Basildon History Online - List of Council Chairman 1934-2010

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Billericay and Basildon Council Chairman 1934-2010

This list contains all the councillors that have held the post of Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the council (in its various names) from 3rd April 1934* to 25th October 2010. From 26th October 2010, when the district became a borough, the post of chairman was replaced with that of mayor.

Chain of Office

At a council Finance Committee meeting held in September 1951 councillor George Radford, representing Ward 6 (Burstead/Laindon), put forward a suggestion that the chairman should wear a chain of office at civic functions. It was believed that Billericay were the only council in Essex not to have adopted a chain of office for its chairman. At a later council meeting it was agreed to adopt the idea but that the cost, which was estimated to be between £100 to £150, should not be at the rate payers' expence.

On 27th May, 1952 before a council meeting the chairman of Essex County Council Alderman William Bennett, J.P., making his first public appearance, presented the chain of office to the Urban District's chairman George French by placing it around his neck with the words: "On behalf of the inhabitants of Billericay who have subscribed for this handsome badge, I would ask you to receive it and to wear it with the dignity that one expects from a civic leader." See notes.

Billericay Urban District Council
Year	Chairman	Vice-Chairman
1934/35	Bebington H.E. (Harry) (Conservative)	Land M. (Matthew) (Conservative)
1935/36	Bebington H.E. (Harry) (Conservative)	Fisher P.W. (Percy) (Conservative)
1936/37	Land M. (Matthew) (Conservative)	Dovey F.J.H. (Frederick) (Conservative)
1937/38	Land M. (Matthew) (Conservative)	Ford J.H. (John) (Conservative)
1938/39	Ford J.H. (John) (Conservative)	Trickett C.W. (Charles) (Conservative)
1939/40	Ford J.H. (John) (Conservative)	Harvey H. (Herbert) (Conservative)
1940/41	Ford J.H. (John) (Conservative)	Harvey H. (Herbert) (Conservative)
1941/42	Harvey H. (Herbert) (Conservative)	Kaye A. (Albert) (Labour)
1942/43	Harvey H. (Herbert) (Conservative)	Kaye A. (Albert) (Labour)
1943/44	Harvey H. (Herbert) (Conservative)	Ford J.H. (John) (Conservative)
1944/45	Harvey H. (Herbert) (Conservative)	Ford J.H. (John) (Conservative)
1945/46	Harvey H. (Herbert) (Conservative)	Ford J.H. (John) (Conservative)
1946/47	Kaye A. (Albert) (Labour)	Toomey J. (Joseph) (Conservative)
1947/48	Friend J.G.J. (James) (Conservative)	Eburne A.J. (Albert) (Conservative)
1948/49	Thorn D.G. (Donald) (Conservative)	Harvey H. (Herbert) (Conservative)
1949/50	Thorn D.G. (Donald) (Conservative)	Harvey H. (Herbert) (Conservative) (to June 1949) Smith S. (Sidney) (Conservative) (from 26th July 1949)
1950/51	Thorn D.G. (Donald) (Conservative)	French G.R. (George) (Conservative)
1951/52	Thorn D.G. (Donald) (Conservative) (to July 1951) French G.R. (George) (Conservative) (from July 1951)	French G.R. (George) (Conservative) (to July 1951) Smith S. (Sidney) (Conservative) (from July 1951)
