When did the Lord Mayor of Londons position become political?

Question

When did the Lord Mayor of Londons position become political?

Answer 1

It has long been my understanding that the role of 'Lord Mayor' is an ancient one and relates to the presence of a Cathedral or a 'Bishops's See" or seat of administration. The mayor of that place is called a 'Lord Mayor' while the Mayor of a city without a cathedral is called simply "Mayor of the city of...." It is not a religous affiliation in any sense today, nor do cities who get new Cathedrals necessarily have a "Lord Mayor" it is simply a historical fact.
Certainly when Queen Victoria declared by letters patent that Newcastle,Australia to be the place of the "City of Newcastle" and "See of the Bishop of Newcastle" in 1847 there in fact were only 1471 people in residence in the fledgling town, while much larger populations existed in nearby towns, such as Maitland and Morpeth. Of course Newcastle city has gone on to be the sixth largest city in Australia and has not one but two Bishops in residence.(Anglican and Catholic) while Maitland is a smaller city and Morpeth a suburb of that city. The two cities are now part of an urban connobation which includes the City of Lake Macquarie, City of Cessnock and Port Stephens Shire; locally called the Lower Hunter Valley - but only one of the Mayors is a 'Lord Mayor' - Newcastle. The Lower Hunter should be on your visit list if you love good food, wine, wonderful lakes, waterways and beaches and good weather.