In this section
Past Mayors of Watford
Watford became an Urban District under the Local Government Act 1894 and a municipal borough by grant of a charter in 1922. The first Mayor under the charter was the Rt. Hon. George Herbert Hyde, Earl of Clarendon.
Dorothy Thornhill, Baroness Thornhill, MBE, was the first directly elected Mayor of Watford and the first female directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. She was Mayor of Watford from May 2002 until she retired from the role in May 2018, having been re-elected in May 2006, May 2010 and May 2014. She was nominated for a life peerage in August 2015.
The council also has a Chairman, who is elected annually by councillors and is the civic head of the council.
Past Mayors of Watford 1922 -2003:
- 1922-23 Rt. Hon. George Herbert Hyde, Earl of Clarendon
- 1923-25 Alderman Ralph Alfred Thorpe
- 1925-26 Alderman Henry Belcher Watkins
- 1926-27 Alderman Thomas Rubython Clark
- 1927-28 Alderman Thomas Rushton
- 1928-29 Alderman Francis Joseph Bache Hemming
- 1929-30 (April) Councillor Amelia Florence Broad
- 1930 (April to Nov.) Alderman Francis Joseph Bache Hemming
- 1930-31 Alderman Frederick William Jeffs
- 1931-32 Alderman William Bickerton
- 1932-33 Councillor Joseph Evans
- 1933-34 Councillor Charles Edward Griffin
- 1934-35 Alderman Henry Jules Bridger
- 1935-36 Councillor Ernest Charles Last
- 1936-37 Alderman Henry Coates
- 1937-38 Councillor Thomas Rigby Taylor
- 1938-39 Councillor Harry Horwood
- 1939-40 Alderman Lewin Halsey Andrews
- 1940-41 Councillor Ernest James Baxter
- 1941-42 Councillor Wilfred Harry Price
- 1942-43 Alderman Thomas Herbert Simmons
- 1943-44 Councillor Martha Ann Ward
- 1944 (Nov.) Alderman Herbert Waterman Beall
- 1944 (Dec.)-1945 Councillor Emily Gertrude Beall
- 1945-46 Councillor James Wright
- 1946-47 Councillor Ransley William North
- 1947-49 (May) Alderman Henry Coates
- 1949-50 Councillor Frederic Harold Vince
- 1950-51 Alderman Mary Edith Bridger
- 1951-52 Councillor L E Haines
- 1952-53 Alderman L C Johnson
- 1953-54 Alderman A G Dillingham
- 1954-55 Alderman J Davis
- 1955-56 Alderman E C Amey
- 1956-57 Councillor A Abbott
- 1957-58 Alderman H Horwood
- 1958-59 Councillor R W Gamble
- 1959-60 Alderman T F Harris
- 1960-61 Alderman E H Harrowell
- 1961-62 Alderman J R Hicks
- 1962-63 Alderman H W Lodder
- 1963-64 Alderman G W Knox
- 1964-65 Alderman A Reynolds
- 1965-66 Councillor L C Wright
- 1966-67 Alderman F Mackenzie
- 1967-68 Councillor Miss D M Scawen
- 1968-69 Alderman A L Merrifield
- 1969-70 Alderman J S Oliver
- 1970-71 Councillor R W Jackson
- 1971-72 Alderman Mrs. Mary Dodd
- 1972-73 Alderman R J Caton
- 1973-74 Councillor R S Horner
- 1974-75 Councillor W G Everett
- 1975-76 Councillor W T H Price
- 1976-77 Councillor D J Coleshill
- 1977-78 Councillor A W Bonney
- 1978-79 Councillor S Deakin
- 1979-80 Councillor N Tyrwhitt
- 1980-81 Councillor G Reynolds
- 1981-83 Councillor E C Amey OBE
- 1983-84 Councillor G R Greenstreet
- 1984-85 Councillor Mrs. M I Hughes
- 1985-86 Councillor Mrs. I Tunstall Dunn
- 1986-87 Councillor P Harrison
- 1987-88 Councillor L T Hughes
- 1988-89 Councillor P A Allen
- 1989-90 Councillor J M Watts
- 1990-91 Councillor V Conlon
- 1991-92 Councillor M Singh Chhina
- 1992-93 Councillor P Kiely
- 1993-94 Councillor J Horsfield
- 1994-95 Councillor M Green
- 1995-96 Councillor N Tyrwhitt
- 1996-97 Councillor P Harrison
- 1997-98 Councillor S P Rosser
- 1998-99 Councillor D Thornhill
- 1999-00 Councillor R Bell
- 2000-01 Councillor I Brown
- 2001-02 Councillor S Tuckwood
- 2002-03 Councillor Mrs S Jones
- (2003 -to present date, designated 'Chairman')
