Number 68
August 2014 1
Cover photograph: Representatives of the 9th & 12th Lancers before the Homecoming Parade and Inspection on the 29th June 2014.
Members of the Leicester Gild of Freemen prior to attending the Crown Court service at the Leicester Cathedral followed by the reading of the Letters Patent in the Guildhall on 1st May 2014
Four members of the Gild of Freemen accompanied the Lord Mayor, Cllr John Thomas for the Damask Rose Ceremony on 24th June 2014 2
Number 68
August 2014
Patron: Colonel Robert Martin OBE DL President: The Lord Mayor of Leicester OFFICERS 2014 - 2015 Master: L.A. Roffee Deputy Master: M.E. Ayres Clerk: M.B. Hill Chamberlain: A. Marriott WARDENS N. Cave, A. Chettle, L. Kirk, J.D. Lewitt, B.W. Mudford. 3
GILDHALL NEWS August 2014
Contents Editor’s comments Report by Lynn Roffee, Master of the Gild Report by Brian Mudford, Chairman of the Board of Deputies Chamberlain’s report by Andy Marriott Report on the FEW by Michael Ayres The 2014 Garden Party Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA’s) Will writing
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Future programme - dates for your diary Tuesday 30th September Visit to the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust in Derby Friday 7th November, “Oh I do like to be beside the seaside” Friday 19th December, Puss in Boots at the Little Theatre Saturday 6th December, Chidren’s Christmas party
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Contributions to the Gildhall News The History of the Freemen of Leicester - part 11 by John Tolton
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For Amusement Only The smartest man in the world!
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The Will Did you know?
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Have you changed your address?
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Forms included with the Newsletter Booking form for “Oh I do like to be beside the seaside” Booking form for visit to Puss in Boots pantomime at the Little Theatre Booking form for Children’s Christmas Party Application for Membership & Associate Membership of the Gild Gild products order form
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Editor’s Comments I was looking forward to going on the Gild trip to the Cutty Sark at Greenwich and Camden Market, unfortunately it had to be cancelled due to lack of support. What happened? Was there less than twenty persons interested in the trip? Did you know it was being arranged? Did you read about the trip, thought you would be interested but did not put it in your diary? Please let me know your thoughts on the Gild trips. Is it worth the Court arranging them? If so, where would you like to go? If you have a story that would be of interest to other members, please put pen to paper, or finger to e-mail. We don’t need a book, only a short article, possibly one or two pages long. It could be longer if it’s enthralling!! Preferably I would like to receive them as an attachment to an e-mail if possible, but pen and ink is acceptable. Brian Mudford
Report by Lynn Roffee, Master of the Gild This is my first report as your Master and I feel honoured and privileged to have been elected to this role. I am the first female Master and I think it demonstrates that the Gild has moved with the times, whilst maintaining traditions. It has been a couple of busy months for the Gild, Brian, my husband, and myself with 14 functions since 1st May. In a short period of time, Brian and I have met many Freemen, and their partners, who have become new friends. All of these people are from all walks of life; the common thread being a Freemen and we have been made very welcome wherever we have been. The Gild is often limited on the number of people that can attend some Civic Events, though this is not the case for the Annual Freeman’s Service, held at Leicester Cathedral. This event is open to all (robes are not necessary to attend) and it would be nice to see more of you attending this and other events throughout the year. I thought you might like to know what the Gild Court, and I have been doing since I was elected. This also includes other Gild member who have attended events. 5
1st May – The Gild received an Invitation from the High Sherriff of Leicestershire, Mr Richard Cowes, to attend the Crown Court Service in Leicester Cathedral followed by Reading of Letters Patent in the Guildhall.
14th June The Leicester Gild Banquet was again held at Devonshire Place. The menu choice was Richard III and this was indeed an excellent choice. The food was delicious and the service was at its usual high standard. Mike Kellett kindly arranged for a tour of the Freemasons Temple after dinner. Our guest speakers were Dr J Smail, Master of Guild of London Freemen and Dr Rev. Johannes Arens, Canon Precentor, Leicester Cathedral. 70 Freemen and their guests including Freemen from Coventry, Chester, London, Northampton and York attended the Banquet and Masters’ of London, Coventry and York Guilds’, the President of the Chester Guild and the President of FEW. Invited guests were the Lord Mayor, John Thomas, and his Consort, Mrs Margaret Coley, Dr John Smail and his wife Pat, Master of the Guild of Freemen of the City of London, Dr Rev. Johannes Arens, Canon Precentor, Leicester Cathedral and his guest, Mrs Elizabeth Amias. Again, good reports were received from our visitors.
