Gildhall News May 2015

Statue of King Richard III relocated near to Leicester Cathedral

Number 71

May 2015 1

Gild Banquet Weekend 6th / 7th June 2015 This is to give you notice of the Gild’s Banquet Weekend in June, we would very much appreciate your support.

The Banquet will be held on Saturday 6th June (7.00pm) in the Holmes Suite at Devonshire Place, 78 London Road, Leicester, LE2 0RA the city’s renowned banqueting establishment, located half a mile from the city centre near the railway station and close to several hotels. There is a carpark at the rear of the building in Prebend Street.

Following a bucks fizz/wine pre-dinner reception, an appetising four-course menu, plus coffee and chocolates, has been selected, with vegetarian alternatives. Tickets cost £40 per head, please use enclosed booking form. A wine table offering reasonably priced wines will, of course, be available for dinner.

The Freemen’s Service will be held on the following day, Sunday 7th June (10.30am), at Leicester Cathedral.

The banquet is open to all members, their friends and relations. A booking form can be found in the centre pages.

If you require any further information or require details of hotels please contact Mick Ayres on 0116 2242353 2

Number 71

May 2015

Patron: Colonel Robert Martin OBE DL President: The Lord Mayor of Leicester OFFICERS 2015 - 2016 Master: L.A. Roffee Deputy Master: A. Marriott Clerk: L.A. Roffee Chamberlain: A. Marriott WARDENS M.E. Ayres, N. Cave, M.B.Hill, L. Kirk, J.D. Lewitt, B.W. Mudford.

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GILDHALL NEWS May 2015

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 Common Hall Report Over to You!

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Income and expenditure account for the year ending 31 March 2015

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Future programme - dates for your diary Saturday 6th June, Annual Gild Banquet at Devonshire Place Sunday 7th June, Annual Freemen’s Service at the Leicester Cathedral Thursday 20th August, Visit to Beaumanor Hall in Woodhouse Saturday 14th November, Arming a Knight, an evening talk with buffet at the Holt Friday 18th December, Visit to see the pantomime Aladdin at the Little Theatre

Contributions to the Gildhall News Once in a Liftime Donation to the Freemen of Leicester

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The History of the Freemen of Leicester - part 14 by John Tolton

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For Amusement Only The Gas Men No one believes seniors any more A Call to the Station Sudoku puzzles - Easy, Medium & Hard

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Have you changed your address?

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Forms included with Newsletter Booking form for visit to Beaumanor Hall Booking form to see the Aladdin pantomime Booking form for the Annual Gild Banquet Application for Membership & Associate Membership of the Gild Order form for Gild products 4

Editor’s Comments Is there any Leicester freemen out there who would like to take over the position of Editor of the Gildhall News? It wouldn’t be immediate but over a period of time. I am willing to show someone what is required and work together over several issues. I have been the Editor for over 10 years and I am getting no younger. I think it is time to hand over the job to someone else. So please let me know if you are interested, you are welcome to telephone me and discuss what is involved.

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!!

Have you researched your Family History and have found an interesting story of a family member that would be of interest? 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 It has been a busy couple of months for some members of the Gild Court, who have been busy preparing for Common Hall, the Annual Banquet, and planning events for the forthcoming year. This year we have a Freeman from Australia attending the Banquet – so it seems distance is not an issue! If you do not own a dinner suit/evening dress it’s not a problem, but smart dress is required.

The Annual Leicester Freemen’s Service, which is to be held at Leicester Cathedral, is open to all Freemen including non-Gild members. It would be nice to see you at this service where you can meet members of other Gilds/Guilds from around the country.

On 30th January the Gild was invited, by St Mary de Castro, to attend Mass to commemorate the martyrdom of King Charles 1st. He was tried and convicted for high treason, and on this day in 1649 he was executed. Eight Freemen, mostly robed, attended.

