Foundation London was the first city to appoint a mayor (which continues today as the
Lord Mayor of London), and this was followed in 1200 by the
Mayor of Winchester. Exeter followed shortly after, and the mayoralty was formed in 1200 (or as late as 1205 in some references), making it the third position of mayor created. At formation, the powers of the Mayor were extensive, with control over regulating trades including
baking and
brewing, as well as the markets and security of the city walls. who served seven terms, and 19 other mayors have served five or more terms.
Roger Beynim was mayor eight times between 1302 and 1317, but during one of his terms, a dispute with
Hugh de Courtenay, Earl of Devon, the
feudal baron of Okehampton started after being drawn into a dispute over the fish available in the market, which resulted in Beynim discarding his
livery with the Earl's crest and declaring that the Mayor of Exeter would only be answerable to the King. The recrimination from this event led to the blocking of the
Countess Wear and ships and boats being blocked from accessing Exeter by the river until a canal was built in the 1560s. In 1345,
Edward III codified that the city be governed by 12
freemen (later increased to 24 by
Henry VIII in 1509), with a purview over finance and other matters. ==Former mayors==