Lord Mayors: Looking Forward and Back

At a ceremony attended by the Master last week, the next Lord Mayor of the City of London was elected. Alderman William Russell will be installed as Lord Mayor at a silent ceremony at the beginning of November, taking over from the current incumbent, Peter Estlin.

William Russell is an Alderman of the City of London where he represents the Ward of Bread Street. He served as Sheriff of the City of London in 2016-17. William has over thirty years’ experience in the financial and business City including holding senior positions in the national and international Banking sector. William was on the Board of Innovate Finance, the industry body for the UK based Fintech community. He is also an educational entrepreneur, serving as past Chair and co-Founder of Knightsbridge School. He has served as Chair of the Development Board of the Royal Court Theatre, he is a Board Member of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and is on the Council of the Royal Theatrical Support Trust. He is immediate past Chair of Prostate Cancer UK and is currently Deputy Chair of Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity.

The Lord Mayor must be a Liveryman of one of the livery companies of the City of London. William Russell is both a Haberdasher and a Feltmaker, as well as an Honorary Liveryman of the Paviors' Company, though the Lord Mayor will usually be supported by one "mother company" during their year. So, while we look forward to welcoming the new Lord Mayor, we are also looking back 220 years, to 1799 when the last Brewers' Company Lord Mayor was in post. Harvey Christian Combe MP (1752-1818) was Lord Mayor inand was Master of the Brewers' Company in 1804-05. Combe was also a Liveryman of the Fishmongers' Company, but the Brewers' Company was his "mother company" for his year as Lord Mayor.