William Leighton (Lord Mayor of London)

Sir William Leighton, Bt. (1752 - April 23, 1826) was a British shipowner and merchant who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1806.^[1]

Leighton's family was from County Durham in the North East of England and he moved to London around 1779 following his fathers death.^[2] Leighton worked as a coal merchant shipping coal from the port of Newcastle, and was based a Newcastle's Coal Exchange.^[2]

Leighton was a prominent shipowner, and owned the Borrowdale, Fishburn and Golden Grove ships, three of the ships of the First Fleet transporting convicts to the British colony of Australia.^[3] Leighton also owned several ships which were sent as military transports to the British Province of Quebec with contracts from the British Navy.^[2] Leighton also served on various shipping committees.^[2] Leighton was listed as one of the governors of Christ's Hospital in 1825.^[4]

Civic career

Leighton was a member of the Livery company of the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights.^[5] He was created an alderman in the City of London's Billingsgate ward in 1799, before his resignation as an alderman in 1821.^[1] He was subsequently elected one of the Sheriffs of the City of London in 1803.^[1] In 1806, Leighton was proclaimed Lord Mayor of London, and knighted on May 1 that year.^[1] Leighton died at Kemnal House in Kent, in 1826.^[1] He had previously lived in Charlton.

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