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Lord of the Manor The Lord Mayor, Commonalty
and Citizens of the City of London Bankers: Child & Co, 1 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1BD www.guildablemanor.org |
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Senior Patrons The High Steward of Southwark HHJ Peter Beaumont QC The Recorder of London The High Bailiff of Southwark Charles Henty The Secondary of London
& Under Sheriff Foreman Michael Honnoraty |
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Hon Auditors Dr Ian Wingfield Prof Frederick
Trowman |
GVILDABLE MANOR Colechurch
House London
Bridge Walk, London SE1 2SX 020 7394 1271 |
Clerk of the
Manor Tony Sharp clerk@guildablemanor.org www.guildablemanor.org |
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The City of London’s Guildable Manor
of the
Town and Borough of Southwark
and Brief history of the Southwark Manors and Courts
Leet:
Scroll down for sections :
History
Charter of 1327
Map of Guildable Manor
The Manor Seal and Badge
Map of the Southwark City and other Manors
Current Officers
Events Calendar for 2013
Foreman’s Biography
Annual Letter 2012
Annual Letter 2011
Annual Letter 2010
Annual Letter 2009
The
three Southwark Courts Leet retain the right to sit for their customary
business as a limited jurisdiction under the ‘Administration of Justice Act
1977; §23 (1)(a) Sch 4 Pt III’.
Earliest
beginnings
Manors
and their Courts Leet are usually thought to be an anachronistic remnant of
rural areas and so it may come as a surprise that three of them have had a
continuous history and operation since the mediaeval period in the heart of
central London. The area of the Guildable Manor is almost certainly coterminous
with the original bridge-head settlement of the ‘Suthringa Geweorc’ mentioned in the Burghal Hidage of circa 880
AD. In Domesday Book of 1086 it is an
estate with taxable revenues as a landing place and bridge crossing, with the
interests shared between the king and the local earl. The first of these was
Godwin and thence his son Harold who lost the Battle of Hastings. William I
‘the Conqueror’ then gave the interest to his half-brother, Bishop Odo, and
later to his son-in-law the Earl Warenne of Surrey. “The Men of Southwark”
giving evidence on oath in Domesday
are the same ‘View of Frankpledge’ Court summonsed to this day. The
charter of 1327 refers to it as ‘the town of Southwark’ and the charter
of 1550 as ‘the town and borough of Southwark’. The informal name
‘Guildable’ for the manor derives from the collection of tolls and taxes on
goods bound to the City across the Bridge and was first recorded in 1377, it
was adopted to distinguish this part of Southwark from all of the other
neighbouring manors which were referred to as ‘in Southwark’. These taxes were
eventually waived. From the first parliament to call ‘burgess’ representatives,
of 1295, Southwark had two MPs; which indicates its formal recognition as a
‘borough’ although its burgesses had no charter of incorporation.
Edward
III’s Charter and Quit Rents
In 1327
the City of London acquired the interests for a fee farm of £11 per annum from Edward
III. The original Charter, approved by Parliament, is still in the
Guildhall Record Office. The formal reason for the City wanting control was
because of the difficulties of judicial process and arrest of miscreants who
could make-off to the Surrey bank out of the City’s jurisdiction; no doubt the
potential of Southwark becoming a competitive alternative for the City markets
also exercised the Corporation. This payment is still made, by the Foreman and
officers of the Manor, usually in March, when the Jurors are summoned to an Exchequer
Court, held in Southwark, by the Queen’s Remembrancer, the
Senior Master of the Superior Court of England & Wales of the Royal Courts
of Justice, as a ‘Quit Rent’ on behalf of the City. This is a specific
requirement of the Charter of 1327.
The
City Bailiff took up his duties in 1328, on the retirement of the last King’s
Bailiff, and there is a complete record of the incumbents of the office from
then to the present day. In 1462 the original charter was confirmed and
extended by Edward IV who added the right to hold an annual fair from 7th ‘til
9th of September and the jurisdiction of a “Pie Powder Court”. This strange
term is a mispronunciation from Norman-French meaning “dusty feet”, a reference
to itinerants. The court was necessary for hearing and acting on the cases of
visitors and traders at such events without reference to a higher court. A
Steward was appointed in 1542 and likewise a complete list of those who have
served in this capacity is available. Both officials usually had other
Guildhall appointments and duties, most often as the Bridge Masters, for the Bridge
House-Yard was situated in the Manor off Tooley Street.
Edward
VI’s Charter
In 1550
the City decided to acquire from the Crown the two neighbouring manors. Henry
VIII had received or bought these from Bermondsey Abbey and the Archbishop of
Canterbury during the dissolution of the monasteries. The City decided to do so
because in the period from 1327 the built-up area of Southwark had spread
beyond the original area of the Guildable Manor and the same problems of law
enforcement and competitive and unregulated trade presented a challenge to the
City’s authority in Southwark from the neighbouring manors. The 1550 Charter,
of Edward VI, granted all of the rights and privileges over these manors
(eventually known as the King’s Manor and the Great Liberty) as those enjoyed
in the Guildable. The purchase price was agreed at £647 2s 1d for the land of
the two newly acquired manors and 500 Marks for the feudal incidents relating
to the three manors together. The Quit Rent for the Guildable was reserved and retained
by the Crown.
