John Garratt, Lord Mayor of London

In 1823 royal assent was given to ‘An Act for the Rebuilding of London Bridge’ and in 1825 John Garratt, Lord Mayor and Alderman of the Ward of Bridge Within, laid the first stone of the new London Bridge. In 1831 Sir John Rennie’s new bridge was opened further upstream and the old bridge demolished. St Magnus ceased to be the gateway to London as it had been for over 600 years. Peter de Colechurch had been buried in the crypt of the chapel on the bridge and his bones were unceremoniously dumped in the River Thames.In 1921 two stones from Old London Bridge were discovered across the road from the church. They now stand in the churchyard.

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On June 15, 1825, the first stone was laid by the London Mayor of London, John Garratt, in the presence of the Duke of York. Six years later, William IV and Queen Adelaide opened the New London Bridge and the old one was demolished.

This London Bridge was built out of granite which was quarried on Dartmoor. It was a structure of 5 arches, and its overall dimensions were 928 feet long and 49 feet wide. 

The new bridge, wide and spacious was busy at once and even more so when the railways came to London, and London Bridge Station opened just south of London Bridge. Soon a new bridge user, "the commuter" joined the bridge's traffic and thousands crossed Sir John Rennie's bridge everyday and became its most familiar scene.

In 1902-04, it was widened by means of corbels, increasing the space between the parapets to 65 feet and the footpath to 15 feet. 

In 1962, it was discovered that the London Bridge was "falling down," sinking into the Thames because it was not adequate for the increase in traffic. The City of London decided to put the 130-year old bridge up for auction, and construct a new one in its place. Robert P. McCulloch, founder of Lake Havasu City, AZ, submitted the winning bid for $2,460,000 in 1968. McCulloch spent another $7million to move the London Bridge to Lake Havasu City which took a total of three years. 

The bridge was shipped by boat 10,000 miles to Long Beach, California. From there, it was trucked to Lake Havasu City where it was stored in seven-acre fenced storage compound. On September 23, 1968, the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Gilbert Inglefield, laid the corner stone. Robert Beresfornd, a civil engineer from Nottingham, England was in charge of the reconstruction of the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City.

source http://www.havasuchamber.com/our-community/london_bridge_history.aspx

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TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL JOHN GARRATT, ESQ. ALDERMAN OF THE WARD OF BRIDGE WITHIN; WHO, AS LORD MAYOR OF LONDON, LAID THE FIRST STONE or THE NEW LONDON BRIDGE, ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE I5th, 1825; ARE MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, 395903

Chronicles of London Bridge. June 15th, 1827. DESCRIPTIVE LIST THE EMBELLISHMENTS. 1. Historical Titlb-pagb, displaying a rich Gothic edifice, surrounded by the Effigies, Armorial Ensigns, &c. of the most eminent persons connected with the history of London Bridge. The two upper figures represent Rich- ard, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Cardinal Hugo di Petraleone, who sub- scribed so liberally to its original foundation, (see page 61,) and the two lower ones, Kings John and Edward I., commemorative of the Bridge having been finished in the reign of the former, and of the several grants made to it by the latter. In the upper centre is suspended a banner, with the present Royal Arms of England, alluding to the foundation of the New London Bridge in the reign of George IV.; and beneath it, a representation in tapestry, of the triumphal entry of Henry V. across the ancient Bridge, In 1415, after the victory of Agincourt, described on pages 22() — 229 : at the sides of which are groups of banners, &c., commemorative of some of the principal persons engaged in the battle. Below, are the Armorial Ensigns of King Henry II., the Priory of St. Mary Overies, the ancient device of South- wark, and the Monograms of Peter of Colechurch, and Isenbert of Xainctes ; the benefactors and Architects of the First Stone Bridge at London. Beneath these is a monumental eflSgy of Peter of Colechurch ; under which appear the ancient and modem Arms of the City of London, see page 177 ; those of Robert Serle, Mercer, and Custos of London in 1214, the principal citizen to whom the finishing of the Bridge was entrusted, see page 73 ; those of Henry Walleis, Lord Mayor in 1282, and an eminent benefactor to London Bridge, see pages 131,132; and in the centre, the shield of John Garratt, Esq., Alderman of the Ward of Bridge-Within, and Lord Mayor in 1824-25, who laid the First Stone of the New Edifice : see pages 635-660 Designed and Drawn by W. Harvey, from ancient Historical authorities. Engraven by G. W. Bonner.

3. Dedication Head-piece : an Ornamental Group, consisting of the Armorial Ensigns, &c. of the City of London, the Company of Goldsmiths, and the Right Worshipful John Garratt. Engraven by A. J. Mason.

54. Page 651. Representation of the Silver-Gilt Trowel, presented to the Right Honourable John Garratt, for laying the First Stone of the New London Bridge. Drawn from the original ; Engraven by G. W. Bouner. 

THIS TROWEL WAS USED IN THE LAYING OF THE FIRST STONE OF THE NEW LONDON BRIDGE, ON THE 15th DAY OF JUNE, 1825, IN THE SIXTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF HIS MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY GEORGE THE FOURTH, BY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN GARRATT, LORD MAYOR OF THE CITY OF LONDON : WHO WAS BORN IN THE WARD IN WHICH THE BRIDGE IS SITUATED, ON THE 15th DAY OF DECEMBER, 1786 ELECTED A MEMBER OF THE COMMON COUNCIL FOR THAT WARD, ON THE 3rd DAY OF AUGUST, 1809 ALDERMAN THERE OF, ON THE 10th DAY OF MARCH, 18-1 ; AND SHERIFF OF LONDON AND MIDDLESEX, ON THE 211h DAY OF JUNE FOLLOWING.'

source http://archive.org/stream/chronoflondonbri00thomiala/chronoflondonb...

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Medal image found in attached photos detail

Description Commemorative medal; gilt metal; obverse: London Bridge and environs; inscription; reverse: inscription.

Inscriptions: obverse Inscription Content: CARRIAGE WAY 331/2 FT. LENGTH OF BRIDGE 732 FT. CENTRE ARCH 150 .. SIDE ARCH 140

Inscription Position: reverse

Inscription Content: THE FIRST STONE OF THE NEW LONDON BRIDGE WAS LAID BY JOHN GARRATT ESQR LORD MAYOR OF LONDON ON THE 14 OF MARCH 1824 AND OPEN'D BY THEIR MAJESTIES AUGUST IST 1831.

source - http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_databas...

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Burke, Bernard, Sir. A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Great Britain & Ireland 6th ed. London : Harrison 1879. Vol I. page 622