Following on from the Royal theme, the Gild was invited, by Leicester City Council, to join the City Mayor and the Lord Mayor to welcome the coffin containing the mortal remains of King Richard III at the medieval City boundary at Bow Bridge. There were cheers, clapping and salutations made to Richard, and white roses being thrown, as the cortege entered the city. Ten robed Freemen joined the walking procession following the cortege from Bow Bridge to St Nicholas, the oldest church in Leicester.

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The crowds deepened around the church and silence fell across the crowd as the cortege arrived. Although the service was short it actively involved the congregation and the prayers echoed those of past centuries. I had to pinch myself for being there and to be so close to the coffin, as the King’s remains were brought in, and then taken out of the church.

As we left the church, and stood in line along Holy Bones, waiting for the coffin to be transferred to a horse drawn hearse, you could have heard a pin drop. There were hundreds of people waiting outside, but the only sounds that could be heard were the clicking of the media cameras and one of the cortege horses moving its foot backwards and forwards on the tarmac. It’s a sound that that I can still hear and the memory will remain with me.

Twelve Gild Members were invited to the Reveal Service of King Richard III. It was originally to be a non-robed event with no civic procession. However, with less than two weeks to go, we were requested, if possible, for Freemen to be robed and there was to be a civic procession. At the end of the service the congregation was invited to view the tomb. Like thousands of people, I had queued to view the coffin, and now the tomb. It was the conclusion of an extraordinary week in Leicester and the County. However, I couldn’t resist returning to the Cathedral gardens later that night to see the 8,000 flames.

I’d like to encourage those who have taken their freedom to join the Gild and to get more involved in Gild events. We do need your support to participate in the planned events/trips that are run for Gild members and their families.

Please do contact me if you would like to help arrange an event (especially younger Freemen), or have ideas for talks, day trips or how to grow the Gild membership etc. If you have family members that are eligible to take their freedom, please encourage them to contact the Civic office and to submit their application.

Finally, I’d like to thank the Gild Court for their support, time and commitment given during this last year, and to our Patron and President, and to members & associates for their continuing support. Can I remind members/associates that haven’t paid their fees, which are due from April, to please do so ASAP. To those that paid on time – thank you!

The Gild is working on plans to celebrate its fortieth year next year and we are in the early stages. Further details will be in future GHN’s and on the website.

Lynn Roffee

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Report by Chairman of the Board - Brian Mudford It is a great honour to be re-elected Chairman of the Board of Deputies at the AGM in March. I look forward to an interesting and challenging term of office. I would like to thank the committee chairmen and my fellow Deputies for their hard work during the past year.

The Board now comprises of 16 Deputies. The diverse skills and experience of the Board is a valuable resource in maintaining and developing the services provided for the Freemen of Leicester. If you are a Freeman of Leicester and have a few hours a month to spare, and would be interested in joining the Board please email office@leicesterfreemen.com or phone Lynda on 0116 283 4017.

During the last twelve months we have been trialing a new committee and meeting structure. This involved the creation of a new Planning committee which is intended to enable the Board to conduct more work that will provide the extra capacity to succeed in our ambitions for the charity.

The Annual Inspection of the estate by the Deputies took place on Saturday 11h April.

This will be used to prepare a project plan for improvements and any remedial work required through the coming year. The Board also has an ongoing development plan for the estate which for 2015 includes the following major enhancements: ·

Bungalow 28 has recently been completed and is the first bungalow to have an extension built to the front. The extended kitchen, new lobby area, extra double room and washroom give a spacious feel to the bungalow and the residents are delighted with the result.

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Bungalow 12 has been allocated to a new couple who will move in when work on this extended property is fully completed. This extension includes a new lobby area and double room providing valuable extra space. The new patio doors in the lounge open out onto an extended block paved patio area to the rear of the property.

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Bungalow 25 has been refurbished, redecorated and was recently allocated to a resident who is looking forward to moving into her new home later in the year.

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Bungalow 7 has also been redecorated and when allocated to a new resident they will have input to layout and style of new kitchen units and worktops to be fitted.

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Two more standard bungalows have recently become available and are due to be refurbished during May. 7

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Work to extend bungalow 17 (another front extension) has incurred a 6 week delay due to unforeseen problems and bungalow 34 will also be extended (out to the rear) later in the year.