The
Corporation did not actually pay these sums from its own resources but from the
wealth it held in trust to maintain London Bridge free of charges. This was
derived from bequests and also the rents from the buildings on the Bridge administered
from the ‘Bridge House’ in Tooley Street; hence the trust’s name of ‘Bridge
House Estates’. No doubt the City fathers explained this dubious exercise
away as an investment for the benefit of the Bridge, a financial arrangement
which would not pass scrutiny in later times. Indeed, the City’s practical
authority in Southwark went into decline when it was decided, in 1820, that
income from the Charter lands could only be applied to the benefit of the
Bridge and not used for the civil administration of the Borough. This was the
legal advice of the then Recorder of London~High Steward of Southwark, John
Silvester, to whom we owe the present procedural ‘charges’ of the Manor’s
ceremonial. To this day the Bridge House Estates remains one of the major property
owners in this area. Its symbol, the Bridge Mark, is affixed to many
buildings here and as such it is the oldest symbol signifying civic authority
in Southwark. The Mark has been incorporated into the 1996 College of Arms
grant of an heraldic Southwark Badge and is also incorporated on the Manor’s
Seal. The Estates still pay the Jurors fee. The Chief Commoner, the
title of the chair of the Estates committee, of the year attends the ‘Bridge
House-Yard Dinner’ in Southwark with the Manor Officers, a tradition stretching
back to the annual ‘Audit Feast’ when the bridge trust accounts were
scrutinised in the Bridge House.
As
part of the changes from 1550 an Alderman was appointed by the Court of
Aldermen to oversee the new responsibilities held by the Bridge Masters; the
Southwark Manors were now termed as ‘The Ward of Bridge Without’. The
post quickly became a sinecure and eventually was the nominal office for the
senior Alderman past the Chair to enjoy a semi-retirement in, the Steward,
Bailiff and Manorial officers looking after the practical administration of
‘the Borough’ as the main part of Southwark was always termed. The last
Alderman of this ‘Ward’ (the resident inhabitants and Livery never had directly
elected representatives in Guildhall) retired in 1978 and the position was
abolished by merging it with Bridge Ward in the City proper. The Alderman of
the ‘Ward of Bridge and Bridge Without’ is entertained annually by the Manor to
maintain this link.
Under
a general Charter of Edward IV of 1461 concerned with confirming and extending
the City’s rights the Corporation was allowed to nominate a magistrate to the
Commission of the Peace of Surrey; this was exercised with the local borough
court presided over by the senior Aldermen and Lord Mayor. This power was not
exercised until 1606 when the magistrate was set up with a house, court room
and lock-up in the Bridge Masters precinct and salaried by them to administer
the City’s jurisdiction in regard to its Southwark Surrey manors. The officer
was styled ‘The Justice of the Bridge Yard’, the last died in harness in
1835 and no further appointments were made; the new magistrates courts and
Metropolitan Police system had made the role redundant. The ‘late’ Lord
Mayor and the Sheriffs ‘elect’ attend a feast with the Manor each year to
commemorate this connection.
The
City’s Southwark Town Halls, other Courts and their Jurisdictions
The
Guildable Manor Court Leet was recorded as assembling at the Bridge
House-Yard in 1539. With the acquisition by the City of the other two Manors
and the extensive responsibilities pertaining to them, in 1550, it was decided
to create a separate forum for this, effectively a Justice Room and lock-up for
the Lord Mayor and City officers. This was to be the redundant parish church of
Southwark, St Margaret’s, available since 1540 because the parishioners had
been granted the Priory of St Mary Overie (the present Southwark Cathedral) by
Henry VIII, as a consequence of his dissolution of that house. This, the first,
‘town hall’ was provided by inserting a floor at the level of the gallery for a
court room and by blocking in the windows below that for cells. It was known
variously as ‘St Margaret’s Justice House’, the ‘Town Hall’, ‘Justice Room’ or
‘Court House’ and eventually as the ‘Borough Compter’. This was destroyed in
the great fire of Southwark, in 1676, the lock-up part was eventually rehoused
in Tooley Street. The Court House remained on the original site and was
replaced with a new town hall in 1685, the ground floor was let to the ‘King’s
Arms’ public house.
The
City surrendered one of its Charter rights, that of holding and controlling
markets in Southwark, when it agreed to the ‘Borough Market (Southwark)
Act’ of 1756. This moved the market from the main thoroughfare and eased
traffic flow to London Bridge. The replacement facility was to be administered
by independent local Trustees and was set up off the main street where its four
acre site still continues in its role. From that date the Guildable Manor court
ceased to appoint from its number officers described as ‘Supervisors of the
Market’.
The James II town hall fell into
disrepair and was replaced in 1793; with the decline in the practical civic
activity of the City’s officers in Southwark in the following decades, the
Bridge House Estates demanded that it be surrendered to them for redevelopment.
Because of the town and port’s expansion the site was more valuable. It was
closed and the site was leased in 1859 to the London and County Bank which
built a new building and hence named ‘Town Hall Chambers’. In 1999 the
structure was refurbished as licensed premises at street level with apartments
above and was formally opened by the Guildable Manor officers, thus reviving
our connection with a site going back 450 years.
The
Court Leet of the Guildable Manor then began to meet at the old London Bridge
Hotel (now 2 Borough High Street) until the Borough Market Trustees built
themselves a new office with a Court Room on Southwark Street in 1932, which is
where the Jury assembled until 1999. Since then a number of appropriate and
dignified venues have been used due to the larger numbers needing to be
accommodated. These have included the Southwark Cathedral Library, the Greater
London Authority’s City Hall, the Glaziers Hall and in recent years the Amigo
Hall, of St George’s Cathedral.
