New Stafford Mayor takes office preserving four century old tradition
By Livia Gregor 17th May 2026
Yesterday (16 May), Cllr Mark Winnington took office as Stafford's new mayor during a special ceremony at the Gatehouse Theatre.
Stafford gained its mayoral charter from James I in 1614, meaning that Cllr Winnington is stepping into a role with over four hundred years of history.
The town's first mayor was wool merchant Matthew Cradock junior who also served as Stafford's MP on four occasions.
He was known to be a stubborn individual who would go to extreme lengths to get what he wanted.
Cradock was also the owner of Caverswall Castle and commissioned the mansion house that stands on the site today.
The UK's first female mayor was Elizabeth Garrett Anderson who took office in Aldeburgh in Suffolk in 1908.
However, Stafford did not have a female mayor until Councillor Mrs E M South began her civic year in 1932, 318 years after Matthew Craddock's appointment.
Since then, Stafford has had over 90 mayors including Alderman Jack Kemp (1989-1990).
Alderman Kemp was recently granted Freedom of the Borough for his commitment to the local community.
Horace Joynes, mayor from 1938 to 1942 is another important figure in Stafford's history.
Joynes spent forty years working in the town's salt industry and as mayor guided Stafford through unprecedented times in the Second World War.
More recently, the role was taken on by Cllr Angela Loughran (2013-14) who sadly died in April.
Cllr Loughran was described by the Leader of Stafford Borough Council, Aidan Godfrey as a "friend and colleague" who "stood up for what was right".
Cllr Winnington is following in the footsteps of Cllr Jenny Barron who served as the town's mayor from 2025 to 2026.
He said: ""I am looking forward to representing the borough and promoting it as a great place to live and work.
"I was born here, I went to school here, and I live and work here – and that makes me so proud to now be the 'first citizen' of an area I really cherish.
"It will be an incredible 12 months in office and I hope to raise the profile of this borough while raising money for my chosen charities."
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