15th June Leicester Freemen’s Service, Leicester Cathedral This is a Freemen’s service and is open to any Freemen to attend. There is no need to belong to the Gild to attend this ceremony. A Big Thank you must go to the Banquet Committee, Mick Ayres, Brian Mudford and John Tolton for organising the whole weekend.
21st June Armed Forces Day Service at Leicester Cathedral Mick & Jean Ayres, David & Rita Johnson, Jim & Mavis Manship, Pat Manship, Keith & Dorothy Harding, and Brian & myself represented the Gild, at the Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving on Armed Forces Day, at Leicester Cathedral. There were many Civic Dignitaries from across Leicestershire present at the service, including Lady Gretton, Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, the Lord Mayor, John Thomas and the Gild’s Patron, Colonel R Martin OBE, D.L.
24th June Damask Rose Ceremony Mick Ayres, David Johnson, Wayne Manship and myself represented the Gild and paraded, in our scarlet robes, from the Town Hall, with the Lord Mayor, John Thomas, for the Damask Rose ceremony. The custom involves the Lord Mayor receiving the symbolic peppercorn rent of a Damask Rose and four old pennies from the landlord of O’Neil’s (formally 6
the Crown and Thistle Inn) in Loseby Lane. In keeping with tradition, dating back hundreds of years, this is held on June 24th to coincide with the Feast of St John the Baptist.
29th June The 9th & 12th Lancers Homecoming Parade and Inspection The Lord Mayor invited the Gild to view the parade and inspection and this was followed by a Civic Reception at the Nottingham Oddfellows Club. Peter Bates, Mick Ayres and Brian and me represented the Gild. It was a smaller turnout than usual due to The Holt’s Garden Party being held on the same day. Thanks to Nottingham Oddfellows Club for their hospitality.
13th July
The Coventry Freemen’s Annual Garden Party was held at the RAFA Club in Coventry. There were just six of us from Leicester that attended. We had a lovely afternoon, the weather was kind and the food included: sandwiches, scones, cakes, strawberries & cream were made, prepared and served by the Coventry Guild. The damson and orange jam I was told, is legendary; I can confirm it is, but then the marmalade was good too. 25th July The Royal Anglian Regiment Homecoming Parade and Inspection. The Lord Mayor invited the Gild to view the parade and inspection and this was followed by a Civic Reception at the Nottingham Oddfellows Club. Thanks to Nottingham Oddfellows Club for their hospitality. There have been a number of people taking their Freedom in the last few years who have not been involved in Gild events as yet. I know there are a few Freemen who live abroad or are away from home working for long periods and unable to get involved practically. My son, James is one of those people – he lives in Australia. What about those of you who live in Leicester/ Leicestershire who don’t get involved? What type of event would you like to attend? Drop me a line and let me know what we could do to help you get more involved with the Gild. There are about 250 Gild members out of approximately 650 Freemen. Like most organisations, people give their time freely for the common good. We also know that people have jobs, families and other commitments so time can be limited to get involved in other things. I think I should just point out that travel and accommodation costs are funded by each person attending all of these events apart from 3 banquets which the Master and Consort are provided with hospitality by the hosts of these Gilds/Guilds. No funds are taken out of the Gild by Court members to attend any of these events.