Aside
from the Manorial Courts there were also others. The Charter of 1550 gave the
City the right to appoint the Southwark Coroner an anomaly removed only
in 1990, the court room is in Tennis Street. Furthermore, there were Courts
and Prisons of Royal Prerogative based in the Borough, the Marshalsea and
King’s Bench, eventually they became simply gaols for civil debtors and
closed in 1842 when the courts ceased to send debtors to them. There were also
Ecclesiastic Courts, mainly related before the Reformation to the political
duties of the leading Bishops. The manor on the east-side of the high street
(the later ‘Great Liberty’) belonged to the Archbishop of Canterbury, but the
neighbouring manor to the west of the Guildable was that of the Bishop of
Winchester, the Clink and its notorious prison. This gave rise to
conflicts of jurisdiction, most notably with the Magistrates of Surrey who also
operated in the Borough. Indeed until 1760, when they removed to the Union Hall
in Union Street, they sat at the City’s Town Hall, using the rights of a lease
obtained before the City acquired it. The Surrey Justices also had their
own gaol on the high street, a converted inn, the White Lyon. This was
eventually rehoused in the King’s Bench prison when that moved to the Borough
Road, but from 1799 the new Surrey County Gaol was opened at Newington
Causeway behind the recently completed new County Sessions House of
1794, on Horsemonger Lane/ Harper Road. Executions took place there until its
closure in 1878 (HMP Brixton replaced it). A new Court building had already
opened in 1875, it was in turn replaced by the present Inner London Sessions
House from 1921 but this was now the ‘county’ criminal court for London. The
Recorder of Southwark now resides there.
The increase in crime has led to
major new court developments based in other boroughs in the Greater London area
to supplement the Newington Sessions House. In 1964 Southwark Crown Court was
opened at English Grounds near London Bridge for local requirements, giving the
borough two Crown Courts. Since 1994 the Crown Court for the west London
Boroughs, previously based at Knighstbridge, was rehoused in Southwark as Blackfriars
Crown Court. When the decision was taken to separate the judiciary and
legislature, in 2007, by transforming the House of Lords Judicial Committee of
Law Lords into the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom it was given the
Middlesex Guildhall in Parliament Square as its residence. This meant that the
crown court judges sitting there were displaced and they too went to the
Southwark Crown Court, in 2007, the senior judge holding the title of the Recorder
of Westminster. Apart from these four crown courts (ILCC Newington,
Southwark, Wesminster, Blackfriars) Southwark’s local magistrates sit at two
courts in the borough, Tower Bridge and Camberwell Green Magistrates
Courts. With the increase in their responsibilities the Stipendiary
Magistrates of these has been recognised since 2008 by their new title of District
Judge (MC).
Few boroughs can boast a single
major Court, Southwark has seven jurisdictions as explained above and
this unique arrangement is reflected once a year at the Justices and Jurors
Dinner, held in May by the Manor, when we entertain all of the senior
resident Judges.
Legal
Status: Relationship with the ‘Old Bailey’ and Jurors Summons
From
the late Georgian period the City began to appoint as High Steward the
incumbent Recorder of London, ie the senior Judge of the Central Criminal
Court at the Old Bailey, with the office of High Bailiff of the Manors being a
supplementary role of the Under Sheriff & Secondary ie the senior
administrative officer of that Court from 1885. That is so to the present day,
the Writs summonsing the jurors are issued out of the Old Bailey under the
Secondary’s Seal.
The Manor Jurors therefore had a
number of officials and authorities to assist them in correcting their
‘presentments’ and to whom they could make complaint about the problems
associated with this burgeoning urban area, second in population only to the
City of London in course of time. Yet the Jurors were the effective
representatives of the inhabitants who could in any other location have enjoyed
full burgess and municipal corporate rights. From the late Georgian period
repeated attempts were made to have the Southwark Manors incorporated fully
into the City, or alternatively to secure effective independence. The campaigns
were led by active members of the three City manorial courts. With the growth
of the metropolis and the development of Vestry Boards and ‘civil’ parishes in
the London County, Lord Salisbury’s Government made these full local
authorities, as London Metropolitan Boroughs, from 1900. The issue of the
Southwark Manors was brought to a head by this proposal and as the City
resisted overtures from Southwark representatives, local institutions and the
Jurors for full integration it was by default that the three Manors became
parts of two of the new municipal councils created by this scheme, that of
Southwark and of Bermondsey. In 1965 the creation of the Greater London
Council, incorporating the London County Council area and parts of the Home
Counties, merged Bermondsey and Southwark with Camberwell to form the London
Borough of Southwark. However, all of these civic reorganisations have not
affected the functioning of the City’s rights and the summonsing and
empanelling of the Manor Courts Leet.
Other
Ceremonial Activities
The form for holding the
Southwark Courts Leet is based on a document of 1664, itself a revision of an
earlier format of 1561. It has certain differences of detail to that of other
Courts held elsewhere dating from 1650, almost certainly because the City could
draft laws for itself and so the format for this was based on local traditions
and conditions. The Assize & Assay is directed at the quality of
wine, ale, bread and meats. The Assize of Buildings & Survey relates
to the duties to oversee the maintenance of highways and buildings, ie what
became planning and building regulations. The Jury of the Manor also sits annually as the
Summoned Queen’s Remembrancer’s Court of
Exchequer to tender the City’s Quit
Rents to the Crown for the Manor as required under the Charter of 1327.
That document is recited, the Court is empanelled and the Queen’s Remembrancer
is called to receive the payment as required and this is rendered by the
Foreman and Officers by being publicly placed onto the Exchequer Cloth. This is
preceded by a Thanksgiving Service for
the new Freedom recipients earlier that day. It is followed by a formal
Luncheon at which the new Freemen give readings from Alderman Bernard’s ‘Rules
for the Conduct of Life’. The Manor hosts many senior City figures to
this, usually any newly elected Aldermen to introduce them to the ‘Southwark
side’ as well as senior representatives of the Livery and also from the other two guilds of the City which have a formal
relationship with Southwark, the Parish
Clerks and the Watermen and
Lightermen. This was held at Guy’s Chapel until numbers attending required
a larger venue and now St George the
Martyr, Borough High Street, is the designated ‘guild church’ of the Manor. The
Borough Recorder’s Court is also held annually under the Recorder of Southwark and the Jurors
and Officers are Sworn in that jurisdiction likewise as they are for the Court
Leet.
