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History of Mildenhall Parish Council 1894 – 1999 Index Introduction Page 1 The History and Functions of Parish Councils Page 2 The role of parish councils Page 3 The Minutes of Mildenhall Parish Council Page 4 Appendix 1 Council Chairman between 1894 and 1999 Page 199 Appendix 2 Council Vice Chairman between 1894 and 1999 Page 199 Appendix 3 Council Clerks between 1894 and 1999 Page 200 Appendix 4 Longest serving councillors between 1894 and 1999 Page 200 Appendix 5 Estimates/Precepts between 1894 and 1999 Page 201 References Page 203 Kingsway Cemetery Page 203 Introduction Mildenhall Parish Council (MPC) was formed in 1894 and covered the Parish of Mildenhall, this comprised Mildenhall (High Town) and the villages of West Row (WR) Beck Row (BR), Holywell Row (HR) and Kenny Hill (KH). The research for this project was carried out by Brian Sulman parish councillor from 1999 and chairman 2009/2011 and 2015/16. It is a record of the activities of the council until Beck Row, Holywell Row and Kenny Hill formed their own council in 1999 and is from research at the Bury Record Office using the official council minute books. It is acknowledged that this only a summary and readers requiring more information should see the actual records which may be found under ref EG 711/1/1 to EG 711/1/17. Please note that there are many abbreviations used in this document and the full words will be given in the first instance of their use. [ Brackets are used where notes are by B Sulman]. A database has also been produced which records the names of every person who has been a member of Mildenhall Parish Council during the period 1894 -1999. It also records the attendance of every councillor at every meeting of the full council and also includes those elected as chairman and vice chairman. Update At the time of this update, April 2018 it has been agreed that the parish will be split from the elections to be held in May 2019. The existing ward of West Row which includes Isleham Marina will form it own parish council. 1 | 2 7 / 0 4 / 2 0 1 8 H i s t o r y of Mildenhall Parish Council THE HISTORY AND FUNCTIONS OF PARISH COUNCILS Parish Councils have their origins in the development of villages, all over England, during Saxon and Norman times - 1000 or more years ago. Villages were ruled by the Lord of the Manor because as communications were poor and central government often weak, there was little national control. Sometimes the villages all met to make decisions which affected the whole community. Gradually, it seems, that Parish Priests and sometimes Schoolmasters joined the Lord of the Manor to become a kind of ruling clique because in small villages they were the only people who could reason right. It was probably them that became the first effective parish councils. By the Year 1601, Church Vestry Meetings were so organised and workable that it was quite natural for legislators to give them the responsibility of levying the poor rate. These were the first effective local taxes. Everyone in the parish was entitled to attend Church Vestry Meetings but in practice the work fell to a few individuals, rather like Parish Councils today. Although the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act removed from Parish Vestries the responsibility for poor relief and handed it to Poor Law Unions (the origins of our present District Councils) parishes had naturally accumulated responsibility for administering local charities, managing commons under distribution of land as a consequence of the 18th Century Enclosure Acts. In 1894 although the Squire, the Parson and sometimes the Schoolmaster were still the leaders in the village, popular education was spreading and more people wanted a say in managing local affairs. The great Victorian Prime Minister, W.E. Gladstone, piloted the 1894 Local Government Act through the House of Commons. It met a lot of opposition, for example there were over eight hundred amendments moved during its passage through the House. Nevertheless, the Act became law and Parish Councils were formed. Under the 1894 Act, Parish Councils were to receive their income from rates levied on agricultural land, but this was a time of agricultural depression and the money raised was so very low that soon this system was abandoned. Householders were then rated; something householders had never experienced before, and this lead to more opposition to Parish Councils. It wasn‟t until after the first world war that Central Government began to give serious responsibilities to Parish Councils. The earliest among them being the provision of allotments and playing fields. Although an Act relating to allotments had been passed in 1908. After the second world war the National Association of Parish Councils was formed, and by 1952 half of all parishes in the country were members, Mildenhall joining in 1948. The Association became a national force and raised the profile and consequently the activity of parish councils. 