History of the Mayor

The badge carries the coat of arms of the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane. The design consists of the simplest form of armorial bearings: a shield of arms without crest or supporters. This was the earliest form of civic arms and is used by several ancient corporations, including Winchester, Lincoln, Canterbury, York and Durham, as well as many modern boroughs such as Fareham and Epsom and Ewell.

The shield forms a kind of heraldic map, with the two former rural districts of Basingstoke, Kingsclere and Whitchurch symbolised by two beech trees, a predominant feature of the natural landscape, set against a gold background representing agriculture.

A narrow blue wave in the form of a chevron suggests the River Test, the Bourne, the Loddon and other local rivers flowing through the district. Below the chevron is St Michael and the dragon, featured in the ancient seal of the former Borough of Basingstoke and historically used instead of a coat of arms.

In recent versions, the figure is shown carrying a staff in his left hand topped with the distinctive St Michael’s Cross with rounded ends, as depicted in the ancient seal. This cross can still be seen prominently displayed in St Michael’s Church, Basingstoke.

The mayoral robes, edged with synthetic fur, are reserved for ceremonial occasions such as the Annual Meeting of the Council, Mayor Making, Remembrance Day, Civic Sunday and Freedom of the Borough ceremonies.
Whenever the robes are worn, the Macebearer must also be in attendance.

In 1978, Basingstoke District Council successfully petitioned the Queen to grant borough status, leading to the formation of the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane.

The Mayor’s Chain and Badge was purchased through donations from local companies (listed below) and formally presented in 1979. The chain, made from gold links, was crafted by Thomas Fattorini of Birmingham, renowned makers of civic regalia and insignia.

This is a more recent acquisition and is gold-plated. The design replicates the Mayor’s previous chain of office which, after 1979, was worn by the Mayoress. Over time, the original chain became too delicate for regular ceremonial use and a replacement was commissioned from Thomas Fattorini.

The design features the Hampshire rose linked by gold chains.

At the conclusion of the mayoral year, the outgoing Mayor and Mayoress are presented with a Past Mayor’s Badge and a Past Mayoress’ Badge respectively. These badges are worn on civic occasions in recognition of their year of office and service to the borough.

The use of ceremonial maces originates from the mace as a weapon of war. Today’s ceremonial maces are highly ornamental descendants of the prehistoric club or bludgeon. As the king’s serjeants-at-arms, and later the serjeants and similar officers who attended mayors, evolved from armed bodyguards into officials responsible for conveying royal orders to local authorities, the mace they carried became the visible symbol of royal authority. The Royal Arms engraved upon it reinforced this significance.

Over time, the striking end of the mace fell out of practical use while the handle became increasingly elaborate and decorative. Maces gradually came to be entirely covered in, or made from, precious metals. They therefore ceased to function as weapons and instead developed into ceremonial symbols of authority. For this reason, modern ceremonial maces are carried upside down.

Today, the absence of the mace from a council meeting would not invalidate the proceedings. However, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a Mayor could not officially be sworn into office unless the mace was present.

The mace precedes the Mayor when entering and leaving the Council Chamber and rests before the Mayor during council meetings. Once the Mayor is seated, the mace is placed horizontally in front of them, with the crown positioned to the Mayor’s right-hand side, considered the place of greater importance. Although no longer practised, St Michael’s Church still contains a holder within the civic pews where the mace was traditionally placed upright during services.

In the presence of royalty, the mace is always reversed because the authority symbolised by the Mayor’s mace becomes secondary to that of the Sovereign.

The King Charles I (Small) Mace

This mace is extremely fragile and is no longer used. It was presented to the borough by King Charles I in 1641 and is made of silver gilt.

The Queen Anne Mace

This is the mace currently used for ceremonial occasions. It was presented to the borough by Queen Anne in 1710 and is also made of silver gilt.

List of Mayors since the Town of Basingstoke first had a Mayor in 1641:

Mayors prior to 1989-90(PDF) [304 kb]