Further Reading
Apart from the original Charters
mentioned above, the lists of all Foremen, Officers and Jurors are intact from
the earliest time, including copies of Writs made by the Bailiffs and records
of Presentments, process and proceedings of the Courts and which can be read by
interested persons in the Guildhall Records Office. Indeed they have formed
valuable local background detail for scholars and two major academic studies have
given special reference to them as they concerned the history of this part of
central London. These are David Johnson’s ‘Southwark
and the City’ and Martha Carlin’s ‘Medieval
Southwark’.
The Charter of Edward III
of 1327
Granting the
“Town of Southwark”
alias the
Guildable Manor
to the
City of London
“Edward,
by grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine; to
all to whom these present letters shall come, greeting.
Know
ye, that whereas our beloved, the citizens of our city of London, by their
petition exhibited before us and our council, in our present parliament at
Westminster assembled, have given us to understand that felons, thieves, and
divers other malefactors and disturbers of the peace, who, in the aforesaid city
and elsewhere, have committed manslaughters, robberies, and divers other
felonies, secretly withdrawing from the same city, after having committed such
felonies, flee to the town of Southwark, where they cannot be attached by the
ministers of the said city, and there are openly received; and so for default
of due punishment are emboldened to commit more such felonies; and they have
besought us, that, for the conservation of our peace within the said city,
bridling the wickedness of these same malefactors, we would grant unto them the
said town, to have and to hold to them, their heirs and successors for ever,
for the yearly farm therefor due to us, to be paid at our exchequer.
We,
having given consideration to the premises, with the assent of the prelates,
earls, barons, and commons of our kingdom, being in the parliament aforesaid,
have granted, for us and our heirs, to the same citizens, the said town of
Southwark, with the appurtenances, to have and to hold, to them and their heirs
and successors, citizens of the aforesaid city, of us and our heirs for ever,
paying to us yearly at the exchequer of us and our heirs, at the accustomed
terms, the farm therefor due and accustomed. In witness whereof we have caused
these our letters to be made patent.
Witness
myself at Westminster, the sixth day of March, in the first year of our reign.”
The Guildable Manor
The Manor is the original
‘Town of Southwark’ referred to in Domesday Book and the Charter of 1327.
Archaeological evidence suggests that it was the Anglo-Saxon bridge-head
settlement and also the Roman equivalent for Londinium. ‘Guildable’ seems to
refer to the manor’s role as a tax and toll point for the King’s interests and
differentiates it from any other transpontine neighbours that may also for
convenience have been referred to as ‘Southwark’; although its formal legal
name,
as seen on our Seal, is ‘Town and Borough of Southwark’.
Boundaries drawn on the O/S of 1917

The limits and borders of the three Southwark Manors are outlined in “Report of the Royal Commission on Municipal
Corporations: London and Southwark” HC 239, p3 n (1837), xxv. The text of
this report is given below in
italics with brief notes relating it to a modern map. However, the insertion of
the first London Bridge Station terminus, from 1840, and its later expansions
across the St Thomas Hospital estate can obscure that part of the boundary for
the modern observer. The area on the south landing of the bridge is within the
City of London.
[The Guildable Manor] “… commences at St. Saviour's Dock, Saint
Saviour's [sic in fact St Mary
Overey’s Dock], and extends along the
east side of Church-street [now Cathedral St.], the Southwark side of a passage through the Borough market which
separates the Clink Liberty from the Borough of Southwark, north-east side of
Market-street, and east side of Counter-street [ie to a point in Stoney St
opposite Park St; Market St. and Counter St. ran behind the old Town Hall site,
now the fork of Borough High St., into Stoney St.], as far as Counter-alley [now Counter Court], north side thereof, west side northerly of Borough High-street and
Wellington-street [the northern section of Borough High St. was known as
Wellington St.], and east side of the
last-named street, from where the old Ship Inn formerly stood [at the
junction of London Bridge St. and Borough High St.], both sides of Duke-street [now Duke St. Hill] and Tooley-street (taking in both sides of Joiner's-street) as far as
where the watch-house formerly stood [see under the Great Liberty Manor:
the following is from the survey’s description of that manor’s boundary at this
point {… as far as where the old Ship Inn formerly stood; from thence back to St
Thomas’s-street, both sides of that street, Broadway, Three Hammer-alley,
Crown-square, Glean-alley, and southerly to No 226 Tooley-street (formerly at
the back of Saint Olave’s watch-house)}], from thence only the north side of
Tooley-street, as far as Hay's-lane, west side thereof to Hay's Wharf, and
westerly along the river's side to Saint Saviour's Dock aforesaid.”
The eastern boundary obscured by the station and access roads can
therefore be traced as shown. The old Broadway was incorporated into the
subsequent widening of St Thomas Street; Three Hammer Alley, Crown Square and
Glean Alley in effect demarcate the east side of the line described as “ … both sides of Joiner’s Street.”,
these lay parallel and between Joiner and Dean (now Stainer) streets. The line
between the St Thomas precinct and the Guildable “both sides of Duke-street …” and “… St. Thomas’s-street, both sides …” can be followed on this map and
previous maps; it is marked by the curve of the street now called Railway
Approach, south side, to its intersection with London Bridge Street (late
Denman St. and Ship Inn alley) and Joiner St., which follows the boundary wall
of the St Thomas’ hospital garden, its sub-manor and parish boundary.