Extended bungalows are more appealing for couples and attract more applications, but not all bungalows are suitable to be extended. The Deputies agreed that extended bungalows will only be offered to couples although all applications will be considered and allocated on the basis of “need” as per the Statutory Instruments.

The Open Day on 24th February was successful with quite a few interested Freemen visiting to have a look around and ask questions about living at the Holt. MB Hill hosted the day and S Jinks and RA Staines also attended. Residents David Johnson and John Tolton came along to talk with the visitors and kindly showed them around their bungalows. Some Freemen were keen to return for a further visit with other family members.

Freemen’s Holt is looking in good order, the grass, shrubs and flowerbeds are being well maintained. Everything is looking good for the summer.

Brian Mudford

Chamberlain’s Report by Andy Marriott The Gild accounts have now been audited by our Honorary Auditor Maurice Hill and are recorded as a true picture of the Gilds accounts in the year ending 31st March 2015 This year has been my first year as the Chamberlain to the Gild and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the other wardens of the court for their continued support over the past year.

A copy of the Income and expenditure account for the year ending 31 March 2015 is shown on

page 21 Some things of note are that the accounts do not show are cheques awaiting payment into the bank, as I took the decision to cease all payment activity until after 31st march 2015 as the cut off point for auditing purposes. These cheques have since been deposited and will be reflected in the accounts for the financial year 2015 to 2016.

I have also set up and created an electronic data base where all payments of subscriptions for membership and contact details are recorded. I have also moved the Gilds accounting book for this current year to an electronic format with the intention of enabling easier reporting of the Gilds accounts to the Wardens of the Court, which will I hope be an easier process.

I’m pleased to report that Maurice Hill has kindly offered to be the Honorary Auditor for this year.

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In summing up I can report that the Gild’s finances show a decrease in value when compared with the last audit completed in 2014. This appears to be mainly due to some Gild members being in arrears with their subscriptions payments.

I would ask, please, that if you have not yet paid your subs for this year can I remind you that they are now due. If you do not pay within the next six months then your name will be removed from the Gilds membership records. I do very much hope that this will act as a reminder and look forward to receiving the fees that are due.

Andy Marriott

Report on the FEW (Freemen of England and Wales)

by Michael Ayres On Saturday 14th March I represented the Leicester Gild at the FEW Court meeting which was hosted by the Freemen of Northampton and held in the Northampton Guild Hall, (see photograph on back cover) One of the main discussions at the meeting, was the amount of expenses’ members of the FEW Executive Committee would be able to claim travelling to meetings. With a number of long discussions taking place it was finally establish that they would be able to claim up to a maximise of 35 pence per mile. Train and public transport expenses can be claimed on summiting the receipts.

The Guild representative attending the meeting should claim their expenses from their own Gild.

One of the other discussions held during the meeting is the lack of interest from members of the FEW to serve on the Executive Committee of the FEW. Two members of the committee are holding two positions which is not an ideal situation.

This also applies to the Freemen from other Guilds; no one these days seems interested on serving on the Guild Courts. If this does not change within the next few years there will be no Freemen’s Guild in existence. The full report of this meeting will be published in the FEW journal no 181.

The next meeting of the FEW will be the AGM hosted this year by the Gild of Freemen of Berwick–upon-Tweed, will be held from 11th to 13th September in the Guild Hall Berwick-upon-Tweed. The complete cost of the weekend package is £97 per person.

Plus the weekend accommodation Hotels and a booking form are available by contacting Berwick-upon-Tweed Secretary Mrs. S. Weatherburn. 9 Lovaine Terrace Berwick-upon-Tweed Northumberland TD15 1LA. Phone 01289 298579 e-mail weathburn@lowgreens.wanadoo.co.uk

Michael Ayres

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Common Hall – 15th April 2015 This year’s Common Hall was held in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall on Wednesday 15th April to elect three Court Members and to elect Officers of the Court as identified in the Notice of Common Hall.

