Honorary freemen, aldermen and officers

Freedom of Entry dates from the Middle Ages. It allowed special armed forces inside the boundaries of other towns as a mark of mutual trust.

Today, Freedom of Entry is granted to military units for noticeable service and who are closely associated with the town.

Guildford had its first permanent barracks after the army reforms of 1871 and 1881. It became home to the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment at Stoughton. The successor regiment - the Queen's Royal Regiment - was granted the Freedom of Guildford in 1945. It exercised its right to march through the town for the first time on 29 September 1945.

The Queen's and the East Surrey Regiment amalgamated in 1959. The civic honours granted to them were extended to the successor Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment. They marched through Guildford on 28 April 1960, and again in 1966 on the formation of the Queen's Regiment.

It was continued in 1992 following the formation of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (PWRR).

On 22 June 1988, the Women's Royal Army Corps, based at Stoughton, was granted the Freedom of the Borough. The Corps was disbanded four years later.

On 6 March 2017, we granted the Freedom of the Borough to the Army Training Corps (Pirbright). Like the PWRR, they have the right to march through the town with "drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed".

The title 'alderman' comes from the Old English word ealdorman, meaning 'elder man'. The ealdorman was chief royal representative and presiding judge of the Anglo-Saxon shires.

Often related to the king, the ealdorman became known as the eorl or earl. However, the role of earl became a title rather than an appointment. As the government of the City of London developed, the Court of Aldermen became the main governing body. Most of its powers were later taken over by the Court of Common Council.

In 1835, local government reform led to the Municipal Corporations Act. The act adopted the City of London as its model for all English corporations.

Before 1835, Guildford had no aldermen - except for the years 1686-1688. In 1686, James II issued new charters to boroughs, giving them a constitution of mayor, aldermen and councillors. The charters gave the king the right to dismiss any member who displeased him.

James's borough charters were revoked in 1688. Guildford then went back to its old corporation of Mayor and Approved Men. The scarlet gowns now worn by the Honorary Aldermen are inspired by the 1686 charter.

The Local Government Act of 1972 did away with aldermen. But, Section 249 of the act states that a council may,

"by a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the members voting at a specially-convened meeting, confer the title of Honorary Aldermen on persons who have 'rendered eminent services to the council as past members."

Honorary Aldermen do not have the right to attend meetings of the council. They can take part in civic ceremonies as an acknowledgement of esteem.

After 1835, one quarter of the council were aldermen, elected by the council. They did not represent specific wards and served a six-year term. Half of them were elected every third year at the council's annual meeting.

It was thought that the councillors would choose people from outside the council. In practice, aldermen were usually long-serving councillors.

Download a list of the Honorary Freemen of Guildford. (PDF, 1 MB)

Current Honorary Aldermen

• Mrs T Baker MBE, councillor from 1991 to 2007
• Mr K Childs, councillor from 1991 to 2007
• Mrs C Cobley, councillor from 1979 to 1999
• Mrs S Creedy, councillor from 2003 to 2015
• Mrs V Johnson, councillor from 1991 to 2007
• Mrs J D Marks, councillor from 1986 to 2007
• Mr T Patrick, councillor from 2003 to 2015
• Mrs L Strudwick, councillor from 1983 to 2007
• Mr N Sutcliffe, councillor from 1999 to 2015
• Mr M A H M Williamson, councillor from 1979 to 1995

We have adopted a protocol on the appointment, role, status, rights, and obligations of Honorary Freemen and Honorary Aldermen. (Word doc, 65 KB)

As a council, we can give honorary titles to individuals who have made a contribution to the borough. In the past, these titles came with special rights or privileges. This is not the case today. The following sections outline the history of honorary titles and why we give them.

History of Freedom of the Borough

In the past, the Freedom of the Borough of Guildford gave important privileges. For example, only freemen had a parliamentary vote and a tradesman had to be a freeman to set up a business in the town.

To become a freeman, a person had to be either:

• apprenticed to an existing freeman of the borough for at least seven years
• the eldest son of a freeman

Another way was by entry into the Corporation. This involved several years' unpaid service as a borough official or the payment of a fee.