The Manor Seal and Badge
The Seal represents the
five Parishes that are mentioned in the Charter of 23 April 1550; St Saviour’s,
St George’s, St Olave’s, St Thomas the Martyr and St Mary-Newington. The three
charter manors borders do not precisely coincide with those of the parish
boundaries and only a small part of St Saviour’s and (at that time) of St
Mary’s are included within them. This Charter confirms, to the City, the rights
and privileges in the previous grant of 1327 in the Guildable Manor, increasing
and extending them over the King’s Manor and the Great Liberty. The iconography
on the Seal is quite secular and does not incorporate any of the devices used
by these Parishes subsequently. It can be described as follows:-
“Five Spheres or Globes separated by Five
Arrow Tails encircled within the title:
VILLA ET BVRGVS
DE SOVTHWARKE ”
However, this title, the
“town and borough of Southwark”, is the Charter name for only the Guildable
Manor, whereas the Charter describes the three manors together as “burgus et
villa de Southwarke” ie the “borough and town of Southwark”. The Charter names,
or rather the descriptive titles used to define them, for each of the Manors
bear a close resemblance to each other in the terminology used, at that time
transcribed into legal Latin, so that this solecism was probably unavoidable.
The King’s Manor was “our lordship and manor of Southwark” and the Great
Liberty was “our manor and borough of Southwark”. The possessive was that of
the King; previous to these two properties being acquired by the Crown there
had been references to the Mayor’s (Guildable), the Archbishop’s (of Canterbury
ie Great Liberty) and the Abbot’s (of Bermondsey ie King’s) manors. The name
‘Guildable’ was first recorded in 1377, the other two only from 1550; ‘Great
Liberty’ indicated this was the largest manor and ‘King’s’ probably derives the
style from the mansion on the High Street which had been the Duke of Suffolk’s,
acquired by Henry VIII in 1538, retained by Edward VI in 1550 hence ‘the
king’s’. This confusing similarity of titles explains the preference for their
common names.
Impression of Seal on
document of 1664
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The Seal, probably in use from the 1550s, was not used exclusively and alternative City Seals, those of the Alderman, the Steward, Bridge Masters or other officials acting in their Southwark capacity, were used to sanction authority and these often displaced it on documents. The original, having been overlooked, fell into disuse. This was compounded when the Corporation took to conferring the appointments of Steward and Bailiff on the Recorder and Under Sheriff. The latter, as senior official at the Old Bailey, had a Coat of Arms/ Seal for that role which is used on the Summons to the Court Leet jurors unto this day and has the Hanoverian Royal Coat of Arms impaling those of the City. |
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The Badge, used by the Officers of the Manor, copies the Seal and
overlays it with a Pentagon, or Gable-End, which fills in the rather crude
intersection of the original devices. This can be thought of as both
continuing the principal theme of five elements and as representing either
the seat of the City’s authority in the old Town Hall/ Borough Compter on the
High Street, or that of the Bridge House. The latter’s Mark has been placed
on this. So close has been the association of the Mark with the ‘Borough’
that it was often referred to as the ‘Southwark Cross’, it being used on the
boundary stones, other properties and by extension St George’s which is still
under the Bridge House Estates ecclesiastic patronage. It is surely no
coincidence that the increasing use of the Mark in the late Stuart period
coincides with the decline in use of the Seal. When the City Magistrates sat
at the old Town Hall they issued warrants with a representation of the City
arms next to a shield bearing the Mark, both supported by the City dragons
with a motto scroll ‘Town & Borough of Southwark’ below. The Guildable
Manor’s Foreman’s chain is constituted of links of alternate ‘SS’ and Marks.
The Bridge Masters undertook the duties of Bailiff and Steward for centuries
simply because the Yard was on Tooley Street within the Guildable Manor and
it was the money held in trust for the Bridge that the City used to acquire
the Manors from the Crown; a financial arrangement which would not pass
scrutiny in later times. |
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The City of
London Manors and other Manor boundaries in Southwark

GUILDABLE MANOR
Current Officers and Offices of the Guildable Manor and
Court Leet from 14 November 2012
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The City’s Officers |
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THE HIGH STEWARD |
HHJ Peter Beaumont QC,
Recorder of London |
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THE HIGH BAILIFF |
Charles Henty, Undersheriff
& Secondary of London |
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The Officers to be Sworn are:- |
THE TITHING |
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FOREMAN |
Mike Honnoraty |
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CONSTABLE |
Leslie Grout |
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AFEEROR |
Dr Ian Wingfield |
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FLESH TASTER |
Dr Keith Willliams |
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ALETASTER (St Olave’s side) |
Ted Newman |
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ALESIZER (St Saviour’s side) |
Robin Sherlock 1-6
Committee of Officers with
Trustees; by succession and service under Rule 7 |
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SUPERNUMERARY:- |
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ALESIZER (St Saviour’s side) |
“ ” All other Officers and Tithingmen |
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ALESIZER (St Olave’s side) |
Ald James Gurling, Roger Davis, Donald Goree |
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“ ” All other Officers and Tithingmen |
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Rule 7.9 |
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CLERK OF THE MANOR‡ |
Tony Sharp (F:
2001-2002) |
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ORATOR ~ CLERK‡ |
Peter Gadbury (F:
2000-2001) |
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OUTROPER OR COMMON CRYER‡§ |
David Wilson (F:
2005-2006) § Charter of
Charles I 1625 ‡ Rule 7.9 |
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BEADLES ‡ (St Olave’s side) (St Saviour’s side) THE HONORARY CHAPLAIN |
All Officers and Trustees All Officers and Trustees ‡ Rule 7.9 The Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Woolwich |
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SERVED FOREMEN AND TITHINGMEN‡‡ |
Peter
Gadbury (F: 2000-2001) ‡‡
Tony Sharp (F:
2001-2002) ‡‡ Ian Wingfield (F:
2002-2003) ‡‡ Diane Riley (F:
2004-2005) David Wilson (F:
2005-2006) ‡‡ |
Cyril
Levy (F: 2006-2007) Frederick Trowman (F: 2007 2008) ‡‡ David
Boston (F: 2008-2009) Ron
Leek (F: 2009-2010) Ian Tough (F: 2010-2011) ‡‡ Rule
3. |
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HON AUDITORS §§ |
Ian Wingfield (F:
2002-2003) Frederick Trowman (F: 2007 2008) §§
Notified to Annual Meeting under Rule
8. |
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The three
Southwark Courts Leet retain the right to sit for their customary business
including “...the appointment of traditional officers” as a limited jurisdiction under the ‘Administration of Justice Act
1977; §23 (1)(b) Sch 4 Pt III’.
