History of the Civic Role
Introduction
In North Tyneside the civic role is now carried out by the Chairman of the Council, however, until 2002 this was carried out by the civic Mayor.
The Mayoralty is one of the most ancient offices in British history, but has truly changed its role, importance and public perception throughout the centuries. Early Mayors were selected by the monarchy, usually for life. They were the chief administrator of borough affairs, but over time assumed the role of chief magistrate as well, and became responsible for law and order. The Mayors at this time were very powerful and the position was open to incredible corruption.
With the growth of local self-government, free from Royal control, the appointment of Mayors was made locally and, before the Reform Acts, each borough made its own election rules and decided who was eligible to vote. The right to vote was restricted to ratepayers. It was 1918 before all men gained the right to vote and 1928 before women did.
Because of the civic call on the Mayor's purse, the holder of the office, prior to the beginnings of reform, was usually a wealthy person. Mayors were, of course, in a splendid position to gather money in. They were in charge of giving permission for the selling of alcohol and the opening of shops, and bribes could be encouraged.
With the movement for Reform came the growth of more liberal attitudes and the honour of the office of Mayor came to be considered as ample remuneration. From the 1830s onwards a succession of legislation reshaped local government until, by the 1930s most corporations set aside a sum to be used by the Mayor for civic duties.
The division between the role of Mayor and the role of magistrate began in 1949. The Justices of the Peace Act in 1968 finally separated the roles of Mayor and magistrate completely. However, it took until 1974, when the Local Government Act of 1972 was implemented, before it became compulsory for Mayors to be selected by and from elected members of the Council and so subject to a proper democratic process.
Civic Mace
This was originally a weapon used for fighting at close quarters. It was the weapon favoured by Richard the Lionheart's bodyguards who in turn became his tax collectors and sergeants-at-arms. By the middle of the sixteenth century it had become customary for Mayors to have a Mace (to signify that they acted in the interests of the monarchy) and by 1649 Charles I instructed that the design of them should be standardised. By this time it's also likely that the role of sergeant-at-arms had devolved into the role of mace-bearer.
North Tyneside has inherited three maces from Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and Wallsend. All three have a crown and cross at the very top. There are two designs for the crown; which design is used is dependent upon whether the Monarch at the time is a King or a Queen. We have two maces presented when Queen Elizabeth was on the throne, and one when George V was King. The main head and other decorative parts of the maces represent elements of the three areas from which they originated.
Tynemouth's Mace has representations of ships, Tynemouth Priory, a fishing boat, a miner, and a sailor. It has sea horses below the head and images of a miner's lamp, Cullercoats Bay and Tynemouth harbour. The motto is: Messis Ab Altis, which loosely translated means “our harvest from the deep” (referring to representations of fishermen and miners). It was presented to the borough of Tynemouth in 1949 by local industrialists and has the names of the Mayor and first Town Clerk in 1949 engraved at the bottom. [Value: £16,500]
Whitley Bay's Mace has Lord Collingwood's ship, a lighthouse, three crowns (said to represent three kings buried at Tynemouth Priory) and a knight's helmet. Symbolic sea lions are set below the head and the mace also contains an image of a red rose and a Northumberland County Shields. The motto is: Non Sibi Sed Omnibus (“not for oneself but for all”) and it is dated 5th March 1954. [Value: £15,500]
Wallsend's Mace has the Eagle and the Wall representing its Roman past, the River God Tyne image, Holy Cross Church, shipbuilding and mining images, and the original charter of the borough is contained within it. [Value: £10,000]
In North Tyneside now the maces are used for various civic events, such as Council meetings, Freedom Parades, and Remembrance Day Services.
Civic Robes
Medieval society was very hierarchical. The sort of clothes you wore illustrated your position in society. The livery of the office spoke volumes about the Mayor's authority within the borough but was also intended to rival the apparel worn by local noblemen. Heavy red robes trimmed with fur - usually squirrel - and black velvet was to costume of the well-to-do medieval man, in Winter. In Summer, a lighter material, trimmed with silk, rather than fur, was common.
Some Mayors got carried away with their own importance and designed robes fit for the monarchy, inducing several kings to pass laws restricting the use of fur, velvet and so forth. Oliver Cromwell forbade the wearing of scarlet and other gowns during the period of the Commonwealth (1649-60) but after the monarchy was restored in 1660 the robes came out of the closet once more.
Just as judges today wear scarlet robes in criminal cases when they act for the monarchy, and violet ones in civil cases, so did the Mayor who was, for many years, also chief magistrate. Red for royalty and momentous events, violet or blue for more commonplace activities.