Gild members were welcomed to the Council Chamber by the Lord Mayor, Councillor John Thomas accompanied by his consort who both retired from the meeting before the business of the evening took place. The Gild Master Lynn Roffee chaired the meeting and gave the Gild’s annual report.

The three retiring members from the Court were Andy Marriott, Maurice Hill and Tony Chettle (the latter did not seek re-election). There were no nominations for a third member so Andy and Maurice were re-elected by a show of hands to serve on the court for a three year period.

Lynn Roffee was elected Master of the Gild, Andy Marriott Deputy Master and the Chamberlain. Due to no volunteers for the post of Clerk, Lynn Roffee offered and was elected. Brian Mudford was elected as Editor and John Tolton elected as Archivist.

Mick Ayres was elected as Gild Representitive of the Freemen of England and Wales (FEW).

After the business of the evening was concluded the members retired to the tea rooms for refreshments.

Over to you!

With Common Hall behind us and a brand new year ahead I thought I’d take a moment to sit and write this article as a personal message to you all. So without further ado let me start this article with a heartfelt thank you from the Wardens of the Court to all those Gild members that attended Common Hall this year and a personal thank you for all those that supported me and showed their continued support for my continuation as Gild Chamberlain and in taking the position of Deputy Master of the Gild.

The Leicester Gild of Freemen of the City of Leicester is soon to celebrate its 40th Anniversary and I thought this would be a good time to write to you all and ask the questions. What would you like from your Gild? How would you like to see your Gild progress? What can do we do that would make your Gild better? What are we getting right? And what can we improve on? How can we attract more members to your Gild? How can we attract younger members to the Gild?

This is your Gild so please let us know your thoughts, ideas and feelings and help us to get this right for you and help us to continue the Gild for another 40 years.

So now it’s over to you! Please send your thoughts, ideas and feelings. I can’t promise we will be able to do everything you ask or suggest but I can promise we will look at each and every response.

Andy Marriott, 10 Goldhill, Leicester LE2 6TQ or andymarriott@live.co.uk

Andy Marriott Deputy Master & Chamberlain 10

Programme of Future Events Visit to Beaumanor Hall Woodhouse LE12 8TX on Thursday 20th August 2015 at 6pm The full tour takes around 2 hours & 30 minutes, which includes a break for tea and biscuits. You will visit the main rooms in the Hall & Cellars and outside you will see the buildings erected in WW11 when Beaumanor Hall was a Y station and go into at least two of them.

Cost is ÂŁ6.00 per person payable on entry.

Places are limited. Parking available.

Please complete booking form included in this issue and return to Andy Marriott, 10 Goldhill, Leicester LE2 6TQ, Tel: 0116 2442776

by Friday 31 July 2015

The Gild Annual Banquet Saturday 6th June 2015 Devonshire Place, London Road, Leicester This year will be the sixth year that the Gild have held their Annual Banquet at Devonshire Place and all freemen, not just Gild members, are invited with their family and friends.

It is an ideal way for new freemen to find out what we are all about and what makes us tick. It is only a few weeks away, so if you have not booked yet please do not delay and complete the booking form included in this issue as soon as possible to reserve your seats and return it to Andy Marriott at the address on the form.

The event has been a great success in previous years; attended by freemen not just from Leicester but from many other Guilds up and down the country. The Gild Court has received nothing but plaudits from those who attended in the past, so much so that some of the visiting freemen from other Guilds consider our banquet to be the highlight of the year. Tickets this year will be maintained at ÂŁ40.00 per head.

Devonshire Place is an excellent venue providing top class food accompanied by top class service and, of course, the company is also top class. The Banqueting Hall is set out with round tables which make for easy conversation with your neighbours and ensures that no-one is left out at the end of the row.

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A number of us attend banquets organized by other Freemen’s Guilds and wherever we go we are made welcome, and we like to reciprocate. Freemen from whichever town or city they hail from are friendly, and I like to think that we are as well.

The following morning, Sunday 7th June, the Freemen’s Annual Church Service will be held in St Martin’s Cathedral and all freemen and their families are invited to attend regardless of whether or not they attended the banquet.

