Chains of office

At the Council meeting on Tuesday 6th March I was formally nominated as Deputy Lord Mayor Elect for the municipal year 2018-19. I will be serving with Castle Ward Councillor, David Phillips, who was nominated as Lord Mayor Elect. The official ceremony to inaugurate us into those posts will take place on Friday 18th May at 2pm in Swansea Guildhall. It is my intention to keep a public record of the next two years on this blog so that people can see what the Swansea Mayoralty involves and also as a memento for myself.

The history of the Swansea Mayoralty is set out here. It dates back to September 1835, when Swansea's old corporation, headed by the portreeve, was replaced by a new municipal corporation:

The new corporation styled itself 'the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of Swansea'. This new corporation, in contrast to the old, was to be elected by the ratepayers of the borough. The Municipal Corporation Act which instituted this change also defined the legal position of the mayor, the title for the head of municipal corporations which was to become universal in England and Wales after the passing of the Act. Subsequent local government legislation between 1835 and 1972 may have introduced slight modifications to the role of mayor, but his basic functions have changed little since 1835.

As the council website relates: In the years since 1835, there have been several changes in Swansea's size and status. The status of the mayor has also altered. In 1835, he was simply the mayor of the borough of Swansea. The Local Government Act 1888 made Swansea a county borough, while in December 1969, city status was granted.

Under the terms of the Local Government Act 1972, the former city and county borough of Swansea were replaced by the Swansea District Council. On 1 April 1974, the day on which the act came into force, the status of borough and city was bestowed upon the district, thereby granting the right for the chairman of the district council to be styled as the mayor.

On 22 March 1982, HM Queen Elizabeth II graciously granted to the city of Swansea letters patent which elevated the status of the mayor to that of Lord Mayor. The Unitary Authority of the City and County of Swansea which came into being on 1 April 1996 was successful in having both the City and Lord Mayor status re-bestowed.

In Swansea, maces have been borne before the portreeves and mayors since at least the 16th century. The present pair were made in 1753, while an earlier pair which date from 1615, are still in the council's possession but are no longer in use.

The mayoral robes and chain of office were only introduced in the second half of the nineteenth century. The robes of office worn by mayors until March 1982 consisted of a sable-furred scarlet robe and tricorne hat. They were first instituted by the antiquarian, George Grant Francis, during his mayoralty in 1853-4.

The mayoral chain of office dates from 1875, when it was presented to the corporation by Frank Ash Yeo to commemorate his own mayoralty of the preceding year. You can read more about them here.

The former mayoral robes were replaced on 25 March 1982 by the Lord Mayor's robes of ornamented black silk and cotton damask, and a tricorne hat of black velvet with black ostrich feathers. Nowadays the fur lining is artificial in keeping with modern day norms.

Traditionally, the Lord Mayor's official residence has been the Mansion House in the City's Ffynone district. It was originally called "Brooklands". The house was completed in 1863 when the owner Evan Matthew Richards, a well known local builder, made it his family home. He was in fact Mayor of Swansea in 1855 and 1862.

After his death in 1880 Brooklands was sold twice before being purchased by the then County Borough of Swansea in 1922 with the intention of making it an official residence for the Mayor. From then on it was renamed the Mansion House.

From 1923 until 1975 the house also served as lodgings for visiting judges and on such occasions the Mayor had to vacate the premises. You can read more about the Mansion House here.

Nowadays, not every Lord Mayor moves into the Mansion House, although all will use it frequently for events. The use of the building has extended so that it is now available for hire for corporate events, ranging from business breakfasts/lunches/dinners, VIP lunches/dinners and events in respect of local and national organisations.

The Lord Mayor is able to utilise the Mansion House for private functions eg coffee mornings, afternoon teas, buffet evenings or dinners. The cost of these are met by the Lord Mayor. And of course, every Lord Mayor receives requests from various charitable organisations for the use of the Mansion House for either coffee mornings or cheese and wine/buffet evenings as fund raising events. These are granted free of charge to the charities concerned (other than waitressing staff costs).

That is the background to the office, which relies greatly on tradition. However, there is much more to being Lord Mayor including acting as civic head for visiting dignitaries, promoting the city and of course working with the countless organisations and societies around Swansea. The Lord Mayor raises large amounts of money for his or her chosen charity each year, and, if they choose their theme properly can also raise the profile of key issues. It is going to be an interesting two years.