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There haven’t been any Making Free Ceremonies in the last few months, and at the time of writing this report, the Town Hall have confirmed that there are no further planned ceremonies, as yet, for 2014. This could all change if you have any family members that are eligible to take their Freedom. Brian and I have been very busy preparing for the WW1 Exhibition and I’d like to particularly thank:- the Agar, Cave, Chettle, Crawley, Elson, Hargrave, Martin, Ross, Scott and Tolton families for their contributions. I hope you are having an enjoyable summer – make the most of it – the nights are drawing in! Lynn Roffee
Report by Chairman of the Board - Brian Mudford The Garden Party was a grand event on the 29th June and I enjoyed meeting many of you on the day. The weather was a bit unpredictable with a couple of sharp showers forcing everyone to run for cover but these didn’t last for long so the festivities continued without too much of an interruption. The hog roast was a disappointment as there was insufficient food supplied, for which we apologise. This was beyond our control and we hope it didn’t spoil your enjoyment of the event. I would like to thank Maurice Hill, chairman of the Garden Party committee and all the committee members for their months of preparation and to the many other volunteers that helped with; manning stalls, preparing the 125 punnets of strawberries and selling these with cream, donating, cleaning and displaying bric-a-brac items, baking cakes, selling raffle tickets, setting up and taking down of the marquees and gazebos and to the people who kept us all going with tea, coffee and cakes on the day. Our thanks also go to the scouts who directed parking, cleared away rubbish and to all the volunteers of “Take Heart” that helped to make the day a success. A special mention also goes to Robert Staines who hooked up all the electrics and PA system and ensured they all worked on the day and then packed them all up again after the event. Even more important he rigged up the boiler to ensure there was tea and coffee on tap all afternoon. There will be both standard and extended bungalows available in the coming months. If you are thinking of moving to Freemen’s Holt then why not take 8
the opportunity to come and see a bungalow by contacting Lynda or Sandra on 0116 283 4017 to arrange a viewing. There is a new design front extended bungalow which incorporates a larger kitchen / diner, a lobby area and the use of the extra room may be determined by the new resident. Have you put the 5th & 9th August in your diary to attend an exciting exhibition at Freemen’s Holt about Leicester’s Freemen during World War 1. Lynn Roffee has been working very hard on this project and she is pleased to report that one hundred names have been found from the Freemen Rolls of men that served during WW1. I am pleased to report that all seats are taken for the WW1 talks and the lunches . People can still come and look around but no ticket equals no talk and no food. As you know, there are Making Free ceremonies held at the Leicester Town Hall throughout the year depending on how many people come forward to take up their Freedom. At present, due to the lack of applicants there is not one scheduled. So if you are a Freeman and your daughter, son or grandchildren are not Freemen then look in the section of this website called “Becoming a Freeman” to see who can become a Freeman and how and where to make an application. Some of your family members may not have thought about taking up their Freedom, talk to them and get them interested. Brian Mudford
Chamberlain’s Report by Andy Marriott I am delighted to be delivering my first report to the Gild Hall news as Chamberlain to the Gild of Freemen of the City of Leicester and look forward to many more to come in the future. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone who helped to maintain the Gilds books following the passing of Roger Allen and I would like to say a special thank you to Maurice Hill who’s hard work and attention to detail and support has for me made taking over the role of Chamberlain an easy process.
Gild Accounts Book The Gilds Accounts Book as of Tuesday 1st July 2014 has the following figures recorded Receipts £ 3,367.50 Standing Orders £ 888.50 Payments £ 1,043.00 Petty Cash £ 94.69 9
Gild Bank Accounts We have received the latest Bank Statements from Lloyds TSB. Business Account as of 9th May 2014 holds £ 3,861.99 Treasurers Account as of 29th May 2014 holds £ 3,770.46 These figures do not take into account any monies and cheques banked after these dates which will be reflected in the next statements we received
Gild Events The Gild Court has arranged several events for the next few months. For details see pages 13 to 15
Gild Banquet The Annual Gild Banquet raised a total of £2,790.00 with an expenditure of £3,022.00 leaving a short fall of minus £232.22
Other Business There is still a large amount of outstanding Members and Associate Membership arrears and I would like to urge those who have not yet paid for this year to do so as soon as possible please. As of 26th July 2014 Lloyds TSB will have ceased trading together and will once again become independent banks. I have discussed with TSB Horsefair Street Leicester transferring the Gilds Bank accounts across and this is scheduled to go ahead on Monday 4th August. This concludes my report
Andy Marriott
Report on the FEW (Freemen of England and Wales) by Michael Ayres Since my last report in May 2014 there have been no meetings of the FEW. The next meeting will be the 2014 AGM weekend, this year it’s hosted by the Freemen of Stafford, and will be held over the weekend of Friday 19th September to Sunday 21st September. The accommodation and meetings will be held at the The Yarnfield Conference Centre, (ex BT training centre) Yarfield, Near Stone Stafford ST15 0NL. The cost for the Full weekend package Friday to Sunday Lunch, including accommodation is £355 per couple for a Double room. All have en suite 10
