View source for William Leighton (Lord Mayor of London)

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
'''Sir William Leighton''' (1752 – 23 April 1826) was a British shipowner and merchant who served as the [[Lord Mayor of London]] in 1806.<ref name="URBAN1826">{{cite book|author=SYLVANUS URBAN|title=THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE: AND HISTORICAL CHRONICLES.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gbMUAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA477|year=1826|pages=477–}}</ref>
Leighton's family was from [[County Durham]] in the North East of England and he moved to London around 1779 following his father's death.<ref name="MercNet">{{cite web|title=Pathways to the Convict Contractors to Australia|url=http://www.merchantnetworks.com.au/timelines/pathways1.htm|work=Merchant Networks|accessdate=4 January 2014}}</ref> Leighton worked as a [[coal merchant]] shipping coal from the port of [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], and was based at Newcastle's [[Coal Exchange (Newcastle)|Coal Exchange]].<ref name="MercNet"/>
Leighton was a prominent shipowner who owned {{ship||Borrowdale|1785 ship|2}}, {{ship||Fishburn|1780 ship|2}} and {{ship||Golden Grove|1782 ship|2}}, three of the ships of the [[First Fleet]], which transported [[convict]]s to the British colony of New south Wales.<ref name="firstfleetfellowship">{{cite web |url= http://firstfleetfellowship.org.au/?s=leighton&submit=Search |title=Ships of the First Fleet |work=First Fleet Fellowship Victoria Inc |year=2012 |accessdate=5 January 2013}}</ref> Leighton also owned several ships that were sent as military transports to the British [[Province of Quebec (1763–91)|Province of Quebec]] with contracts from the British Navy.<ref name="MercNet"/>
Because of his maritime interests, Leighton served on various shipping committees.<ref name="MercNet"/>
==Civic career==
Leighton was a member of the [[Livery company]] of the [[Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights]].<ref name="Orridge1867">{{cite book|author=Benjamin Brogden Orridge|author-link=Benjamin Brogden Orridge|title=Some Account of the Citizens of London and Their Rulers, from 1060 to 1867|url=https://archive.org/details/someaccountciti00orrigoog|year=1867|publisher=W. Tegg|pages=[https://archive.org/details/someaccountciti00orrigoog/page/n287 251]–}}</ref> He was created an [[Court of Aldermen|alderman]] in the [[City of London]]'s [[Billingsgate]] ward in 1799, before his resignation as an alderman in 1821.<ref name="URBAN1826"/> He was subsequently elected one of the [[Sheriffs of the City of London]] in 1803.<ref name="URBAN1826"/>
In 1806, Leighton was proclaimed [[Lord Mayor of London]], and knighted on 1 May that year.<ref name="URBAN1826"/> Leighton was listed as one of the governors of Christ's Hospital in 1825.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Economist and General Adviser|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YXFBAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA278|year=1825|pages=278–}}</ref>
Leighton died at Kemnal House in Kent, in 1826.<ref name="URBAN1826"/> He had previously lived in Charlton.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-civ}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Sir James Shaw, 1st Baronet|James Shaw]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Lord Mayor of London]] |years=1806–1807}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Ansley]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leighton, William}}
[[Category:1752 births]]
[[Category:1826 deaths]]
[[Category:18th-century English businesspeople]]
[[Category:19th-century English businesspeople]]
[[Category:Aldermen of the City of London]]
[[Category:British businesspeople in shipping]]
[[Category:British businesspeople in the coal industry]]
[[Category:History of Australia (1788–1850)]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:19th-century lord mayors of London]]
[[Category:19th-century English politicians]]
[[Category:18th-century English politicians]]
[[Category:People from County Durham]]
[[Category:Sheriffs of the City of London]]