John Tierney SDLP
1985 1986 John McNickle SDLP
1986 1987 Noel McKenna SDLP
1987 1988 James Guy Independent Unionist
1988 1989 Annie Gallagher SDLP
1989 1990 Tony Carlin SDLP
1990 1991 David Davis Independent Unionist
1991 1992 Mary Bradley SDLP
1992 1993 William Hay DUP
1993 1994 Annie Courtney SDLP
1994 1995 James Guy Independent Unionist
1995 1996 John Kerr SDLP
1996 1997 Richard Dallas UUP
1997 1998 Martin Bradley SDLP
1998 1999 Joe Millar DUP
1999 2000 Pat Ramsey SDLP

21st Century
From To Name Party
2000 2001 Cathal Crumley Sinn Féin
2001 2002 Mildred Garfield DUP
2002 2003 Kathleen McCloskey SDLP
2003 2004 Shaun Gallagher SDLP
2004 2005 Gearóid Ó hEára Sinn Féin
2005 2006 Lynn Fleming Sinn Féin
2006 2007 Helen Quigley SDLP
2007 2008 Drew Thompson DUP
2008 2009 Gerard Diver SDLP
2009 2010 Paul Fleming Sinn Féin
2010 2011 Colum Eastwood SDLP
2011 2012 Maurice Devenney DUP
2012 2013 Kevin Campbell Sinn Féin
2013 2014 Martin Reilly SDLP
2014 2015 Brenda Stevenson SDLP
2015 2016 Elisha McCallion Sinn Féin
2016 2017 Hilary McClintock DUP
2017 2018 Maolíosa McHugh Sinn Féin
2018 2019 John Boyle SDLP
2019 2020 Michaela Boyle Sinn Féin
2020 2021 Brian Tierney SDLP

References
  1. "Derry City & Strabane - Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council". www.derrystrabane.com.
  2. Thomas Colby, Ordnance Survey of the County of Londonderry, p.87
  3. Charter of the City of Londonderry
  4. "sdy60f2.tmp" (PDF).
  5. Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 54
  6. Memoir of the City and North Western Liberties of Londonderry ..., Volume 1. pp. 87–88.
  7. Simpson, Robert. The Annals of Derry. p. 204.
  8. "History of Congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and Biographical Notices of Eminent Presbyterian Ministers and Laymen", 1886
  9. The Annals of Derry:. p. 211.
  10. personal memorandum of Sir Edward Reid
  11. "Obituary - Sir William Miller". The Times (36052). London. 30 January 1900. p. 10.
  12. Shaw, William. The Knights of England: A Complete Record from the Earliest Time ..., Volume 1. p. 383.
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