Mary Kingsmill Jones
Dame Mary Latchford Kingsmill Jones, DBE was an Irish-born British politician, the first woman to serve as Lord Mayor of Manchester.
Born in Dublin, Jones was educated at Alexandra College. In 1909, she moved to Manchester in England, and in 1921 was elected to Manchester City Council, representing the Conservative Party. She served on a number of council committees, and also represented the council on external bodies, particularly during World War II. At both the 1924 and 1929 United Kingdom general elections, she stood in Manchester Ardwick, taking second place each time.
In 1938, Jones became an alderman, and the same year was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. From 1947 to 1949, she served as Lord Mayor of Manchester, the first woman to hold the post, and at the end of her term, she was promoted to become a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She was made an honorary freeman of the city in 1956, and in 1958 became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She retired from the council in 1966, and was made an honorary alderman the following year.
