The mayor of High Wycombe, England, undergoes an annual weighing dating back to 1678, with any weight gain being met with boos from the crowd. The tradition continues today for its historical significance. Other notable mayors in England’s history include Henry fitz Ailwin and Sir Thomas Bludworth of London, and Benjamin Gott of Leeds.
Many mayors are saddled with a lot of responsibilities, but in the English town of High Wycombe, the mayor has to be very careful what he brings. Since 1678 the mayor has taken part in an annual weighing, during which his weight is checked and compared with the previous year. Each gain is accompanied by boos from the crowd that gathers for the ceremony. Of course, today the test has no real repercussions, but at the time any weight gain suggested that the mayor was “gaining weight” at taxpayer expense. Indeed, the first mayor put on the scales in the 17th century was known as a corrupt official who drank too much. Today, the ceremony is more about tradition than an actual test of the mayor’s mettle, but that doesn’t mean the townspeople don’t take it a little seriously. Officials weighing the mayor dress in period clothing, the mayor steps on a scale that dates to the 17th, and an auctioneer announces the results.
England and its mayors:
The first mayor of London, Henry fitz Ailwin, was the only one to hold the office for life, from 1189 until his death in 1212.
Sir Thomas Bludworth, Lord Mayor of London when the Great Fire of 1666 started, famously shrugged as a minor event.
Benjamin Gott, once mayor of Leeds, owned the largest factory in the world. After a fire destroyed much of the mill, Gott rebuilt it with fireproof materials in 1805, and much of it still remains standing.
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