The first known reference to a Mayor of Bedford in England was in 1264.
Prior to the Municipal Corporations Act, 1835, the mayor of Bedford came into office on 29 September. The first mayor of the reformed corporation came into office on 1 January 1836, and subsequent mayors on 9 November. After the Local Government Act, 1948, and the Local Government Act, 1972, the mayors from 1949 onwards came into office in May. The civic mayor was replaced by a directly elected mayor in 2002.
Since April 2009 the Borough of Bedford is a unitary authority, with the executive having the powers and functions of both a non-metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan county.
List of Mayors of Bedford Civic mayors
Source: bedsarchives +13th CenturyYearNameNotesC.1250John SlyeExact Year unknown?Simon Barschot?John Brodeye1288JohnLast Name Unknown1297John CullebereMayor 1297 and 1314 +14th CenturyYearNameNotes1312-13John Mareschall1313-14John atte Wal1314-15John CullebereMayor 1297 and 13141315-16Nicholas le Feroun1316-17Nicholas le Feroun1319-20John atte Wal1322-23Thomas Haliday1324-25Nicholas de Astwode1325-26Nicholas de Astwode1327-28Simon Cullebere1330-31Simon Cullebere1331-32Nicholas de Astwode1334-35Richard Frereman1339-40John le Marchal1341-42John le Marchal1342-43John le Marchal1343-44John le Marchal1344-45John le Marchal1346-47Walter de Perle1347-48Walter de Perle1348-49Henry Arnold1349-50John le Marchal1350-51Henry Arnold1352-53John le Marchal1354-55Henry Arnold1356-57Henry Arnold1358-59William de Kempston1360-61Henry Arnold1361-62William de Kempston1362-63William de Kempston1363-64William de Kempston1365-66William de Kempston1367-68John Bosom1369-70John Bosom1372-73Richard Frereman1374-75Richard Frereman1379-80Richard Frereman1380-81Thomas Jourdon1381-82Thomas Jourdon1384-85Thomas Jourdon1385-86Thomas Jourdon1388-89Thomas Jourdon1389-90John Howden1390-91Thomas Jourdon1392-93William BrownMP for Bedford, 13971393-94Thomas Jourdon1398-99Roger Tunstal +15th CenturyYearNameNotes1400-01Thomas Jourdon1401-02Thomas Jourdon1402-03Thomas Jourdon1404-05William Coterstok1406-07Roger Tunstale1407-08Roger Tunstale1408-09William Goderstoke1409-10William Cothristoke1411-12John Tunstal1412-13John Tunstal1413-14John Tunstal1414-15John KentMP for Bedford, 14061416-17John KentMP for Bedford, 14061418-19William Douve1422-23William Douve1423-24William Douve1425-26Thomas Kempston1426-27Thomas Kempston1428-29Thomas Bull1429-30John FrepursMP for Bedford, 1417 and 14271432-33Thomas HuntMP for Bedford, 14201433-34Thomas Hunte1435-36Robert Wasselyn1437-38John FrepursMP for Bedford, 1417 and 14271438-39William Hunte1440-41Thomas Kempston1441-42Robert Plomer1443-44Wiilliam Bette1444-45John FrepursMP for Bedford, 1417 and 14271445-46John FrepursMP for Bedford, 1417 and 14271446-47Thomas Kempston1447-48Thomas Kempston1448-49Roger Yve1449-50Roger Yve1450-51Thomas Bole1453-54John Arthur1454-55John Spery1455-56John Spery1456-57John Arthur1457John Spery1457-58Thomas Kempston1460-61William Brytevyle1461-62John Spery1462-63William Brytevyle1466-67William Cornnoeur1467-68Walter Stotfold1469-70Robert Rotur1470-71William Chicheley1471-72Walter Stotfold1472-73Walter Stotfold1475-76William