William Guyton

Mayor in 1843.

William Guyton was the second and final mayor of the short-lived Wellington Borough.

Born in Liverpool, William came to New Zealand in 1840 in the ship Coromandel, and entered into business in Wellington.

In August 1842 Governor Hobson had proclaimed Wellington a Borough, and at a subsequent election twelve aldermen were elected, of which George Hunter was chosen as Mayor. He died the following year, however, and Guyton, who had been one of the original aldermen, became Mayor.

The Borough was abolished by the British Government in September 1843, and Guyton, after only a few months in office, had the unhappy task of winding up the affairs of the Corporation. It would be another 27 years before Wellington elected its third Mayor.

After his short spell as Mayor William moved to Wanganui, where a street is named after him. He subsequently returned to England.