Did someone in your family hold the office of mayor or sheriff of London? Did someone with your surname hold office? Find out with the help of a database from the University of Toronto, hardly a likely source for information on those officials who governed the city from medieval times to the present day.
The mayor (later Lord Mayor of London) was the city’s chief magistrate, while the sheriffs were responsible for collecting taxes, enforcing the law and attending the courts. The mayors and sheriffs also had jurisdiction over the neighbouring county of Middlesex until 1889. They were elected by the liverymen of the city livery companies.
The earliest record of a mayor of London dates back to 1189, when Henry Fitz-Ailwin was appointed by King Richard I. The first sheriffs of London were Henry de Cornhill and Richard Fitz-Reyner, who were elected in 1188.
Find out more about the mayors and sheriffs of London by searching the database at https://masl.library.utoronto.ca/search by surname. It includes their names, years of office and companies or occupations from 1190 to the present. A person may have filled both mayor and sheriff roles at different times. For more recent entries click on the name for further sources.