Chicheley1476-77Roger Sperling1477-78John Chapman1478-79John Gowlde1479-80Philip Dyer1480-81William Paryse1484-85Thomas Hanchiche1486-87John Goold1487-88William Fitzhugh1490-91John Goold1495-96John Alwey1496-97Thomas May +16th CenturyYearNameNotes1504-05Simon West1506-07Robert Cokko1507-08William Payne1508-09Alexander Crowle1509-10Robert Smyth1510-11Simon West1511-12Thomas Heche1512-13Thomas Knyght1513-14Richard Halam1514-15Simon West1519-20John PatemanButcher1520-21Thomas Vinter1521-22Richard Halam1522-23John Albony1527-28Thomas Rowthe1528-29John BakerMP for Bedford, 15291529-30Thomas West1534-35Giles Lawrance1535-36Thomas Smyth1537-38John Baker1538-39William Borme1541-42William Forde1542-43Peter Carre1543-44Thomas Russell1544-45Henry Albony1545-46John Ward1546-47John Williams Alias 'Scotte'1547-48William HallMP for Bedford, 15541548-49Henry Fitzhugh1549-50John Williams1551-52John Williams1553-54William Forde1554-55William HallMP for Bedford, 15541556-57Thomas Leighe1557-58Thomas Dyve1558-59William Bull1559-60Richard Lawrence1560-61Humphrey Lawrence1562-63Henry Lawrence1563-64Simon Beckett1564-65Alexander Hunt1565-66Robert Paradyne1566-67Henry Lawrence1573-74Henry Lawrence1574-75Alexander Hunt1575-76Thomas Hawes1576-77Simon Beckett1577-78John Mighton1578-79Robert Waller1580-81Henry Lawrence1581-82Alexander Hunte1583-84John Mighton1584-85Thomas Hawes Sr.1585-86Robert Waller1586-87Thomas Abbys1587-88Thomas Hawes Jr.1588-89Alexander Hunte1589-90Richard Bell1590-91Thomas Abbys1591-92Thomas Hawes Sr.1592-93Samuel Christye1593-94William Wilson1594-95Robert Waller1595-96William Negus1596-97Thomas Hawes Jr.1597-98Thomas Abbys1598-99John Stanton1599-00Simon Beckett +17th CenturyYearNameNotes1600-01William Negus1601-02Thomas Hawes Jr.1602-03Thomas Hawes Jr.1603-04Robert Lawrence1604-05Thomas Abbys1605-06Robert Hawes1606-07Simon Beckett Sr.1607-08James Payley1608-09Jasper Chrystie1609-10Thomas Hawes Jr.1610-11Thomas Hawes Jr.1611-12Peter Bamford1612-13William Abbys1613-14Thomas Paradine1614-15Simon Beckett1615-16John Goodhall1616-17Jacob Lawrence1617-18William Waller1618-19Thomas Hawes Jr.1619-20William Abbys1620-21Robert Hawes1621-22Robert Bamforth1622-23Peter Bamforth1623-24Thomas Spencer1624-25William Faldoe1625-26William Waller1626-27William Abbys1627-28Steven Luxford1628-29John Spencer1629-30Robert Bamforth1630-31Thomas Waller1631-32William Waller1632-33Thomas Paradine1633-34Thomas Hawes1634-35William Abbys1635-36Francis Bannester1636-37John Whitaker1637-38John Spencer1638-39Robert Hawes1639-40John Eston1640-41Thomas Hawes1641-42Robert Bamforth1642-43Robert Bell1643-44William Paley1644-45Simon Beckett Sr.1645-46Francis Bannester1646-47John Grew1647-48John Hancock1648-49John Faldo1649-50Henry Fitzhugh1650-51John Eston1651-52Robert Bell1652-53William Faldo Sr.1653-54Thomas Spencer1654-55John Crawley1655-56Simon Beckett Sr.Removed from office1656Robert Fitzhugh1656John EstonMade Mayor: 19 March1656John GrewMade Mayor: 21 March1657-58Richard Mightnall1658-59John Hancock1659-60John Eston1660-61Robert Bell1661-62Simon Becket1662-63William Riseley1663-64John Crawley1664-65William Faldo Sr.Died in office1665John White1665-66John Crawley1666-67William