With the Reform Acts of the 1830s onwards came changes in costume. Public funds could no longer be used for fancy livery. Either the Mayor bought his own robes or relied on acts of individual or group benevolence. This is the time when the robes of office were no longer individually designed and owned but were passed on to new Mayors as they took office.
Today in North Tyneside the robes are no longer worn, and are kept in the civic office. All Chairmen wear the Chain and Badge.
Chain & Badge of Office
Collars or neckbands have been worn by rulers and spokespeople of many cultures for centuries and even modern Mayors who shun the rest of the paraphernalia of office wear the chain. However, as a symbol of civic dignity, it came to prominence in the eighteenth century and gained further prestige during the Victorian era when decoration and ornamentation were paramount.
Chains and badges were often presented to Corporations by prominent members of the community or groups within a borough. Some wealthy Mayors marked their own term of office by donating specially designed insignia. The Badge and Chain of Wallsend were indeed presented to the Borough by Alderman W Boyd, the first Mayor, and G B Hunter (of the shipyards) in November 1901.
The Badge of Office hangs from the chain or collar and can be of various designs and made of a variety of materials. It is thought that its origins lie in the Common Seal and that Mayors, conscious of the power of the Seal, always wore it about their person to keep it safe.
When the new borough of North Tyneside was created in 1974, a new crest was designed to be the symbol of the authority. This design took elements from the crests of the old authorities.
The central shield has the three crowns of Tynemouth, the eagle from Wallsend and the sea waves of Whitley Bay. On either side of the shield are two symbolic sea lions holding smaller shields. One has a lighthouse design representative of Whitley Bay and Tynemouth and the other has the white circle of Longbenton. On top of the large central shield sits a knight's helmet resting on acanthus leaves. The acanthus is a native of southern Europe, Asia and Africa. A decorative representation of the plant was often used in Roman architecture, especially of the Corinthian and Composite design. A linked chain illustrates the joining of the five authorities and on top sits Lord Collingwood's flagship, 'Royal Sovereign'. A scroll at the bottom of the main shield bears the motto, “We Serve”, passed on from Seaton Valley.
Civic Parlour
The Civic Parlour is where the Chairman entertains special guests. There is disagreement about the origins of the Parlour, some suggest it grew out of tradition of the old monastic reception room where monks met to ‘parler’ (to “speak” in French) with all and sundry. Others claim that the Parlour was the original Council Chamber. Parlours have certainly been used as courtrooms years ago when the Mayor was also a magistrate.
The Civic Parlour in North Tyneside is used by the Chairman of the Council to host small receptions for members of the community, visitors from overseas, etc.
The Parlour is home to the civic regalia of North Tyneside, including the maces, the ceremonial sword, and many artefacts inherited from the previous three boroughs of Tynemouth, Wallsend and Whitley Bay.
Some of the objects within the Parlour are described below:
Sword
Presented to North Tyneside Council by 103 Squadron in 1975 as a civic ceremonial sword. It is made by Wilkinson Sword of Cramlington. Years ago, all authorities had the Council Chamber set out so that the opposition parties were seated one sword’s length apart, to prevent any fighting.
Snuff Box
The snuff box, with a base made of a Ram’s horn, originally belonged to a manager of one of the local mines. Miners used snuff regularly to clear their nose from the coal dust.
HMS Amazon
Was the adopted ship inherited from the borough of Wallsend Council. It was a Type 21 Frigate. In 1993 the Navy sold the Frigate to the Pakistan Government, and the Mayor of North Tyneside attended the decommissioning ceremony and was presented with the ship’s honours board. The board is a record of all the battles and wars in which HMS Amazon had taken part.
Berlin Wall
The piece of the Berlin Wall was taken on the second day of the bringing down of the wall by students from our twin town of Mönchengladbach, who then presented it to the Mayor on a visit to North Tyneside.
Town Hall
The foundation stone for a new Town Hall in the High Street in Wallsend was laid in 1907 by William Boyd, the former Mayor. In a cavity under the foundation stone they placed a casket which contained the following: a copy of the Wallsend Herald dated June 7th 1907 which had a report of the previous monthly meeting of the Town Council; a book which was called 'A Record of the Incorporation of Wallsend', a sketch of the buildings; a book of the abstract of the accounts of the Council; a specimen of the Seal of the Council; the names of the contractors and architects and the principle conditions of the lease of the land, together with copies of daily newspapers for that date.
The total cost of the buildings and fittings of the new Town Hall, which was opened on Wednesday 16th September 1908, was £15,557.12s.11d and the rent of the land per year was £75.12s.10d. Officiating at the Opening was Alderman G A Allan, chairman of the Municipal Buildings Committee. The public bracket clock was a gift from William Boyd and was set going by Sylvia, the daughter of the Mayor, Councillor Stephenson.