facilities, Television, Wi-Fi, High speed broadband, etc. Or a single room at £235. The programme for the complete weekend includes. Friday night evening meal, followed by a talk on the “Staffordshire Hoard” the evening then concludes with entertainment in the bar. Saturday morning Breakfast 7:00 to 9:00 am (9:30 am. Coach departs to Trentham Gardens for delegates not attending the AGM). Open Forum meeting starts at 9:30 am, the AGM at 11:00 am. Buffet Lunch will be at 13:00 pm. Coaches leave for an afternoon visit to Shugborough Hall returning by Stafford Chase. The evening begins 7:00 pm with entertainment in the Foyer. The Banquet will be held in the Knighton Room at 7:30 pm. The evening ends with entertainment in the bar from 10:15 pm. Sunday 21st Breakfast at 7:00 to 9:00 am. Check out at 9:30 am. Transport will be provided to Stafford Borough Council Offices for the Church parade to St. Mary’s Church. The parade returns for a visit to the Civic Offices hosted by the Mayor of Stafford. Lunch will be served at 1:30 pm. The weekend will close at 3:30 pm. Anyone wishing to attend for the Saturday and Sunday the cost for the accommodation and the same package same as above (excluding Friday) will be a Double room £240 Single room £140. The invitation from Stafford Freemen to attend the AGM weekend is to all members and associate members of the Leicester Gild. If you have never attended one of the weekend AGM‘s why not come along and give it a try, meet members and Freemen from other Gilds, find out and learn about the entertainment they provide for their Gild activities. It is a chance to socialise and meet new friends. For further information about the weekend and to obtain a booking form please contact: Michael Ayres on 0116 2242353 or mickayres31@virginmedia.com or Anthony Piddock 16 Salt Avenue. Stafford ST17 4 DP Tel 01785 603973 e-mail ant.drum@ntlworld.com Michael Ayres
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The 2014 Garden Party Well the Garden Party is over for another year and despite the weather and running out of food really everything went reasonably well and the general consensus and feedback was that people enjoyed the afternoon. Obviously there was nothing we could do about the weather and the couple of showers we had failed to dampen the occasion (no pun intended). The shortage of food was another matter entirely. A full investigation has been carried out and measures have been put in place that hopefully will ensure that the situation, which has never happened before, will not happen again. We were very pleased with the setting up, running the event and packing away which went without a hitch and the help of the many volunteers was much appreciated. May I take this opportunity to say a most sincere thank you to the members of my small Garden Party Committee for all their help and support which enabled us to get the show onto the road. The word search competition was eventually won by Dot Brown from bungalow 1 at the Holt with a total of 345 words, Dot originally claimed 353 words but some did not count and were discarded. So Dot gets the £10 prize and Sue Cave with 341 words finished in second place. Congratulations and thanks to all those who took part in the competition. In conclusion as a bi-product of the event we were able to raise £1725 for our nominated charity “Take Heart Leicester”
Lasting Power of Attorney (L.P.A.s) Arrangements have now been made for two solicitors to give presentations on the above subject at the Holt Community Centre as follows 1. Tuesday 9th September at 2.30pm by Luke Appleby from Spearing Waite 2. Tuesday 14th October at 2.30pm by Eric Hanson from H.C.B. (formerly Billson and Sharpe). A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that allows you to state who you would like to make certain decisions on your behalf if at some future date you reach the point where you are no longer capable or want to yourself. We would suggest that you give the question of “Do I need an LPA?” some serious thought and come along to the presentations to have a cup of tea and learn more for the possible benefit to you and/or your family. 12
Will Writing There should be a Will - and there is a way The Welfare Committee have been working with AGE UK to set up low cost Will Writing for Freemen and their families, this has now been finalised and agreed. Most people appreciate that it is extremely important to make a Will, but either never get round to it or continue to put it off as something to do when they are older. This means that 7 out of 10 people die without a Will, leaving their nearest and dearest to sort out who gets their money and property or worse it all goes to the Crown. AGE UK have arranged with 24 local Solicitors to reduce their Will Writing charges for the over 50’s during September and October. A single uncomplicated Will costs just £35 + VAT during this period which is a huge saving of around £100, a simple joint Will could cost as little as £85 including VAT compared with the usual £400 for the same service. Don’t miss this opportunity to put matters straight!! To take advantage of this offer and for details of participating Solicitors in your local area, contact AGE UK Leicestershire and Rutland direct on Tel No. 0116 2992233. Maurice Hill
Programme of Future Events Visit to Rolls-Royce Derby 30th September 2014 We have arranged a visit to Rolls-Royce Derby on Tuesday 30th September 2014. The visit is free but you will have to organise your own transport. The address is Rolls Royce Light Alloy Foundry (LAF), Osmaston Road, Derby, DE24 8AE and we should meet there at 10.45am with the tour starting at 11.00am and taking approx. 2 hours A list of the names of those attending has to be submitted to Rolls-Royce five days before the event. Therefore if you would like to go on the visit please advise me no later than Tuesday 23rd September at my address: 33 Mossdale Road, Kingsway, Leicester LE3 2UT, Email mozjune@talktalk.net Tel No. 0116 2895394 13