1952/53	French G.R. (George) (Conservative) (E: 20/05/1952)	Burgess H.G. (Harold) (Conservative)
1953/54	Tanswell H.E. (Harry) (Labour)	Kiddell W.W. (Bill) (Labour)
1954/55	Tanswell H.E. (Harry) (Labour)	Kiddell W.W. (Bill) (Labour)
Basildon Urban District Council
1955/56	Edwards B.E. (Brian) (Conservative)	Davies W.H. (Bill) (Conservative)
1956/57	Edwards B.E. (Brian) (Conservative) (E: 22/05/1956)	Tanswell H.E. (Harry) (Labour)
1957/58	Marchant E.A. (Ted) (Labour) (E: 25/05/1957)	Tanswell H.E. (Harry) (Labour)
1958/59	Tanswell H.E. (Harry) (Labour) (E: 22/05/1958)	Saunders P.S. (Percy) J.P. (Labour)
1959/60	Davies W.H. (Bill) J.P. (Conservative) (E: 21/05/1959)	Gadsdon Mrs. C.J. (Christina) (Conservative)
1960/61	Davies W.H. (Bill) J.P. (Conservative)	Gadsdon Mrs. C.J. (Christina) (Conservative)
1961/62	Gadsdon Mrs. C.J. (Christina) (Conservative) (E: 25/05/1961)	Phelps A.P. (Bert) (Conservative)
1962/63	Phelps A.P. (Bert) (Conservative) (E: 24/05/1962)	Pembroke H.G. (Howard) (Conservative)
1963/64	Dove A.T. (Alf) (Labour)	Saunders P.S. (Percy) J.P. (Labour)
1964/65	Saunders P.S. (Percy) J.P. (Labour)	Rice R.R. (Ron) (Labour)
1965/66	Rice R.R. (Ron) (Labour)	Sykes R.H. (Ralph) (Labour)
1966/67	Burn A. Baron (Arthur) (Conservative)	Chapman T.D. (Terry) (Conservative)
1967/68	Burn A. Baron (Arthur) (Conservative)	Chapman T.D. (Terry) (Conservative)
1968/69	Chapman T.D. (Terry) (Conservative)	Brown R.G. (Reg) (Conservative)
1969/70	Champ F.J. (Fred) M.B.E. (Conservative)	Lyon J.R. (James) (Conservative)
1970/71	Lyon J.R. (James) (Conservative)	Budgen R.J.J. (Reg) (Conservative)
1971/72	Morgan J.E. (Joe) (Labour)	Tyson K.E. (Ken) (Labour)
1972/73	Costello J. (John) (Labour)	Taylor R.F. (Roy) (Labour)
1973/74	Archibald W. (Bill) (Labour)	Austin R.J. (Ron) (Labour)
Basildon District Council
1974/75	Austin R.J. (Ron) (Labour)	Harrison D.B. (David) (Labour)
1975/76	O'Brien C. (Conservative) (Labour)	Ballard P.E. (Peter) (Labour)
1976/77	O'Brien C. (Conservative) (Labour)	Ballard P.E. (Peter) (Labour)
1977/78	Ballard P.E. (Peter) (Labour)	Lynch C.O. (Charles) (Labour)
1978/79	Austin R.J. (Ron) (Labour)	Gelder Mrs. E.C. (Eileen) (Labour)
1979/80	Jones C.L. (Cliff) (Billericay Residents Association)	Greaves A.J. (Tony) (Billericay Residents Association)
1980/81	Jones C.L. (Cliff) (Billericay Residents Association)	Wilkins H.E. (Horace) (Billericay Residents Association)
1981/82	Hooks B.C. (Brian) (Billericay Residents Association)	Wilkins H.E. (Horace) (Billericay Residents Association)
1982/83	Lynch C.O. (Charles) (Labour)	Amey J.W. (Joe) (Labour)
1983/84	Amey J.W. (Joe) (Labour)	Gelder Mrs. E.C. (Eileen) (Labour)
1984/85	Marks D.G. (David) (Labour)	Bielby J.R. (Bob) (Labour)
1985/86	Gelder Mrs. E.C. (Eileen) (Labour)	Harrison D.B. (David) (Labour)
1986/87	Harrison D.B. (David) (Labour) (defected to Liberal part term)	Fitzgibbon Mrs. R. (Rita) (Labour)
1987/88	Harrison D.B. (David) (Liberal)	Lack Mrs. K. (Kath) (Liberal)
1988/89	Tomlin F. (Frank) (Conservative)	Leask T.G. (George) (Conservative)