The new Municipal Buildings (as they were referred to, rather than Town Hall) were designed in a classical renaissance style with a two storey frontage. Originally the Municipal Offices fronted the High Street and the Police Court and Fire Station fronted Lawson Street.
The Chamber has nine stained glass windows, each of which has two heraldic shields of local associations and interest. All of the designs are connected in some way with the old authority of Wallsend.
- One is for William Boyd (first Mayor of the borough) and Lord Grey (Lord Lieutenant of the county when Wallsend was Incorporated).
- Two is for Northumberland (The Duke of Northumberland was Lord Lieutenant when the buildings were opened) and Newcastle Bishopric (patrons of the church 'livings' at Wallsend).
- Three is Wallsend (the Arms of the Mayor, Aldermen and burgesses of the town) and Northumberland County (of which Wallsend was part).
- Four is Tynemouth (Wallsend was part of the Tynemouth Poor Law Union) and the Durham Bishopric (formerly patrons of the church ' livings' at Wallsend).
- Five is a representation of the 'Mask' of the river god, Tyne. This was copied from the carving on the front of Somerset House in London which has eight carved 'Masks' representing eight rivers in England including the Tyne. The river Gods were designed by Sir William Chambers and carved by Carlini around 1785. On top of the head of the Tyne God is a basket of coal on fire. His hair is entwined with fish, picks, shovels and grain. On the other part of this window is a sailing boat. All connected with industries of the Borough.
- Six has a picture of the Gas or 'C' pit and a duplicate of the Tyne god.
- Seven is St Andrew and Scotland.
- Eight is St George and England.
- Nine is St Patrick and Ireland.
The Council Chamber remains in its original place in the Town Hall, and is panelled in oak. There is provision for the Councillors to conduct Council business, space for members of the media and seating for members of the public.
Town Hall is no longer large enough to accommodate all the functions of the Council, however, the new reception area has a fully integrated system so that any enquiries can be dealt with swiftly. The switchboard can connect enquirers to any department.
Mayors/Chairman
Mayors of Tynemouth, 1849-1973
1849-50 William Linskill
1851 Alexander Bartleman
1852 Solomon Mease
1853 Matthew Popplewell
1854 John Walker Mayson
1855 William Linskill
1856 William Walker
1857 Robert Pow
1858-9 Edward Potter
1860 Solomon Mease
1861 John Foster Spence
1862 John Fawcus
1863 Joseph Spence
1864 George Jobling
1865 Joseph Green
1866 John Hedley
1867-8 Edward Shotton
1869 Joseph Spence
1870 George Bell
1871-2 Charles Alexander Adamson
1873 Robert Watson Surtees
1874 Henry Edward Pyle Adamson
1875 William Aubone Potter
1876 Joseph Green
1877 Edward Shotton
1878-9 Charles Tully
1880 Joseph Baker
1881 John Spence
1882-3 John Hedley
1884 Robert Morrison Tate
1885-6 Joseph Elliot
1887 George Dodds
1888-9 Ralph Collins
1890 Augustus Whitehorn
1891-3 John Foster Spence
1894-5 George Armstrong
1896 Thomas Thompson Bolton
1897-8 Richard Irwin
1899 Jonathan Eskdale
1900-1 Jacob Daglish
1902 James Dunsmure Gillespie
1903-6 John Philip Spencer
1906-7 Benjamin Hewitt
1907-8 John Coull
1908-9 William Hardie
1909-10 Thomas Coulson
1910-11 George Dodds Gascoigne
1911-12 Issac Black
1912-13 George Dodds Gascoigne
1913-18 Henry Gregg
1918-20 William Hutchinson
1920-21 Herbert Coats
1921-22 Alexander Mitchel
1922-23 John Frater
1923-24 James William Munby
1924-25 Alfred Ernest Hill
1925-26 Richard Irvin
1926-27 Alfred Ernest Hil
1927-28 George Dodds Gascoigne