Visit to the Little Theatre , Dover Street, Leicester to see Aladdin on Friday 18th December 2015 starting at 7 pm.

A perfect Christmas treat for all the family!

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.

Please note that we have to return unsold tickets to the Little Theatre by the end of October, so don’t delay in booking your seats.

Contributions to the Gildhall News ***************************** Once in a Lifetime by Kathy Stott King Richard lll has returned for a royal burial.

On Sunday 22nd March I was in the huge crowd of people who went to see the remains of King Richard III enter Leicester for a burial fit for the king he was.

When I was very young (5yrs old ) I lived at the back of Central station on a road called Alexander Terrace. Memories of Sunday mornings visiting my grandparents on Outram Street and Millstone Lane would see us walk up Bath Lane and through Castle gardens (Sparrow Park) as it was affectionately known. I well remember seeing regularly swans on the canal and in the fishing season fishermen along the canal banks.

Recently archaeology in the area of Alexander Terrace has been completed and now student accommodation is being built. My father ( Ray Daniell ) recalls many a tale of

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bones and artefacts being uncovered and just discarded whilst he was working in the building trade at Donisthorpe Hosiery factory close to Alexander Terrace.

History has always been of great interest to me and the discovery of King Richard III’s remains so close to where I lived and walked ( again many memories can be recalled) is very fitting.

It was my intention to revisit the Bath Lane area to see the King Richard III cortege enter the City of Leicester over Bow bridge ( just a short way from Bath Lane ).

With my husband who is also named Richard we set off on our journey ( from Shepshed where I now live) into Leicester by using the park and ride at Birstall.

The day was fantastic and we were able to watch the cortege from Bath lane as we had planned. On arrival we enjoyed a picnic in the castle gardens where I noticed that swans were on the canal and with the sun shining it was the perfect setting for the occasion.

The cortege arrived and as it passed, amidst the solemnity of the occasion on seeing the members of the Leicester Gild of Freemen, I felt a great sense of pride that in my lifetime I have seen this important part of British history, and am now a Freeman of Leicester myself.

Kathy Stott 13

Donation to the Freemen of Leicester The following details were received from Rachel Sandry: My grandfather Arthur Pywell unfortunately passed away in September last year. He was incredibly proud to be a freeman of Leicester and came from a long family line of freemen of the City. After his passing we decided that we would celebrate the freemenship that he was so lucky to be a part of during his send off. The retiring collection was donated to the Freemen of Leicester and we were so pleased to raise money for something that was so close to his heart.

The Freemen’s Charity was very pleased to receive the thoughtful donation in memory of Arthur.

History of Freemen – Part 14 After The Commonwealth On the 12th of May 1660 King Charles II was duly proclaimed in Leicester at the High Cross. The current Mayor of Leicester, John Clay, along with the civic dignitaries who had taken up office during the period of the Commonwealth, welcomed the restoration of the Monarchy, although with a degree of unease. For many years the Member of Parliament elected by the Corporation to represent Leicester at the time of Cromwell had been Sir Arthur Hazlerigg (although not the present MP in 1660) who was one of a group responsible for the execution of Charles I and their connection with such an anti-royalist was of great concern to those freemen who were members of the corporation. In the hope of proving their loyalty to the new king the Corporation presented a gift of £300 in gold, in a rich purse of silk brocade, carried to London by three of the aldermen and the two chamberlains, attended by three sergeants at mace. The present could not have impressed the King as by October 1662 the Leicester Corporation had been purged of 40 members, 15 being aldermen, and 25 common councilmen (comburgesses).

It may be recalled that in the reign of Henry VII the freemen at large had been disenfranchised and no longer had the right to vote neither for the members of the Corporation nor for the Members of Parliament representing Leicester. The aldermen and comburgesses of the corporation had been self electing, replacing any lost alderman from the comburgesses, and any lost comburgess by selection from outside, providing he was deemed suitable by the aldermen. Quite often the selection made was from the county landed gentry ensuring the political bias of the Corporation remained consistent.

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Five times in the following 29 years the corporation of Leicester was remodeled.

