Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday 8.30am - 1.00pm
and 2.00 - 4.30pm
Tel: 01626 201120
Fax: 01626 201119
Click here to email us »
Newton Abbot's Mayor
Each May the Town Council elects one of its Councillors as Mayor for a 12 month period. Our current Mayor is Councillor David Corney-Walker.
David was born in Penzance but spent much of his working life in London. After many attempts to rejoin his family in the South West success came just ten years ago with a transfer to an Exeter office and a move to Kingskerswell.
David studied Chemistry and Crystallography and became a lecturer in science holding posts in a number of Colleges of Technology. He taught a variety of subjects including Firefighting Science and Materials Technology as well as the core subjects of Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. He subsequently joined the Civil Service and trained as a Corporate Tax Inspector. Although now semi-retired David keeps up to date with developments in science by marking examination papers for A-level and GCSE both in the UK and worldwide.
He has been actively involved in politics throughout his adult life and stood for Parliament on two occasions, the first being in 1974 against Betty Boothroyd long before she became Speaker of the House. David has been a Teignbridge District Councillor as well as a Town Councillor for the past five years and has a particular role in promoting economic development and tourism in the area.
The Mayor’s Charity this year is the Newton Abbot Hospital League of Friends as we look forward to the opening of the new hospital at the Jetty Marsh site.
This year’s ATC Cadet is 16 year old James Hillyard-Smith. James has been with the ACT for three years and during this time he has been awarded with the Community Award. He has also achieved bronze and silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards and is looking forward to achieving his gold.
He enjoys flying and gliding with the ATC and is very interested in ethics and philosophy and likes debating over past and present events and thoughts.
The names of past mayors as recorded on the mayoral chain are:
List of Chairmen: Urban District Council from 1894 - 1974
- 1901/02 - 1902/03 William Vicary
- 1903/04 - 1904/05
- 1905/06 - 1906/07 John Prowse
- 1907/08 Sidney Hacker
- 1908/09 - 1909/10 Albert James Murrin
- 1910/11 - 1911/12
- 1912/13 - 1913/14 Harold StMaur
- 1914/15
- 1915/16 - 1916/17 Henry Theodore Parker
- 1917/18 - 1918/19 Aaron Sampson
- 1919/20
- 1920/1 - 1921/2 William Henry Brock
- 1922/3 - 1923/4 William Robert Vicary
- 1924/5
- 1925/6 - 1926/7 John Dolbear
- 1927/8 - 1928/9 Arthur Kirby
- 1929/30 Arthur William Wareham
- 1930/31
- 1933/4 - 1934/5 William T. Harvey
- 1935/6 - 1936/7 Leonard Coombe
- 1937/8 - 1938/9 Arthur Leonard Wills
- 1939/40 - 1940/41 Thomas H. Frost
- 1941/42 - 1942/43
- 1943/44 Henry Balls
- 1944/45 Isobel Webster
- 1945/46 Adrian A. Phillips
- 1946/47 Norman P. Roberts JP
- 1947/48/49/50 Albert H.W. Edworthy JP
- 1950/51 Percy Prowse
- 1951/52 Joseph J. George
- 1952/53 Norman P. Roberts JP
- 1953 Albert H.W. Edworthy JP
- 1953/54 James H. Tookey
- 1954/55/56 Arthur C. Shobbrook JP. CC.
- 1956/57 Donald H. Pollard JP
- 1957/58 Leonard Lamb JP. CC.
- 1958/59 Leslie A. Daymond CC.
- 1959/60 Albert H.W. Edworthy JP
- 1960/61 Henry H. Gribbon
- 1961/62 Noelle Ehrhardt
- 1962/63 Norman P. Roberts
- 1964/65 Arthur F. Warren
- 1965/66 Frances N. Humpherson JP
- 1966/67 W.M. George Wills
- 1967/68 James H. Tookey
- 1968/69 Reginald S. Wills
- 1969/70 Clive R. Angel
- 1970 Arthur C. Shobbrook JP. CC.
- 1970/71 Leslie A. Daumond CC.
- 1971/72 Leonard Lamb JP. CC.
- 1972/73 - 1973/74 Frances N. Humpherson JP
List Of Mayors From 1974 (date of reorganisation of Local Government when the Urban District Council became a Town Council)
- 1974/75 Edgar A. Hewett
- 1975/76 David Prowse
- 1976/77 Vincent Bartlett
- 1977/78 J. Alan Forster
- 1978/79 Frances N. Humpherson JP
- 1979/80 Nancy Morrison
- 1980/81
- 1981/82 Norman Hallett
- 1982/83 Pat Pilkington
- 1983/84 Michael Somers
- 1984/85 Martin Chapple
- 1985/86 Di Nichols
- 1986/87 Jane Stovin
- 1987/88 Mark Thrupp
- 1988/89 Margaret Hewett
- 1989/90 Babs Mayhew
- 1990/91 Rowena Forster
- 1991/92 Ted Hawkins
- 1992/93 Mike Ryan
- 1993/94 Bill Brough
- 1994/95 Jorie Sherren
- 1995/96 Mike Chope
- 1996/97
- 1997/98 Anne Fry
- 1998/99 Alex Matthews
- 1999/2000 Mike Maddicks
- 2000/2001 Henry Cole
- 2001/2002 Mrs Heather Sinfield
- 2002/2003 Mike Hocking
- 2003/2004 Allan Vizor
- 2004/2005 Reg Wills
- 2005/2006 Ken Lewis
- 2006/2007 Daphne Watts
Part of the chain has had to be removed due to its weight and will be on display in our Museum.