On the tour you will see the largest collection of aero engines in the country, ranging from WW1 era piston engines, the famous Merlin, right up to modern day jet engines. The collection also includes examples across Rolls-Royce’s product range including marine and industrial applications. There are also a small number of vintage cars, some of which hark back to the early days of Rolls-Royce and the start of the motor car age. There are examples of engines and motor cars from distinguished names such as Armstrong Siddeley and Napier, whose companies became part of the Rolls-Royce group in their latter years. A guide will take us around the exhibition and please ensure that you are wearing sensible shoes. You are allowed to take photographs for your own personal use only. Maurice Hill
“Oh I do like to be beside the seaside” Friday 7th November at the Holt £9 including supper and refreshments Forget your winter blues and come and join us at the Holt with the return of guest speaker Felicity Austin when she will explain the history of the seaside holiday. Rediscover the pier, the promenade, Mr Punch and join in the singsong. As a treat for the boys Miss Felicity will be wearing her Edwardian bathing costume. We shall also be serving supper and refreshments. So don’t delay roll up your trouser bottoms get out the knotted hankies and come and enjoy what promises to be a very entertaining evening. A booking form is included in this issue of the Gildhall News Andy Marriott
Visit to the Little Theatre , Dover Street, Leicester to see Puss in Boots on 19th December 2014 starting at 7 pm. A purrrrrrfect Christmas treat for all the family! 14
Please book early for this traditional family pantomime - freemen, family and friends. Tickets cost £14 for adults and £12 for children (under 16). Tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis. Please complete the application form in CAPITAL LETTERS and make sure your address is clear. We don’t want to send your tickets to the wrong address. Brian Mudford
CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY SATURDAY 6TH DECEMBER 2014. 4 00 PM - 6 00 PM VARNEYS FUN FACTORY This year the Gild will again be holding a Children’s Christmas party after over twenty five years of absence. The party will be for Children between the ages of 3 years old and up to 7 years old. (This is because of the size of the bouncy castle and climbing equipment.) The party is open to all Children at £3 00 per Child, whose parents or Grandparents are members of the Gild. The cost will include the use of all the equipment in the fun house, a visit from Santa. Hot buffet served with chicken nuggets, pizza, fish fingers and chips. With drinks of blackcurrant and orange cordial included. The staff at the fun house have all been CRB checked. The Gild cannot be responsible for safety of the children during the party and we request that an adult stays and supervise their own children during the two hours that the party is in progress. There is a cafe on the premises serving serving tea coffee and snacks for the adults to sit and have a chat while the children play.
The Party will be held at SHANE VARNEYS FUN HOUSE SAFFRON ROAD SOUTH WIGSTON LEICESTER LE18 4TD. (If you do not know South Wigston the Fun House is near St Thomas Church). For further information about the party, contact Michael Ayres on 0116 2242353.
Michael Ayres
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Contributions to the Gildhall News ***************************** History of Freemen – Part 11, the Seventeenth Century You may recall that in the last Gildhall News the article covered the two charters of 1589 and 1599, the latter charter which included the extension of the boundaries of Leicester under the governance of the burgesses to include the suburbs around Northgate and St Leonard’s Church and the area known as the Bishop’s Fee to the east of Leicester. Even after the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 the governance of the suburbs, particularly the Bishop’s Fee, had not been resolved due to strong objection to change from the county landowners. The more influential landowners, including the Earl of Huntingdon and the Countess of Devonshire, considered the burgesses to be unfit to govern the Bishop’s Fee by education and experience (their words, not mine). A high handed attitude countered by the burgesses’ view that the landowners were also unfit to govern. In 1604 the Mayor at the time was Thomas Chettle and he went to London to petition the newly crowned King James I in an attempt to include the Bishop’s Fee as part of the burgesses responsibility. A charter was finally granted in 1609 by James 1 giving the burgesses the power to include the Bishop’s Fee within their jurisdiction Change was coming. Leicester had moved on from its medieval subservience to the Normans and had become a relatively modern town (by 17th century standards) with modern problems. The two main problems for the Corporation in the early years of the 1600’s were plague and poverty. During the years 1610 and 1611 there was a particularly virulent outbreak of the plague which cut off any link with the outside world, stopped the holding of fairs in Leicester and virtually brought local trade to a standstill. The first years of the 17th century also experienced severe winters with heavy snowfalls disrupting travel. During the winter of 1606-7 the weather was so cold that even the Thames froze over and the main road north and south of Leicester virtually impassable. Numerous horses died in their vain effort to drag wagons loaded with goods in and out of borough. Along with the problem of the plague and cold was one of unemployment and poverty. The Poor Relief Act of 1601 placed the administration of poor relief on the municipal authority so in Leicester the care of the poor became the responsibility of the Corporation. Not everyone in Leicester had a trade 16