Three times a new charter was drawn up. The Corporation Act of 1661 imposed upon all mayors, aldermen, common councilors, recorders, and other corporation officers the obligation to take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, to repudiate by a formal declaration the rightfulness of resistance to the monarch by force of arms.

Commissioners were appointed for each county and given power until March 1663 ‘by order and warrant to displace or remove’ any members or officers they should think fit, even though they might have taken or be willing to take the oaths and fulfill the other requirements stated in the Act. In fact, for fifteen months the rights and powers of the corporations were virtually suspended. Leicester was investigated by John Bale, Thomas Merry, George Faunt, William Whalley, and Richard Orton. Faunt and Orton were deputy-lieutenants, and Faunt was one of the knights of the shire elected in 1661. No trace seems to have survived of the detailed grounds of rejection and choice of the 40 members of the Corporation in 1662. The interests of the Crown were watched in Leicester by Henry, Lord Loughborough, and in October 1662 after the removal of the 40 councilors the new corporation reported to Lord Loughborough.

In 1663 the first steps were taken for the review of the town’s privileges, in line with the general policy of the government. Acting under advice, they considered what improvements they (the Corporation) might ask for: a confirmation of the trade privileges; a new horse market; and above all a strengthening of their jurisdiction in the suburbs and fields by the exclusion of the county officers although the latter request was not pushed for nor received.

Letters patent were received on 20 January 1665 which contained two principle points. The first was the great emphasis on the oaths of allegiance and supremacy.

The other was the provision that the appointment to certain offices, of a legal and judicial sort, of ‘recorder, steward, solicitor or common clerk’, was to depend on royal approval and licence, and a month or so later, the king formally approved the appointment as town clerk of John Hackle in succession to Edward Palmer.

The insistence on the qualifying oaths had the disadvantage that the pretence of conscientious refusal could be made the excuse for refusing office. In 1665 Edward Billers, William Warburton, and William Orton were actually summoned from Leicester to the Privy Council, and detained in custody, because they refused to take the usual oaths and to pay the consequent fines.

The letters patent of 1665 made no reference to the election of parliamentary representation of the borough by way of returning the right to vote by the freemen.

From the time of Henry VII until the Restoration burgesses had been elected in the Common Hall, the commonalty as a whole being excluded. In February 1661 the mayor, in the course of a discussion with Lord Loughborough about the election soon to be held, hoped that this would continue. He requested that Lord Loughborough would recommend someone well known in the town, for the recommendation of a stranger might provoke the commonalty to interfere in the election. A double return 15

was made involving three candidates, none of them strangers to the town. John Grey was already known as a member, and had family connections with the Earl of Rutland. Sir William Hartopp was a well-established county landowner, living at Rotherby. The third, Sir John Pretyman, was lord of the manor and patron of the living of Loddington. Hartopp’s name was in both returns, so that the issue lay between Grey and Pretyman.

For whatever reason, the House of Commons determined in favour of Pretyman, although it may have been because of the three candidates Pretyman was the only one who was never to have been made a freeman. Pretyman for a time held the office of Receiver of First Fruits and Tenths, but was found in December 1663 to be indebted to the Crown in respect of the moneys of that office, £19,864 9s. 9d. After long processes his estate at Loddington was impounded in 1671 on account of the £16,000 or more still owing. In other ways Pretyman was not an ideal member. In 1670 he was suspended for abuse of privilege by using it to get out of the King’s Bench prison a certain Robert Haimes, whom he untruthfully made out to be his own menial servant.

In 1684, pressure to surrender its charters was put upon the corporation by the Earl of Huntingdon, who had only just become Lord Lieutenant. In the end the surrender was voted in the Common Hall, 45 votes to 4. Four men were reported by name as voting against the surrender, Bentley, Brooksby, Harris, and one of the Bents. Even when the surrender had been voted, its execution was delayed, until a new mayor was not merely elected on the St. Matthew’s Day following, but also sworn in on the next Michaelmas This was particularly irritating to the earl, who wished to get the surrender back to the king when he came back from Newmarket on 25 September.