2 | 2 7 / 0 4 / 2 0 1 8 H i s t o r y of Mildenhall Parish Council Role of Parish Councils The 1965 Royal Commission on Local Government (The Redcliffe-Maude Commission) recommended that local councils should be empowered to do what they pleased for the benefit of their people, and a consequence of this was the very important 1972 Local Government Act which removed many of the restrictions on the activities of parish councils. For example, before the 1972 Act, parish councils couldn‟t save money from one year to the next in order to fund a major project. Something all councils have to do these days to avoid having a massive council tax for each year that anything new is attempted. Subsequent legislation has added to parish council powers and now local councils can undertake any of the following things:- The provision of allotments. Developing and improving knowledge of the arts and crafts. Provision of bars and laundrettes. Cemeteries, crematoria, maintenance of churchyards and the provision of mortuaries. Provision and maintenance of public clocks. Provision of any form of public entertainment and of any premises for giving entertainments; this includes maintaining bands or orchestras and providing for dancing. The provision of buildings for public meetings and functions, indoor sports, physical recreation, for clubs having recreation, social or athletic objectives. The provision and maintenance of footway lighting, which lights roads and pavements. The provision of litter bins and the support of anti-litter campaigns. The provision and maintenance of public open spaces, pleasure grounds and public walks, public lavatories, car parks, cycle parks, public parks and associated facilities. Maintenance of public footpaths and bridleways, planting and maintaining road side verges. Maintenance of public seats, shelters for general public use and particularly for bus passengers, erection of signs which warn of dangers, renounce a place name or indicate a bus stop. Provision of indoor or outdoor swimming pools or bathing places. Provision of facilities for conferences, the encouragement of recreation and business tourism. Powers to maintain a village or town green. In addition to all those things, a parish council can do anything, provided it is for the general benefit of the community, and that the expenditure in any one year does not exceed (an amount fixed each year) per local government elector in that particular parish or community. But indeed, most things that the parish council might wish to do or hope to do could be covered by other legislation for which expenditure is unlimited. The only limit being imposed is that of the reluctance of parishioners to pay. What happened next at Mildenhall was probably fairly typical. In accordance with the terms of the Act the first Parish Meeting was called at the Police Station on Monday, December 31st, 1894 and the business to be transacted was to elect a Chairman for the meeting and to elect parish councillors. The number of parish councillors, it was declared, was to be thirteen. Chas Stebbing was elected chairman with seven votes narrowly defeating Odden Read with six votes. The Rev A G Livingstone was elected vice chairman. The other councillors were as follows; Messrs Aldrich, Betts, Boyce, Rev Burt, Butcher, Carpenter, Cook, Ford, Goodrich. The number of parish councillors is based on the population and at the 1891 census the population was 3732. 3 | 2 7 / 0 4 / 2 0 1 8 H i s t o r y of Mildenhall Parish Council The Minutes of Mildenhall Parish Council. The first meeting of Mildenhall Parish Council was held on Monday December 31st 1894 at the Police station. Mess Aldrich, Betts, Boyce, Rev Burt, Butcher, Carpenter, Cook, Ford, Goodrich, Rev Livingstone, MaClaren, Randall & Wain. Chairman elected Charles Stebbing (7 votes) Odden Read (6 votes) (voting is recorded in minute book). Vice Chairman Rev A G Livingstone, Treasurer Odden Read. Overseers, the 5 churchwarden plus Read, Aldrich, Jas Pratt, Jonas Webb and Jos Morley. Next meeting to be held on Jan 11th at 7 o clock. [minute (min) book] January 11th 1895 All present except Mr Abraham Ford. Chief constable has said the room will not be available in future, it was agreed to write to the County Council. Trustees appointed (9) Aldrich, Betts, Wain, Rev Burt, Carpenter, MaClaren, Jno Cook, A Ford, Stebbing. First payment of £20 from overseers to the treasurer. March 23 1895 held at the Police Court Mr Butcher resigned and James Rolfe was elected. Capt Owers reported on the condition of the High Town fire engine. It was new 74 years ago and will cost £30 to repair by Shand Mason, they offered a second hand machine for £72 10s and £10 for the old engine.

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