Faldo Jr.1667-68Francis Becket1668-69Thomas Underwood1669-70William Faldo Jr.1670-71William Lane1671-72Richard Mightnall1672-73Thomas Paley1673-74John Crawley1674-75John White1675-76William Becket1676-77Ralph Smith1677-78Simon Beckett Sr.1678-79William FennDied in office1679Robert FitzhughMade Mayor: 24 August1679-80William Bamforth1680-81Anthony Bolton1681-82Paul Bamforth1682-83John Paradine1683-84Paul Cobb Sr.1684-85Paul Cobb Sr.Died in office1685-86William Faldo Sr.1686-87Francis Becket1687-88Thomas Underwood1688Paul CobbMade Mayor: 17 October, Attorney of Bedford Court 1658, Clerk of the Peace of the County1688Thomas UnderwoodMade Mayor: 29 October1688-89William Isaack1689-90William BecketMade Mayor: 8 March1690-91John Eston1691-92Thomas Battison1692-93Ralph Smith1693-94John Pawlin1694-95John Peck1695-96Richard Chichely1696-97George Maddy1697-98William Faldo1698-99John Deare1699-00John Kidd +18th CenturyYearNameNotes1700-01Thomas Wilkes1701-02Thomas Battison1702-03George Wagsuffe1703-04Henry White1704-05John Peck1705-06John FennDied in office1706Francis Walker1706-07Thomas UnderwoodMade Mayor: 24 January1707-08Thomas Day1708-09Philip Negus1709-10Robert Crawley1710John Hornbuckle1710-11Thomas UnderwoodMade Mayor: 24 April1711-12William Faldo1712-13Richard Willis1713-14George Maddey1714-15John KiddDied in office1715Alexander Read1715-16Thomas BattisonMade Mayor: 8 February1716-17David Ovray1717-18George Hawkins1718-19William Staines1719-20Francis Okeley1720-21Thomas Wilkes1721-22John Pulley1722-23Thomas Battison Jr.1723-24Henry Fleming1724-25Thomas Day1725-26William Bromsall1726-27William Lake Sr.1727-28John Bardolph1728-29David Ovray1729-30George Hawkins1730-31William Staines1731-32Thomas Cave1732–33Thomas Hawes1733–34Peter Haslewood1734–35Francis Walker1735–36Robert Battison1736–37Thomas Edwards1737–38Thomas Maddey1738–39Gidney Phillips1739–40John Grey1740–41Samuel Richardson1741–42Robert Battison1742–43Isaac Hayes1743–44John Hornbuckle1744–45John Russell1745–46John Webb1746–47John Hill1747–48William Webb1748–49Samuel Richardson1749–50James Bailey1750–51Gidney Phillips1751–52James Chamberlain1752–53Thomas Cave1753–54William Palmer1754–55Robert RichardsDied in office1755Gidney PhillipsMade Mayor: 21 August1755–56Richard Gave1756–57William Parker Sr.1757–58John Howard1758–59Richard Cave1759–60John Hill1760–61Samuel Richardson1761–62William Webb1762–63William Parker Jr.1763–64John Cave1764–65James Chamberlain1765–66Thomas Knight1766–67John Howard1767–68Gidney Phillips1768–69John Heaven1769–70John Cawne1770–71Richard Cave1771–72William Parker Sr.1772–73Edward Chapman1773–74Gidney Phillips1774John CawneDied in office1774–75Gidney PhillipsMade Mayor: 22 November1775–76John Parker1776–77Anthony Barton1777–78Gidney Phillips1778–79John Palmer1779–80William Parker Jr.1780–81Anthony Barton1781–82Thomas Howard1782–83William Pateman1783–84John Pheasant1784–85John Cave1785–86William Palmer1786–87Thomas Partridge1787–88William Smith1788–89William Parker1789–90William Smith1790–91Thomas Clayton1791–92Thomas Small1792–93William Parker1793–94John Wing1794–95Thomas Cockman1795–96Peregrine Nash1796–97John Day1797–98John Cooke1798–99Charles Webb1799–00Edward Chapman