Mayor of Gillingham (Kent)
Former political position in Kent, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mayor of Gillingham was the ceremonial head of the Municipal Borough of Gillingham in Kent from 1903, when the town gained borough status, until its abolition in 1998. John Robert Featherby served as the first mayor, and the borough expanded in 1928 to include Rainham.[1] The mayoralty ended when Gillingham merged into Medway Council, with historic civic regalia preserved locally. Notable mayors included George Smith, Paul Harriott, and Harry Blease, and since 1998 the area has been represented by the Mayor of Medway.
| Mayor of Gillingham of Municipal Borough of Gillingham | |
|---|---|
| Style | The Right Worshipful |
| Status | Abolished |
| Member of | Gillingham Borough Council |
| Residence | Gillingham, Kent |
| Seat | Municipal Buildings |
| Appointer | Gillingham Borough Council |
| Term length | One municipal year |
| Formation | 17 August 1903 |
| First holder | John Robert Featherby |
| Final holder | George Smith |
| Abolished | 1 April 1998 |
| Succession | Mayor of Medway |
History
The Mayor of Gillingham was the ceremonial head of the Municipal Borough of Gillingham in Kent from its creation in 1903 until the borough’s abolition in 1998. Gillingham had been a rural district and then an urban district council from 1894, growing rapidly around Chatham Dockyard (to over 40,000 people by 1901). A Royal Charter on 17 August 1903 elevated Gillingham to municipal borough status, and John Robert Featherby – a local brick manufacturer and veteran councillor – became the first (Charter) Mayor.[2] The borough council then had full civic powers (including a mayoralty) over Gillingham and surrounding area.
Borough history and abolition
After incorporation, the borough’s boundaries were mostly unchanged, with one major enlargement in 1928.[3] In that year the neighbouring parish of Rainham (then part of Sittingbourne & Milton R.D.) was transferred into Gillingham Borough.[4] This annexation roughly doubled the borough’s area and added several thousand residents. Aside from Rainham, no significant boundary changes occurred before 1974.
Under the 1972 Local Government Act Gillingham retained its borough council (unlike nearby Rochester and Chatham) and remained an independent district within Kent. However, local government reorganisation in the 1990s led to a merger: on 1 April 1998 Gillingham Borough Council merged with Rochester-upon-Medway City Council to form the new unitary Medway Council.[5] At that point the Borough of Gillingham (and thus the office of Mayor of Gillingham) was abolished.[6]
First and last mayors
John Robert Featherby (1903) – A longtime Gillingham councillor and chairman of the old Urban District Council, Featherby “played an active part in securing the charter” and was chosen as the first Mayor when Gillingham became a borough in 1903. He was a prominent local brick manufacturer.[7] The final Mayor of Gillingham served in 1998 at the time of the merger into Medway Council. (Notably, the borough was led by George Smith – a Liberal Democrat councillor – during its last years, and he became the town’s final Mayor before abolition.)[8] With the council’s dissolution in 1998, the mayoralty of Gillingham came to an end.[9]
Civic insignia
Following the borough’s abolition, much of Gillingham’s civic regalia was preserved within Medway’s ceremonial collection. The mayoral chains, badges of office and other historic items from Gillingham (along with those from the former Rochester and Chatham boroughs) were inherited by Medway Council.[10] These objects are now held locally (for example, at the Royal Engineers Museum in Brompton) so that the historic insignia of Gillingham’s former mayors remain on display in the town.[11]
Notable past mayors
- George Smith (b.1936) – A Liberal Democrat councillor, Smith served as Mayor during the 1980s and again at the borough’s final council in 1998.[12] He was the last person to hold the title before Gillingham merged into Medway.[8] George Smith passed away in Medway Maritime Hospital in 2004.[13]
- Paul Harriott (1933–2024) – A long-serving Labour councillor, Harriott represented the Twydall area for over 50 years.[14] He served as Chairman of Housing for Gillingham[15] and was Mayor of Gillingham in 1974–75.[16] Paul Harriott died in 2024.[17]
- Harry Blease – A former Royal Navy lieutenant-commander, Blease was active in local politics through the 1970s and 1980s. He served as Mayor of Gillingham during that era, and later participated in civic campaigns such as the Dockyard Defence Committee.[18] Harry Blease died in 2009.[19]
Legacy
Since 1998 the ceremonial first-citizen of the area has been the Mayor of Medway, representing the entire Medway unitary authority (which includes the former boroughs of Gillingham, Rochester, Chatham, Strood and Rainham). The Mayor of Medway chairs full council and carries the traditional titles (e.g. Admiral of the River, Constable of the Castle) for the whole of Medway.[20] For the municipal year 2025–26, the Mayor of Medway is Councillor Trevor Clarke.[21]