History
The office of Mayor was brought to this country by the Normans in the 11th century and the word “Mayor” derives from the latin word “Magnus” meaning great.
The Mayor has always been acknowledged as the “First Citizen” with a council to assist him in his duties. Originally the post was always held by a man. The Mayor was seen as “Custodian of the Peace” presiding over civil and criminal courts. Examples of mayoral power in Tudor times include :
- The power to arrest those disturbing the peace and carrying offensive weapons
- Power to regulate the size of loaves of bread
- Powers to search premises suspected of unlawful gaming
- The power to compel person to go into service and to deal with matters relating to servants and apprentices
- The power to deal with dyers suspected of using logwood in dyeing
However, times have changed. Today, the Town Mayor has three main important roles roles as a:
- symbol of authority – the wearing of the civic insignia
- symbol of an open society – these days, the First citizen can (and does) come from any class, gender or ethnic background
- expression of local social cohesion – creating a link between the council and the many local community / social / educational and business organisations
Each year the Farnham Town Councillors select a Town Mayor and since the formation of Farnham Town Council in 1984, there have been 21 different Mayors. For a list of Past Mayor's, visit the Past Mayor's page.