and the population of able-bodied poor people was increasing. In feudal times it would have been the responsibility of their overlord to care for them, or not as the case may be, but in the 17th century the poor were no longer bonded but were free men with no-one in particular responsible for them. There simply was not enough work for the poor and they would eke a living out of any small piece of land they could find to provide sustenance. To make matters worse Charles I had enclosed the forest and forbidden the collection of firewood, a custom from the days of the Norman invasion. He did, however, set aside 40 acres of forest in order that the poor could collect some wood. It didn’t help the poor in that they were also not allowed to carry out any form of trade as trade was restricted to the freemen of the borough. But full credit to the Corporation who did at that time did look into ways of relieving the poor. Their solutions at that time might not satisfy 21st century sensibilities but measures of some kind were desperately needed. Any newcomer moving into Leicester had to pay a bond of £200 against the contingency that they may in the future become a burden on the town. All retail trade in the borough was confined to freemen in order to stop the poverty spreading to those who contributed to the local economy by restricting the competition of trade and manufacturing from outlying areas where quality and wages were lower. But the influx of outsiders into Leicester meant that it was inevitable that some non freemen wanted to trade without the restrictions imposed by the craft gilds. But whatever measures were taken did not halt the increasing number of people in Leicester who were not freemen and were not wanted as apprentices or for regular work but had to live somehow. Various charitable gifts were made from the better off including one from Charles I who made a gift of 5s 4d each to sixty poor house holders to buy wood as a result of his enclosure of the forest. Other benefactors made gifts for the purchase of coal, bread and clothing. One particular benefactor, Sir Thomas White, made a gift devoted to the lending of money to young men free of interest to set themselves up in business. The Trust is still providing much needed funds for young entrepreneurs to start their business in the 21st century. The Corporation would provide dole money for the workless and advance capital to people who were prepared to employ those out of work on nominated schemes. A nominated scheme would usually consist of weaving or knitting of caps or stockings but there is no evidence to suggest those taken on one of these schemes ceased to be poor but the schemes were there primarily to occupy idle hands. To advance the scheme the Corporation
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even enforced the wearing of caps but the enforcement proved not to be practical. Plague struck Leicester again in the years 1625-6 leading to both loss of life and a disruption to travel. Those who could afford to be away left Leicester (including many of the burgesses) to live elsewhere during the plague and refused to travel back to Leicester to perform their responsibilities. This was followed in the 1630’s with poor harvests with its associated rise in prices coupled with Charles I’s personal rule after the dissolution of Parliament and his high taxation to pay for unpopular wars with France and Spain. Dissatisfaction was growing nationally as well as locally with the King because of his belief in his own divine right to rule as he wished and his religious intolerance which ultimately led to events that brought on the Civil War in 1642. At the outbreak of the Civil War the town was held by the Parliamentarians but in July and again in August of 1642 the King visited Leicester and was received with great ceremony by the burgesses. He made speeches expressing his belief in the loyalty of the population of Leicester, attended a civic service at St Martin’s and then extracted 50 pieces of gold from the Corporation. A month later Prince Rupert entered Leicester with six dragoons and demanded a sum of £2000 from the Corporation. He was given £500 but succeeded in doing considerable harm to the King’s cause. King Charles did apologise for Prince Rupert’s demand but there is no record of the money being returned. For the next three years Leicester maintained a Parliamentary garrison with occasional skirmishes with the Royalists from Ashby and Belvoir but in 1645 the war came to Leicester in earnest, but what took place then deserves a complete chapter by itself. John Tolton
The Smartest Man In The World..! A doctor, a lawyer, a little boy and a priest were out for a Sunday afternoon flight on a small private plane. Suddenly, the plane developed engine trouble. In spite of the best efforts of the pilot, the plane started to go down. Finally, the pilot grabbed a parachute and yelled to the passengers that they better jump, and he himself bailed out. Unfortunately, there were only three parachutes remaining. 18
The doctor grabbed one and said “I’m a doctor, I save lives, so I must live,” and jumped out. The lawyer then said, “I’m a lawyer and lawyers are the smartest people in the world. I deserve to live.” He also grabbed a parachute and jumped. The priest looked at the little boy and said, “My son, I’ve lived a long and full life. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Take the last parachute and live in peace.” The little boy handed the parachute back to the priest and said, “Not to worry Father. The smartest man in the world just took off with my back pack.”