John Aylward, a London clockmaker, received freedom to trade in Guildford in 1683 by donating the Guildhall clock.

The Reform Act of 1832 and the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835 removed the benefits enjoyed by freemen.

Honorary Freemen

The Honorary Freedom of Boroughs Act 1885 introduced awarding the Freedom of a Borough as an honour.

In 1972, the Local Government Act gave councils power to make 'persons of distinction and persons who have rendered eminent services' Honorary Freemen. The decision had to be made by two-thirds of councillors passing a resolution at a specially convened meeting.

In recent years, the council has awarded the Freedom of the Borough to:

• Bill Bellerby MBE - past Mayor (twice), and councillor from 1953 to 1995
• Doreen Bellerby MBE - past Mayor, and councillor from 1954 to 1995
• David Watts - former Chief Executive of the council from 1984 to 2002
• Andrew Hodges - past Mayor, former leader of the council, and councillor from 1976 to 2011
• Jen Powell - past Mayor, and councillor from 1987 to 2015
• Keith Churchouse - in recognition of his eminent and distinguished service to the Borough of Guildford in the fields of business, economic growth and prosperity, cultural endeavour, and charitable work
• David Goodwin - in recognition of the distinguished and eminent service to the Borough of Guildford as a councillor from 1999 to 2023

Despite it being the highest honour Guildford can award, the Freedom had no insignia associated with it until the introduction of blue-trimmed gowns in 1995.

High Steward

High Steward is an honorary title. The honour is given by the councils or charter trustees of certain towns and cities in England. The position was originally a judicial position with local powers. By the seventeenth century the role became largely ceremonial.

The title is usually awarded for life. In some cases, it has become associated with a particular peerage title. Guildford is one of 24 communities in England that has the right to award the status of High Steward.

The office of High Steward in Guildford seems to have emerged in the 1570s. However, no statute or charter established it. It appears to have been an honorary post given to a courtier to look after the borough's interests at the Royal Court. The only duty of the High Steward is the tradition of presenting a plum cake to any member of the Royal family visiting Guildford.

The current High Steward of Guildford is Rupert Bullard, Eighth Earl of Onslow.

Honorary Recorder

Over many centuries, a Recorder was appointed as the presiding Judge for Guildford Quarter Sessions. Over the years, many notable Queen's/King's Counsel had held the position of Recorder of Guildford. These included Sir Edward Marshall Hall, James Cassells and Derek Curtis-Bennett.

Quarter Sessions were abolished in 1972. However, the former Borough Council decided to exercise power, under Section 54 of the Courts Act 1971, to appoint an Honorary Recorder of Guildford.

Honorary Recorder is an honorary role and the post-holder has no specific duties. They usually attend civic ceremonial events such as the Annual Council meeting, the annual Remembrance Service, and the Service for the Judiciary.

Past Honorary Recorders of Guildford are:

• His Honour Judge Richard Vick: 1971 - 1997
• His Honour Judge John Bull QC DL: 1998 - 2010
• His Honour Judge Christopher Critchlow DL: 2010 - 2017

The current Honorary Recorder for Guildford is His Honour Judge Robert Fraser MVO.

The appointment of Honorary Remembrancer was created in May 1933. It was created especially for Dr G C Williamson, an antiquarian and local historian. The honour was created in recognition of his services investigating and recording the town's history.

At annual elections of mayors, he read reviews of the more important work carried out by the Corporation during the past year. Rather than an annual report, he began to chronicle events in the town by amassing material in scrapbooks. These included the results of his historical research as well as contemporary matters. They are are now kept at the Surrey History Centre.

Williamson died in 1942. Even though the role was created for him, the post of Honorary Remembrancer continued. F W Elsley, the Honorary Curator of Guildford Museum, was appointed to the position next. It was Elsley who began the series of annual reports, copies of which were circulated amongst councillors. Until the 1970s, Remembrancers were local historians. It then became the practice to offer the post to a long-serving councillor, usually an Alderman.

The original concept has been restored to with the appointment of Mr Matthew Alexander in 2010.

Honorary Remembrancer's Report 2021-22 (Word doc, 83 KB)