1989/90	Marks D.G. (David) (Labour)	Costello Mrs. M.I. (Rene) (Labour)
1990/91	Marks D.G. (David) (Labour)	Costello Mrs. M.I. (Rene) (Labour)
1991/92	Marks D.G. (David) (Labour)	Costello Mrs. M.I. (Rene) (Labour)
1992/93	Leask T.G. (George) (Conservative)	Morris D. (Don) (Conservative)
1993/94	Leask T.G. (George) (Conservative)	Morris D. (Don) (Conservative)
1994/95	Tomlin F. (Frank) (Conservative)	Lea W.A. (William) (Conservative)
1995/96	Bruce Mrs. M.A. (Ann) (Labour)	Austin R.J. (Ron) (Labour)
1996/97	Bruce Mrs. M.A. (Ann) (Labour)	Austin R.J. (Ron) (Labour)
1997/98	Bruce Mrs. M.A. (Ann) (Labour)	Gordon Mrs. L.D. (Lynda) (Labour)
1998/99	Gordon Mrs. L.D. (Lynda) (Labour) (April-May) Sears R.A. (Robert) (Labour)	Austin R.J. (Ron) (Labour) Weldon T.P. (Terence) (Labour)
1999/00	Gordon Mrs. L.D. (Lynda) (Labour)	Abrahall D.M. (David) (Labour)
2000/01	Gordon Mrs. L.D. (Lynda) (Labour)	Buckenham G. (Geoffrey) (Conservative)
2001/02	Gordon Mrs. L.D. (Lynda) (Labour)	White J.W. (Joe) (Liberal Democrat)
2002/03	White J.W. (Joe) (Liberal Democrat)	Golding D. (Dean) (Labour) Buckenham G. (Geoffrey) (Conservative) (from April 2003)
2003/04	Buckenham G. (Geoffrey) (Conservative)	Hillier Mrs. S.E. (Sandra) (Conservative)
2004/05	Hillier Mrs. S.E. (Sandra) (Conservative)	Buckenham G. (Geoffrey) (Conservative)
2005/06	Hillier Mrs. S.E. (Sandra) (Conservative)	Buckenham G. (Geoffrey) (Conservative)
2006/07	Hillier Mrs. S.E. (Sandra) (Conservative)	Buckenham G. (Geoffrey) (Conservative)
2007/08	Buckenham G. (Geoffrey) (Conservative)	Hillier Mrs. S.E. (Sandra) (Conservative)
2008/09	Tomlin F. (Frank) (Conservative)	Hillier Mrs. S.E. (Sandra) (Conservative)
2009/10	Larkin Mrs. M. (Mo) (Conservative)	Hillier Mrs. S.E. (Sandra) (Conservative)
2010/11	Larkin Mrs. M. (Mo) (Conservative)	Livesey R. (Ron) (Conservative)

Page added: 14/08/2012

Other points of interest:

1) Mr. Harry Egerton Bebington was unamiously elected as first chairman of the newly constituted Billericay Urban District Council at a meeting held on 3rd April, 1934 at the former Billericay Union Workhouse turned Billericay Public Assistance Institution building.

2) The District's symbol was adopted by Basildon District Council in December 1992. It is based on the chairman of the council's badge of office created in 1951. The design, featuring symbols to represent the four townships of the district, is as follows: Sailing ship "Mayflower" (Billericay), A scythe and cornsheaf (Wickford), St. Nicholas Church (Laindon) and Wild fowl flying over marshland (Pitsea).

3) The badge of gilt metal is enammelled and hung on a blue moire ribbon collarette. It cost £118 and was paid for by donations from councillors and members of the public including Mr. George Sibbons from Langdon Hills who made the first donation of £50.

4) In the 1960s the vice-chairman was also issued with a badge of office in the style of the original which later had the addition of the mother and child symbol, adopted by Basildon council in 1974. This badge is now worn by the deputy mayor.

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