The Will A farmer died leaving his 17 horses to his 3 sons. When his sons opened up the Will it read: My eldest son should get 1/2 (half) of total horses; My middle son should be given 1/3rd (one-third) of the total horses; My youngest son should be given 1/9th (one-ninth) of the total horses. As it’s impossible to divide 17 into half or 17 by 3 or 17 by 9, the three sons started to fight with each other. So, they decided to go to a farmer’s friend who they considered quite smart, to see if he could work it out for them. The farmers friend read the Will patiently, after giving due thought, he brought one of his own horses over and added it to the 17. That increased the total to 18 horses. Now, he divided the horses according to their father’s Will. Half of 18 = 9. So he gave the eldest son 9 horses. 1/3rd of 18 = 6. So he gave the middle son 6 horses. 1/9th of 18 = 2. So he gave the youngest son 2 horses. Now add up how many horses they have: Eldest son……..9 Middle son…….6 Youngest son…2 TOTAL IS…….17. Now this leaves one horse over, so the farmer friend takes his horse back to his farm. Problem Solved! See over for moral of the story. 19
Moral: The attitude of negotiation and problem solving is to find the 18th horse i.e. the common ground. Once a person is able to find the 18th horse the issue is resolved. It is difficult at times. However, to reach a solution, the first step is to believe that there is a solution. If we think that there is no solution, we won’t be able to reach any!
Did you know? 1. WHY: Why do men’s clothes have buttons on the right while women’s clothes have buttons on the left? BECAUSE: When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid’s right! And that’s where women’s buttons have remained since. 2. WHY: Why do ships and aircraft use ‘mayday’ as their call for help? BECAUSE: This comes from the French word m’aidez - meaning ‘help me’ and is pronounced, approximately, ‘mayday.’ 3. WHY: Why are zero scores in tennis called ‘love’? BECAUSE: In France, where tennis became popular, the round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called’l’oeuf,’ which is French for ‘the egg.’ When tennis was introduced in the US, Americans (naturally), mispronounced it ‘love.’ 4. WHY: Why do X’s at the end of a letter signify kisses? BECAUSE: In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous. 5. WHY: Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called ‘passing the buck’? BECAUSE: In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player 20
did not wish to assume the responsibility of dealing, he would ‘pass the buck’ to the next player. 6. WHY: Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast? BECAUSE: In earlier times it used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he would only touch or clink the host’s glass with his own. 7. WHY: Why is someone who is feeling great ‘on cloud nine’? BECAUSE: Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares. 8. WHY: In golf, where did the term ‘Caddie’ come from? BECAUSE: When Mary Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl, Louis, King of France, learned that she loved the Scots game ‘golf.’ He had the first course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when she returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with her. In French, the word cadet is pronounced ‘ca-day’ and the Scots changed it into caddie. 19. WHY: Why are many coin collection jar banks shaped like pigs? BECAUSE: Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of dense orange clay called ‘pygg’. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as ‘pygg banks.’ When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a container that resembled a pig. And it caught on.And now you know the origins of some of our strange customs ......
Registers of Freemen 1196 – 1930 Recently two volumes of the Register of Freemen covering the periods 1196 to 1930 were kindly donated to the Gild by Joyce Rouse. The books were the property of Joyce’s late husband, Edwin, and the Gild is most grateful to Joyce for her generosity. 21
Have you changed your address ? In the event that is necessary to inform the Gild or the Board of any change in circumstances then the information should be sent to: Lynda Bramley Clerk to the Board Leicester Freemen’s Estate 32 Freemen’s Holt Old Church Street Aylestone Leicester LE2 8NH Telephone: 0116 – 283 4017 E-mail: leicester.freemen@talktalkbusiness.net Leicester Freemen web site: www.leicesterfreemen.com
Copy for the next issue should reach the Editor by Friday 17th October 2014 For your News and Views write to : Brian Mudford 11 Huntsman Close Markfield Leicestershire LE67 9XE Telephone 01530 245414 e-mail: brianmudford@tiscali.co.uk
22
The Master of the Leicester Gild of Freemen , Mrs Lynn Roffee and her husband Brian before the Leicester Gild banquet on 14th June 2014
Below is a photograph of Leicester Freeman Brook Lucas, grandson of Maurice Hill, in Ghana meeting a free range crocodile whilst doing charity work as part of “thrive Africa�
23
A group of photographs taken at the Garden Party held at Freemen’s Holt on Sunday 29th June 2014
BOOKING FORM
“Oh I do like to be beside the seaside” Friday 7th November at the Holt £9 including supper and refreshments Please reserve………. places at £9 each
My name is.…………………………..……...………………………………. My address is…....………………….....……………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………. Postcode……………………….Telephone……………………………. e-mail address........................................................................................ I enclose a cheque/postal order for £…………….., made payable to “Gild of Leicester Freemen”. Please send to: Andy Marriott, 10 Goldhill, Leicester LE2 6TQ. Tel: 0116 2442776 Applications will be dealt with on a first-come, first served basis.