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Clerk Tony
Sharp Articles on Manor history:- http://independent.academia.edu/TonySharp |
GVILDABLE
MANOR www.guildablemanor.org clerk@guildablemanor.org |
Foreman Michael Honnoraty |
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NOTICES OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2013 |
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BOROUGH
PICKWICK CLUB 17th January 2013 Dinner |
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A VISIT TO THE TOWER OF LONDON Tour,
Ceremony of the Keys and Buffet Thurday 28th February 2013 |
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CHARTER DAY, THANKSGIVING AND QUIT RENTS with the Queen’s Remembrancer Thursday Noon 14th March 2013 Lunch |
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WALKING HISTORY TOUR OF SOUTHWARK MANORS Saturday 6th April 2013 (the Clerk is prepared to organise walks on other dates
for Jurors, contact him directly) Pub Lunch inclusive |
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THE SOUTHWARK JUDICIAL SERVICE at Southwark Cathedral Tuesday 2nd May Followed by Reception and Dinner |
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JUSTICES AND JURORS DINNER Speaker:
The Rt Hon Lord Reed JSC (UK Member of the European
Court of Human Rights) Thursday Eve 23th May 2013 Dinner |
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BRIDGE
HOUSE-YARD DINNER with the Chief Commoner, Sheriffs and the
Late Lord Mayor Thursday
Eve 12th OR 19th September 2012 PROVISIONAL TO BE CONFIRMED Confirmation April |
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BOROUGH
RECORDER’S COURT Thursday
Noon Promptly 10th October 2013 Lunch |
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ANNUAL COURT LEET 2013 with the High
Steward and High Bailiff NOON PROMPTLY- Wednesday 13th November 2013 Lunch |
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Lord of the Manor The Lord Mayor, Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London |
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Senior Patrons The High Steward of Southwark HHJ Peter Beaumont QC The Recorder of London The High Bailiff of Southwark Charles Henty The Secondary of London
& Under Sheriff |
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GVILDABLE MANOR Colechurch House, London Bridge Walk,
London SE1 2SX Registered Address |
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020 7394 1271 |
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Mike was elected by the Jurors and sworn by the High
Bailiff as Foreman of the Guildable Manor on 14th November 2012,
having served in all of the senior offices since his admission to the Manor in
2005.
Profile:
Mike has a long and continuing involvement in the West
Midlands and Warwickshire in local charitable trusts, civic organisations and
lives in Warwick.
He was born in Castle Donington, Leicestershire,
educated at Loughborough Grammar School and then went straight into National
Service 1955 – 1957 with the Royal Army Service Corps Principally based with
the British Army of the Rhine.
Mike’s civilian career has been mainly in automotive
and engineering: Sales Manager at TD Cross Ltd, Birmingham and also Senior
Sales Manager, Sedis Co Ltd (part of the Peugeot Group).
He set up his own business, Tomax Ltd in Warwick, in the
early 1970s engineering distribution from which he retired in 1998.
In 1971 he married Janet, whom he has succeeded as
Foreman.
In the community of his home-town he is a Governor of
All Saints’ Junior School Warwick for eleven years serving as Vice-Chairman for
five years.
Mike has been a Juror of Warwick Court Leet since
1970s, of which he served as Foreman from 1994 to 2006 then as Bailiff from
2006 to 2010 and is currently serving as Herald.
He is a wine connoisseur and in this he became Founder
Dignitaire of the Warwick Chapter of the Commanderie du Taste Saumur and Grand
Maître since 1996. Additionally he is a Chevalier of the Confrerei des
Chevaliers du Sacavin and Member of the Ordre des Chevaliers Bretvins.
His additional Interests include singing, as a Member
of the Stoneleigh Male Voice Choir, as well as salmon fishing, shooting,
gardening, music, history, travel, food and wine and cross country walking.