1928-30 Dame Maud Burnett
1930-31 James Robinson
1931-32 John George Telford
1932-33 John William Fitzhugh
1934-35 Hastie Duff Burton
1935-36 Adam Latimer Armstrong
1936-37 Arthur Norman Park
1937-38 Robert Ernest Jackson
1938-39 Harry Gee
1939-40 Robert Thomas Smith
1940-41 Robert Arkley Anderson
1941-42 Joseph Mayo
1942-43 George Cuthbert Murray
1943-44 John William Hogg
1944-45 Timothy Duff
1945-46 John Lisle
1946-47 Frances James Mavin
1947-49 William Rifle Forster
1949-50 Richard Irvin
1950-51 James Miller
1951-52 Thomas Angus Mothails
1952-53 Thomas Welch Crawshaw
1953-54 William Little
1954-55 Ada Southworth
1955-56 John Robert Watson
1956-57 Leonard George Dolby
1957-58 Alexander Richard Vella
1958-59 Sarah Ann Ballard
1959-60 Joseph Patrick Hearn
1960-61 George William Lisle
1961-62 John Smith
1962-63 George M M Bilclough
1963-64 James Coe
1964-65 John William Spence
1965-66 Samule Bountiff Spence
1966-67 Robert Stephenson Meadows
1967-68 Anthony Strong Sylph
1968-69 Lawrence James Goveas
1969-70 Albert Alan Chambers
1970-71 Timothy Duff
1971-72 Albert Alan Chambers
1972-73 Harold Sowerby
1973-74 Dr John Charles Knox
Mayors of Wallsend, 1901-1974
1901-2 William Boyd
1902-3 G B Hunter
1903-4 G A Allan
1904-5 S T Harrison
1905-7 M Murray
1907-8 C Stephenson
1908-9 R I Dees
1909-10 Joseph Duffy
1910 James Allen
1910-12 M W Swinburne
1912 James Allen
1912-13 George Elliott
1913-14 John O'Hanlon
1914-15 J G McIlvenna
1915-19 W H Thompson
1919-20 B Swan
1920 George Elliott
1920-21 W Forrest
1921-22 Joseph Mullen
1922-23 G M Fitzsimmons
1923-26 J T Watson
1926-29 John Mason
1929-31 Hugh Duffy
1931-33 W North
1933-34 P J McArdle
1934-35 R B H Webster
1935-37 J W Chicken
1937-39 J Paton
1939-41 J Mason
1941-42 T Black
1942-43 T H Malia
1943-44 A McFarlane
1944 T G Allan
1944-45 Hannah Ryan
1945-46 Annie Wallace
1946-49 P J McArdle
1949-50 Annie Wallace
1950-51 C L Palmer
1951-52 J A McFayden
1952-53 A Sutherland
1953-54 R A Lowdon
1954-55 T Connell
1955-56 J S Wylie
1956-57 P Chute
1957-58 Janet Richardson
1958-59 Dinah Sowerby
1959-60 J G Grogan
1960-61 W Rickleton
1961-62 J H Branch
1962-63 T H Malia
1963-64 E M A Brown
1964-65 J P Dixon
1965-66 F Lavery
1966-67 R Fleming
1967-68 W Hopper
1968-69 J W Hall
1969-70 W Savory
1970-71 E Haliburton
1971-73 E Hart
1973-74 W Graham
Mayors of Whitley Bay, 1954-1974
1954-6 Malcolm Mackenzie Snowball
1956-7 Mrs Agnes Wake
1958-9 Alfred Ernest Walton
1959-60 Roger Mason Charlton
1960-1 Mrs Grace Frost Waggott
1961-2 William Edward Cox
1962-3 John Thomas Vickers
1963-4 Cecil Frank Michaels
1964-5 John Cornelius Toft
1965-6 Mary Allan
1966-7 John Henry Baglee
1967-8 Mrs Florence May Laws
1968-9 Oliver Wilson Rawes
1969-70 Norman Woolford
1970-1 Jack Buston Brown
1971-2 Harry Sprake Botham
1972-3 Mrs Sylvia Margaret Murray
1973-4 Mrs Sylvia Margaret Murray
Mayors of North Tyneside, 1974-2002
1974-75 G J Adam
1975-76 H A Rutherford
1976-77 W F Fawcett
1977-78 M A Riley
1978-79 J P Dixon
1979-80 T H Healy
1980-81 D B Hogg
1981-82 R J Oliver
1982-83 Mrs D T Warner
1983-84 G R Anderson
1984-85 S Ingles
1985-86 T H Bryson
1986-87 F J Mavin
1987-88 E F Dalziel
1988-89 N Hunter
1989-90 Mrs E M Bennett
1990-91 M Alderson
1991-92 J W Conway
1992-93 Muriel A Green
1993-94 K A Conroy
1994-95 R A Usher
1995-96 T Cruikshanks
1996-97 B Scofield
1997-98 E Darke
1998-99 A Richardson
1999-00 M Mulgrove
2000-01 D Charlton
2001-02 C Gambling
Chairman of North Tyneside, From 2002
2002-04 J L Carter
2004-05 L J Goveas
2005-06 M Huscroft
2006-07 S Mortimer
Elected Mayors of North Tyneside, From 2002
2002-03 Mr C Morgan
2003-05 Mrs L Arkley
2005- Mr J Harrison