BOOKING FORM
Visit to the Little Theatre , Dover Street, Leicester to see Puss in Boots on 19th December 2014 starting at 7 pm. Please reserve………. adult places at £14.00 each ............. children places(under 16) at £12.00 each
Please complete in CAPITAL LETTERS My name is
…………………………………………………………………
. My address is ………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………….
Postcode……………………….Telephone…………………………….
e-mail address........................................................................................
I enclose a cheque/postal order for £…………….., made payable to “Gild of Leicester Freemen”. Please send to: Andy Marriott, 10 Goldhill, Leicester LE2 6TQ. Tel: 0116 2442776 Applications will be dealt with on a first-come, first served basis.
GILD OF FREEMEN OF THE CITY OF LEICESTER APPLICATION FOR FULL MEMBERSHIP
Full Name______________________________________________ (BLOCK LETTERS)
Address_____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
Post Code ________________Tel No. _______________________ e-mail address__________________________________________ I am a duly sworn Freeman of the City of Leicester and apply to be enrolled as a Member of the Gild of Freemen, for which I enclose the sum of £10.00 (Enrolment fee of £1.00 plus the first annual subscription of £9.00).
Signature
Date APPLICATION FOR ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
Full Name______________________________________________ (BLOCK LETTERS)
Address ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ Post Code __________________Tel No. ____________________ e-mail address__________________________________________ I certify that I am the SPOUSE / WIDOW / WIDOWER / SON / DAUGHTER / GRANDCHILD aged 18 years or over (please delete where necessary) of Mr. / Mrs./ Ms. _____________________________________(Freeman of Leicester) Or I am a full member of the Guild of Freemen of_________________(City or Town) I apply to be enrolled as an Associate Member of the Gild, for which I enclose the sum of £7.00 (Enrolment Fee of £1.00 plus the first Annual Subscription of £6.00) Signature___________________________________________Date_____________ Please make cheques payable to ‘Gild of Leicester Freemen’ and send with this application to: Andy Marriott, 10 Goldhill, Leicester LE2 6TQ. Tel: 0116 2442776
BOOKING FORM
CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY SATURDAY 6TH DECEMBER 2014. 4 00 PM - 6 00 PM @ VARNEYS FUN FACTORY Please reserve………. children’s places at £3.00 each I will be responsible for my own Child or Children during the party To be signed by the Adult attending the party................................................. My name is........................................................................................................ Child’s or Children’s name(s) attending party.................................................. ............................................ ............................................. My address is…....………………….....……………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………. Postcode……………………….Telephone……………………………. e-mail address........................................................................................ I enclose a cheque/postal order for £…………….., made payable to “Gild of Leicester Freemen”. Please send to: Andy Marriott, 10 Goldhill, Leicester LE2 6TQ. Tel: 0116 2442776 Applications will be dealt with on a first-come, first served basis. We are limited to the number of Children that can use the equipment at one time.
THE GILD OF FREEMEN OF THE CITY OF LEICESTER GILD PRODUCTS ORDER FORM 1. Tie
- navy
………at £10.00 each
= £………….
- maroon
………at £10.00 each
= £………….
- green
………at £10.00 each
= £………….
- two ties (state colours) ...……at £19.00 two
= £………….
- three ties
…...…at £27.50 three
= £………….
2. Gild scarf
...........at £15.00 each
= £................
3. Key-ring
………at £5.00 each
= £………….
4. Lapel badge
………at £2.50 each
= £………….
5. Cufflinks
..........at £16.00 each
= £………….
………at £3.00 each
= £………….
…...…at £55.00 each
= £………….
.....….at £20.00 each
= £………….
8. Blazer badge
.........at £13.50 each
=£..............
9. Wall plaque, wooden
…..…at £24.00 each
= £………….
6. Gild pens
- new design
7. Arm badge - framed - unframed
10. Gown, made to measure, incl. delivery.....price on request
= £………….
(Chest ..........ins, height..........ft...........ins). 11. Register of Freemen- 1931-85
………at £4.00 each
= £………….
- 1986-96
………at £3.00 each
= £………….
TOTAL
= £…………. plus postage
I enclose cheque/postal order for the above total, made payable to: “GILD OF LEICESTER FREEMEN” NAME…………………………………………………………………………………….. ADDRESS………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………. POST CODE…………………………… E-MAIL ADDRESS:........................................................................................ Signed………………………………………………………………………………………. Please post to: Andy Marriott, 10 Goldhill, Leicester LE2 6TQ. Tel: 0116 2442776