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Lord of the Manor The Lord Mayor,
Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London Founded as a burh by King Alfred ca 880AD The City of London’s Manor since 1327 www.guildablemanor.org |
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Senior Patrons The High Steward of Southwark HHJ Peter
Beaumont QC The Recorder of
London The High Bailiff of Southwark Charles Henty The Secondary of
London & Under Sheriff Foreman Janet Honnoraty |
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Hon Auditors Dr Ian Wingfield Prof Freddie Trowman |
GVILDABLE MANOR Colechurch House, London Bridge Walk,
London SE1 2SX Registered
Address 020 7394 1271 |
Clerk
of the Manor Tony Sharp clerk@guildablemanor.org |
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Justices and Jurors Dinner 2012: Foreman Janet and the Lord Chief
Justice |
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Our
Honorary Chaplain, Rt Rev Dr Michael Ipgrave, arrives as newly consecrated
Bishop of Woolwich |
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Lord Chief Justice replies to question from HM Coroner of
Southwark ~ Dr Andrew Harris |
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The
Learned Clerk and Lord Judge LCJ |
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Watermen & Lightermen Annual Dogget’s Coat and Badge 2012:
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MV Elizabethan – the floating venue for the Water
Race of the Apprentices of the Watermen and Lightermen
Annual Letter 2012
1 October 2012
Dear Jurors,
You have been
notified of the High Steward’s Precept and by now received your Summons for the
November Court Leet. Please find the Agenda* and abstract of Audited Accounts
for the Annual Meeting, which shall take place at that venue at 2.15pm that
day, enclosed: This document shall be taken ‘as read’ at the meeting.
*ie draft agenda; members may propose any
business before the Meeting for inclusion, or use ‘AOB’ at the Meeting
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The Officers to be Sworn are:- |
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FOREMAN |
Mike Honnoraty |
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CONSTABLE |
Leslie Grout |
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AFEEROR |
Glynn Jones |
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FLESH TASTER |
Dr Keith Willliams |
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ALETASTER ( St Olave’s side) |
Ted Newman |
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ALESIZER (St Saviour’s side) |
Robin Sherlock 1-6
Committee of Officers with
Trustees; by succession and service under Rule 7 |
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SUPERNUMERARY:- |
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ALESIZER (St Saviour’s side) |
“ ” All other Officers and Trustees |
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ALESIZER (St Olave’s side) |
Ald James Gurling, Roger Davis, Donald Goree |
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“ ” All other Officers and Trustees |
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Rule 7.9 |
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CLERK OF THE MANOR‡ |
Tony Sharp (F:
2001-2002) |
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ORATOR ~ CLERK‡ |
Peter Gadbury (F:
2000-2001) |
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OUTROPER OR COMMON CRYER‡§ |
David Wilson (F:
2005-2006) § Charter of
Charles I 1625 ‡ Rule 7.9 |
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BEADLES ‡ (St Olave’s side) (St Saviour’s side) |
All Officers and Trustees All Officers and Trustees ‡ Rule 7.9 |
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SERVED FOREMEN AND TRUSTEES‡‡ |
Peter
Gadbury (F: 2000-2001) ‡‡
Tony Sharp (F:
2001-2002) ‡‡ Ian Wingfield (F:
2002-2003) ‡‡ Diane Riley (F:
2004-2005) David Wilson (F:
2005-2006) ‡‡ Cyril
Levy (F: 2006-2007) |
Frederick Trowman (F: 2007 2008) ‡‡ David
Boston (F: 2008-2009) Ron
Leek (F: 2009-2010) Ian Tough (F: 2010-2011) Janet Honnoraty (F:
2011-2012) ‡‡ Rule
3. |
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HON AUDITORS §§ |
Ian Wingfield (F:
2002-2003) Frederick Trowman (F: 2007 2008) §§
Notified to Annual Meeting under Rule
8. |
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HONORARY CHAPLAIN |
The Right Reverand Dr Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of
Woolwich |
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The three
Southwark Courts Leet retain the right to sit for their customary business
including “... the appointment of traditional
officers” as a limited jurisdiction
under the ‘Administration of Justice Act 1977; §23 (1)(b) Sch 4 Pt III’.
General
Just a few days before being
sworn in as Foreman, the other officers and myself, attended Guildhall Art Gallery on the afternoon
of 11th November 2011 to make a presentation to our new Lord
Mayor, Ald David Wootton whom we are pleased has become a Juror. We in fact had
a ‘double’ presentation because the Shrieval Alderman, Alan Yarrow, had also
invited a Presentation from us to mark his association with the Manor, being
Alderman of Bridge Ward Without. We were gratified that other Guilds’
representatives expressed interest and surprise at our status within the City
and the event increases our profile with the Livery.
Membership and
Tenancy
As
the Manor membership expands, so does the cost of running it; nor are we quite
big enough to benefit from an economy of scale. The costs of holding the Court
Leet have risen and the necessity is now that we have to hire larger venues to
hold this means our margins are squeezed. The committee was expecting a major
loss of membership, especially among those Jurors who had not been attending
functions for some years. We admitted thirteen new members year as we had five non-renewals,
presumably as a result of the recession. There are now 97 Jurors, and we
expect a number of new members before Christmas to take us back to our 100
figure in the New Year. This membership gives us the critical mass to support
functions. The Committee would nevertheless request that you actively
recruit suitable persons to become Jurors, especially if they are unlikely
to become Liverymen but are attracted to the City’s traditions, and of course
we offer the unique combination of the Southwark arrangements to propose them
for the Freedom and to celebrate its receipt at View of Frankpledge and Quit
Rents. We have some very senior City representatives at these events, who have
indicated that they are most impressed with the ceremonial aspects and
conviviality. A general rise in costs for functions over the last two years is
reflected in the increase in charges for these events. The Committee is mindful
that charges have to be levied at a rate that keeps them attractive for the
members.
