A genealogist suggested to me that the chain my ancestor is wearing looks to be “of the Mayor of Stockton”. My father was born in Acklam, Middlesbrough and I know that some of our ancestors came from the Stockton area. My father left Yorkshire for New Zealand in 1925 so I’m assuming he brought the photo with him. It looks like an official portrait photo. Any help in identifying this person would be much appreciated.
Photograph and details courtesy of David Sickling.
Picture Stockton Archive 
I can’t recall this Mayor’s name but I remember when I was serving my time as a joiner with Stockton Council in the late 1950s early 60s, I was sent to the Town Hall to do a small job in the Mayor’s Parlour. This job entailed screwing two lathes to the wall to provide for the extra hanging of the most recent and future Mayor’s photographs. There was row upon row of past Mayoral photographs on the walls of this room, many old black and white photos, together with more recent coloured prints. I suspect that these photos, including the original of this one, are stored away somewhere in the Councils storage vaults?
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The photograph could be Frederick (Fred) Natrass. He was a friend of my family, nee Kennedy.
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Can’t help with his title but if you have no luck you could see if there are records for the photographers. Unless they all used the same chair, I have a picture of my gt grandad sitting in that exact chair. Photo was taken by Thirlwell’s.
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What is the name of the “mayor”?
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Lord Mayor would be the more correct title of this gentleman although how you could tell if those chains where from Stockton I don’t know? Modern Mayor’s are more of an active political appointee like the difference between the Lord Mayor or London and the Mayor of London. The Lord Mayor covers only the City of London and the Mayor the rest of Greater London but not the City bit like the Tees Valley Mayor is quite different from the Mayor of Stockton. The Tees Valley is more of a sort sub regional prefecture and Mayor is an unusual title for such an area.
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The castle and anchor motif that appears in the main pendant links it to Stockton. A very clear photo of the current Mayor of Stockton, Councillor Mohammed Javed, wearing this chain can be seen here: https://www.easterneye.biz/teessides-first-asian-mayor-worked-his-way-up-through-poverty-promises-to-continue-charity/
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Here is our latest mayor in his chains, almost certainly the same ones as in the photograph. I will email the Mayoral Office at Stockton Town Hall and ask them to look for this gentleman for you and see if they can identify him . Councillor Louise Baldock
https://www.stockton.gov.uk/imagegen.ashx?image=/media/1961336/cllr-javed-web.png&width=720&height=360&pad=true
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In my town hall, (Chester) we have all the official portraits/photographs of past Mayors displayed on the staircase walls. As your photograph does seem to be a copy of an official portrait, I am assuming that the original will be on display in the Stockton-on-Tees town hall. Perhaps someone on this site, still living in the town could get some information for you, or perhaps, with the power of the internet you could log into Stockton-on-Tees town hall’s website. Wishing you luck in your quest. May the power of the electric be with you!
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