List of chairmen of the London County Council

This is a list of persons who held the offices of chairman, vice chairman and deputy chairman of the London County Council. All three offices existed from 1889 to 1965.

Background
The chairmanship and vice chairmanship were statutory offices created by the Local Government Act 1888. Both of these positions were generally filled by members of the majority party. The chairman chaired meetings of the council, and was the county's civic leader, filling a similar role to the mayor of a borough or city. The vice chairman performed these functions in his or her absence.

As part of the celebrations of the silver jubilee of George V in 1935 it was announced that the chairman would in future be entitled to use the style "right honourable", an honour already enjoyed by the Lord Mayor of London.

The council's standing orders also provided for the post of deputy chairman. This was initially a salaried position created to supervise the administration of the local authority. In 1894 the Royal Commission on the Amalgamation of the City and County of London strongly recommended that a clerk be appointed, independent of the parties on the council, as was the practice in municipal boroughs.London Amalgamation - The Commissioners' Report, The Times, 1 October 1894, pp.13-14 A county clerk was duly appointed in 1895, and the deputy chairmanship became ceremonial. The office was filled by nominees of the opposition party on the council.

On 1 April 1965 the London County Council was abolished, with its successor authority being the Greater London Council.

Regalia
The chairman had no badge of office until 1927. In 1909 the council had decided that no badge or device should be worn by the chairman. By 1926 the number of formal occasions attended by the chairman had increased, and it was felt that he was at a distinct disadvantage due to not having a distinguishing mark to indicate his office. In 1927 Major Lewis-Barned, councillor for South Paddington, agreed to cover the cost of a badge. The badge was made by an instructor at the Central School of Arts and Crafts and featured the council's coat of arms within an oval of London Pride. The badge was worn on a ribbon in a distinctive barry wavy argent and azure pattern derived from the arms. In 1950 similar, but smaller, badges were acquired for the use of the vice and deputy chairmen.

1889 – 1899

 * Note (a): The Earl of Rosebery resigned, and the vice chairman, Sir John Lubbock was elected in his place in July 1890. The vice chairmanship then became vacant, being eventually filled by Sir Thomas Farrer.
 * Note (b): The three office holders all made clear their intention to resign at the end of October 1891. However, following unanimous representations from the members of the council, all agreed to continue until the next elections in March 1892. Therefore no elections to the offices were made in 1891.
 * Note (c): Rosebery resigned as chairman in the Summer of 1892, becoming Foreign Secretary in the Fourth Gladstone Ministry. Hutton was elected chairman and Harrison replaced him as Vice Chairman.
 * Note (d): Knighted in 1894.

1899 – 1909

 * Note (e): Knighted on 24 October 1902. The award was part of the coronation honours of Edward VII, and was announced on 26 June 1902.

1909 – 1919

 * Note (f): Knighted on 9 March 1912 "on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the new London County Hall"
 * Note (g): Jackson resigned from the post of vice chairman in January 1912 on becoming leader of the Municipal Reform Party, and Swinton was elected in his place.
 * Note (h): Swinton was elected at the statutory meeting of the council on 12 March, and accepted office, but informed the council that he would only be holding the office for a few weeks, as he was leaving for India. Lord Cheylesmore was elected to the chair in his place on 2 April 1912.
 * Note (i): In 1917 the two parties on the council agreed a power-sharing deal for the duration of the war, and jointly nominated the Marquess of Crewe, who was Lord Lieutenant of the County of London to be non-partisan chairman.

1919 – 1929

 * Note (j): Simmons was knighted at the end of his term of office in 1922.
 * Note (k): Warburg was knighted on 5 February 1926
 * Note (l): Levita was knighted in 1929

1929 – 1939

 * Note (m): Knighted on 24 February 1931
 * Note (n): Lord Snell was brought in from outside the council on the Labour Party taking power for the first time in 1934.

1939 – 1949

 * Note (p): Baker died 2 April 1943. Coppock was elected chairman on 18 May 1943.
 * Note (q): Combes died 26 September 1948. Powe was elected in his place on 5 October 1948.

1949 – 1959

 * Note r: Middleton was knighted on 6 July 1953 when Queen Elizabeth II visited County Hall as part of the coronation celebrations. He died on 19 October 1953. On 2 November 1953 Bolton was elected chairman in his place, and her place as vice chairman was filled by Banfield.

1959 – 1965
Note (s): Stamp resigned unexpectedly on 5 October 1963 when he came under investigation by the Director of Public Prosecutions. On 11 October 1963 Wicks was elected chairman in his place, and his place as vice chairman was filled by Stillman. Stamp was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing in December 1963.