The new charter was issued on 10 December 1684. The companies were reduced in size, though not so far as the earl had at first thought, by the reduction of the 48 to 36, the aldermen remaining at 24. The chamberlains were abolished, and their duties taken over by two bailiffs. The power of electing burgesses to Parliament was not confined to the companies as they had wished, but extended to inhabitants paying scot and lot (freemen). Finally, as was only to be expected, the Crown was given, in the most explicit terms, powers of removal of all officers and members of the hall at pleasure. Of the four who had voted against the surrender, not one remained in the body as reconstituted, This new charter had not been long in force when Charles II died on 6 February 1685.

In no small degree as a result of the manipulations of the previous three or four years the House of Commons met in a spirit of great loyalty to the Crown, which was only affected by James II’s favour towards Roman Catholics and Dissenters. He set about using methods to abase the Church interest by a new regulation of the municipalities.

This changes began for Leicester in February 1688, when by order taken in the Privy Council eleven aldermen, sixteen of the common councilmen, the bailiff, the town clerk, and the town solicitor were put out, and new men brought in. These new men 16

included all those whom named as against the surrender of 1684, the rich dyer Edmund Johnson, Bentley, Brooksby, Bent, Wallin, Dudley, Harris, and Buxton.

Significantly they were dispensed from taking the oaths for the defense of the Church of England which had been expressly included in the charter of 1684. On 22 and 27 April there were new removals and appointments, until in all 33 persons who had been named in the charter of 1684 were turned out.

A new charter was issued on 15 September 1688, and many of the changes made in 1684 were continued in the charter of 1688. The companies were kept at 24 and 36, the two bailiffs still did the work formerly given to chamberlains, and the Earl of Huntingdon remained as recorder, with power to appoint his deputy. The new charter strongly asserted, as the former had done, the Crown’s rights of removal.

In other respects the charter of 1688 went contrary to that of 1684. in that the mayor, aldermen, councilmen, and all other officers named were ‘by virtue of the prerogative dispensed, pardoned, remitted, and exonerated’ from taking the oath for the defense of the Church of England. Only four aldermen and four councilmen of 1684 remained in the corporation as reconstituted by this new charter. The charter of 1688 made another radical change, it restricted the parliamentary franchise to the mayor, aldermen, and common councilmen, a change that the Corporation had pushed for.

James II abdicated that same year and in 1689 William and Mary became joint sovereigns, and further changes were ahead.

The Gas Men Two gas company service men, a senior training supervisor and a young trainee, were out checking meters in a suburban neighbourhood. They parked their truck at the end of the alley and worked their way to the other end. At the last house, an old woman looking out her kitchen window watched the two men check her gas meter.

Finishing the meter check, the senior supervisor challenged his younger coworker to a foot race down the alleyway back to the truck to prove that an older guy could outrun a younger guy. As they came running up to the truck, they discovered the old lady from the last house was huffing and puffing behind them in her housecoat and slippers. They stopped and asked her what was wrong. Gasping for breath and holding her wig in place, she replied, “When I see two gas men running as hard as you two were, I figured I’d better run too!”

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No one believes seniors any more No one believes seniors . . . everyone thinks they are senile.

An elderly couple was celebrating their sixtieth anniversary. The couple had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old neighbourhood after they retired. Holding hands, they walked back to their old school. It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they’d shared, where Jerry had carved I love you, Sally.

On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armoured car, practically landing at their feet. Sally quickly picked it up and, not sure what to do with it, they took it home. There, she counted the money - fifty thousand pounds!

Jerry said, We’ve got to give it back.

Sally said, Finders keepers. She put the money back in the bag and hid it in their attic.

The next day, two police officers were canvassing the neighbourhood looking for the money, and knocked on their door. Pardon me, did either of you find a bag that fell out of an armoured car yesterday?

Sally said, No. Jerry said, She’s lying. She hid it up in the attic.

Sally said, Don’t believe him, he’s getting senile The two police officers turned to Jerry and began to question him.

One said: Tell us the story from the beginning.

