List of mayors of Leeds
The Lord Mayor of Leeds is a ceremonial post held by a member of Leeds City Council, elected annually by the council.
By charter from King Charles I in 1626, the leader of the governing body of the borough of Leeds was an alderman, the first holder being Sir John Savile. A second charter, in 1661 from King Charles II, granted the title Mayor to Thomas Danby, after whom Thomas Danby College was named. In 1893 the County Borough of Leeds was granted city status, and in 1897 Queen Victoria conferred the title of Lord Mayor on James Kitson.
The first woman to have the post was Jessie Beatrice Kitson in 1942: she was elected following the death of Arthur Clarke shortly after his election.
In 2019, the council elected Leeds first ever black Lord Mayor, Eileen Taylor. After serving as a Labour member of council since 2008, she was elected unanimously by fellow councillors at the authority's annual general meeting. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Taylor's term has been extended for another municipal year until May 2021. Should Taylor remain in office until May 2021, it will be the first time a Lord Mayor has served for two municipal years since George Brett's original term of office was extended for a municipal year until 1949. Under the, his term was extended until the first meeting held after the May 1949 council election.
Notable former Mayors include Benjamin Gott, Sir George Goodman, several of the Lupton family, Henry Rowland Marsden and Alf Cooke of the famous printworks.Source:
, Lord Mayor of Leeds, 1910–1911.
, Lord Mayor of Leeds, 1913–1914
, Lord Mayor of Leeds, 1923–1924
