The post originated in 1843, with the appointment of William Jeffcock as the first Mayor of Sheffield.
Early mayors had significant powers and chaired both council meetings and the bench of magistrates.
[1] In 1855, the then-mayor was refused a good seat at the opening of the Paris Exhibition, as he did not have a chain of office.
To mark this, the first Lord Mayor, Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, gave the Sheffield Mace to the city to mark the royal authority invested in the post.
[4] Notable former mayors include George Bassett, founder of a confectionery firm, and the steelmaker Mark Firth.