Jerry said, Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday ..........

The first police officer turned to his partner and said, We’re out of here!

A call to the Station Two policemen call the station on the radio.

“Hello. Is that you Sarge?”

“Yes?” “We have a case here. A woman has shot her husband for stepping on the floor she had just mopped clean.”

“Have you arrested the woman?”

“No sir. The floor is still wet.”

18

Sudoku puzzles Test your mental agility with our three puzzles.

Each row, column and 3x3 box must contain all the numbers 1 to 9

The answers can be found on the next page.

Don’t cheat, wait until you have had a go at completing all three puzzles

19

Answers to the Sudoku puzzles

20

The Gild of Freemen of the City of Leicester Income and expenditure account for the year ending 31 March 2015 2015 £ £ Income Entrance Fees 5 Annual subscriptions Gildsmen 1517 Associate Members 220 1737 Donations 6 Sales of Gild insignia Gowns, Ties, badges etc.

264 Less cost -212 52 Bank Interest 2 1802 Total income Expenditure Functions and events Expenses 5145 Income -4147 998 Printing postage and stationary 625 Donations / subscriptions FEW subscription 60 Lord Mayor’s Appeal donation 200 Cathedral Appeal donation 200 Miscellaneous Expenses 517 Total expenditure 2600 Excess (deficit) of income over expenditure (798) Add balance from previous year

2014 £

£ 5

2376 358

707 -584

6355 -6340

2734 25

122 1 2888

15 1444 60 200 174 2155 733

Total

7611 6753

6878 7611

Total

4604 0 98 1911 200 6813

4739 0 148 2597 250 7734

Less cash received in advance and creditors Total

60 6753

-123 7611

Represented by Cash at bank Cheques awaiting payment into bank Petty cash Stock if Gild insignia Prepayments

I have examined the books of the Gild and can certify that the Income and Expenditure Account truly reflects their content.

Based upon past experience I would make two comments as follows: 1. There would appear to be a number of Members in arrears or have left the Gild 2. In the 2014 audit prepared by R. Mason the figure of £15 is very suspect, being so low

Maurice Hill, Honorary Auditor April 2015

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 July 2015 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

Group photograph taken at the FEW meeting held in Northampton on Saturday 14th March 2015

Members of the Gild of Freemen assembling in St. Martin’s House prior to attanding the Service of Reveal of the Tomb in Leicester Cathedral on Friday 27th March 2015 23

Members of the Gild of Freemen walking behind the cortege transporting the mortal remains of King Richard III from Bow Bridge to St. Nicholas church on Sunday 22nd March 2015.

BOOKING FORM

Visit to Beaumanor Hall Woodhouse LE12 8TX on Thursday 20th August 2015 at 6pm Please reserve

………. places at £6.00 each

My name is

………………………………………………………………………….

My address is

…………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………….

Postcode……………………….Telephone……………………………. e-mail address............................................................................................................

I agree to pay the required entrance fee on the night. Please send to:

Andy Marriott, 10 Goldhill, Leicester LE2 6TQ. Tel: 0116 2442776

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ---BOOKING FORM

Visit to the Little Theatre, Dover Street, Leicester To see Aladdin on 18th December 2015 starting at 7 pm Please reserve

………. adult places at £14.00 each ............ children places (under 16) at £12.00 each

My name is (CAPITAL LETTERS)……………………………………………………….

My address is (CAPITAL LETTERS)………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………….

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 strictly on a first-come, first served basis.

BOOKING FORM

Gild Gala Banquet Saturday 6th June 2015 at Devonshire Place Please reserve................places at £40.00 each I will require.........vegetarian meals .........of us will be attanding the Annual Freemen’s Service at Leicester Cathedral on Sunday 7th June 2015 My name is .............................................................................................

Address................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................ ..................................................................................................................

Post code.........................Telephone number..........................................

My guests will be: .............................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................

Please advise on any special dietary requirements or vegetarian meals against guest name 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 E-mail: Applications will be dealt with strictly on a first-come, first served basis.

No bookings will be accepted after 25th May 2015.

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

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