Mayor of Derry

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Mayor of Derry
Derry City Coat of Arms
Incumbent Elisha McCallion since 26 March 2015
Appointer	Derry and Strabane District Council
Term length	One year
Inaugural holder	John Rowley
Formation	1604 (as Provost) 1613 (as Mayor)
Deputy	Thomas Kerrigan
Website	Council Website

The Mayor of Derry, legally the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council^[1] is an honorary position bestowed upon a citizen of Derry 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. The Mayor is Chairman of the Council as well as the city's first citizen. The current Mayor is Elisha McCallion of Sinn Féin.

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 (incomplete)

17th Century^[5]

From	To	Name		Party
1615		John Vaughan
1617		Sir John Vaughan
1618		Henry 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[6]
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		W Gardiner
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		Party
1769	1770	Robert Fairly[7]
1782		Robert Fairly

19th Century

From	To	Name		Party
1868	1869	Sir Edward Reid[8]		Conservative
1875	1877	Sir William Miller, MD[9]		Conservative
1888	1889	Sir William Miller		Conservative
1899	1900	Sir William McLearn		[[|N/A]]

20th Century

From	To	Name		Party
1901	1902	Sir Francis Henry Miller		[[|N/A]]
1908	1911	John McFarland		Irish Unionist
1911	1912	M. A. 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		Elisha McCallion		Sinn Féin

References

• Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1921 - 72

1. http://www.derrystrabane.com/mayor
2. Thomas Colby, Ordnance Survey of the County of Londonderry, p.87
3. Charter of the City of Londonderry
4. sdy60f2.tmp
5. " Corporation of Londonderry Minute Book 1673-1686", PRONI LA79/2AA/1
6. Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 54
7. "History of Congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and Biographical Notices of Eminent Presbyterian Ministers and Laymen", 1886
8. Template:Personal memorandum of Sir Edward Reid
9. "Obituary - Sir William Miller" The Times (London). Tuesday, 30 January 1900. (36052), p. 10.