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Why are Manor members
‘Tenants’ and ‘Jurors’? The
qualification for ‘Listing for Summons’ to the Court Leet is being a Tenant
in the Manor. In late July the High Bailiff confirms the date of the Court
Leet and asks for a list of those qualified (bona fide Tenants) from the
Clerk. The Clerk sends the members list of that date to the City Surveyors
Dept (the landlord) with a note to say that all named are liable under the
terms of our Lease at Colechurch House; that legal status is a ‘tenancy’. The
List is then as such sent to the Old Bailey. However,
in the interim period between members joining the Manor and the Court at
which one becomes a ‘Sworn Juror’, they are referred to as just ‘Tenants’ and
this slight difference is similar to the distinction in the City Livery
Companies were one is firstly a ‘Freeman’ of the company and then are
‘enclothed’ in the Livery as a full member. Note by The
Clerk |
Events and
Functions of the last year
Despite
the Recession, there has been a slight improvement in attendances, but this
reflects our increased membership size. The two alternative venues at Amigo
Hall, RC Cathedral and St George
the Martyr, Borough for our four formal events has worked very well.
General feedback from everyone is that Masters Catering, a Southwark
based company, are as good as we could expect at the very reasonable fixed
tariff that they have provided for the following year.
Court Leet 2011
Our
most important event of the year was held on 16th November 2011 when
I was sworn in as Foreman in the Amigo Hall, St George’s RC Cathedral,
Southwark. We were pleased to receive an application to serve as an Officer
from Robin Sherlock CC Deputy and of course ‘late Chief Commoner’ his
connections with Southwark go back some centuries, he is also Parish Clerk of
Southwark Cathedral. The Court and Lunch was attended by 77 Jurors and
Guests, including the Old Bailey team; we welcomed Janet Kilburn as the new
Secretary of the Court. We had the second highest number of Jurors ever to
attend (50, down from 59 in 2010). Four new Freemen were proposed. Overall the
2011 Ceremony was regarded as a great success because we now have a cohort of
Officers who have served long enough to appreciate the issues and logistics of
the event.
My year as Foreman got off to a
flying start in that I was invited to the Worshipful
Company of Actuaries Annual Lecture and Dinner for all the Livery Masters
following after the Court Leet. Lord Moynihan the Chairman of the British
Olympic Committee was the Speaker. This is always held in the delighful Hall of Staple Inn on High Holborn and
has become a regular invitation to the Foreman.
Borough Pickwick Club
In order to fill a perceived
gap in our social and events calendar, the Committee decide to institute a
January dinner. This took place at our old regular venue of The London Bridge
Hotel on 18th January. The Manor Officers and Members ‘posing as’ The Borough Pickwick Club. The theme
was to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles
Dickens, who had both personal associations with the Borough and used it as a
setting for many of the scenes in his novels. One of his earliest pieces of
journalism was a report on a public execution at Newington Gaol. The evening of
very light entertainment, short readings from the master story writer, but most
importantly fellowship and good company involving a Southwark theme. As this
was organised within a short notice of the New Year there were only 23 members
and guests. However, the format was agreed as most entertaining and suitable so
that the Committee has agreed this is to become an annual event. Hopefully, it
shall follow the success route of higher attendances and shall outgrow the
London Bridge Hotel in due course.
Tower of London
We have now secured again an
annual invitation to HM Tower of London for a tour, buffet and to attend the
Ceremony of the Keys. This was on the 9th
March. Thirty two Jurors and guests attended.
Quit Rents and Court
of Exchequer
The
combined Thanksgiving Service and Quit
Rents Ceremony was held on 15th March, for new
Freemen, Members and Guests. We first assembled at the Chamberlain’s Court,
where only five took the oath. This is less than half as in previous
years and reflects both the recession and the decline in recruitment of new
Jurors. Once again the Service was held at our guild-church St George the
Martyr, Borough High Street conducted by Rev Ray Andrews. The
Ceremony followed. The Senior Master Steven Whitaker, the Queen’s
Remembrancer, received the Quit Rents on behalf of the Crown from us (on
behalf of the City). For this purpose he instituted the Court of Exchequer to
which the Southwark Jurors were Summoned. This is one of only four City
ceremonies which he participates in; the others being the Trial of the Pyx, the
presentation of the Sheriffs and the presentation of the Lord Mayor. I then
hosted a Luncheon at the St George’s Hall, luncheon prepared by Masters
Catering. Some 72 Jurors and their guests attended, holding to the
same figure as last year but down by 10 percent on previous years. Our civic
brethren and guests included the Master of the Actuaries, the Tax Advisers, the
Watermen & Lightermen and their partners and Clerks. For the first time in
many years the ‘Warden of the Great Account of St Saviour’s’ also participated
in the occasion. One of our practices, which has been remarked upon by visiting
livery, is the reading by our new freemen of passages from Some Rules from the Conduct of Life (‘the little red book’) at the
luncheon. Apparently, visiting livery are much taken with it and have indicated
they are to adopt it within their own companies. The Committee regard the
arrangement for this event at St George the Martyr as most suitable, enabling
Service, Ceremony and feast to be held at the same convenient and most historic
venue.
The History Tour
of the Borough
The annual guided walk was held on Saturday 14th April conducted by our Clerk, Tony Sharp, and started at London Bridge and finished at The Mudlark, Montague Close where we had excellent individual lunches and drinks. These tours are probably the most convenient and accessible way to understand the fascinating history of the Manors. The Clerk is prepared to organise additional tours for members at any convenient time along the same format, he makes no charge for this.
Justices and Jurors Dinner: Spring Banquet
This is now one
of our most prestigious events and combines our status as threefold, a legal
body, a City and a Southwark institution. Although Southwark was the historic
home of many courts and their jurisdiction prisons, The King’s Bench and the
Marshalsea, the Borough Compter, the White Lion, the Clink, the Surrey County
gaols and our own Court House and the Union Hall, it is still today the home
borough of three Crown Courts and its Coroner’s and two Magistrates Courts;
Note ‘court Districts’ not mere court rooms. It is hard to find any other
borough with more than one of these. Uniquely, therefore I presided at a
function to entertain and inform, our double mission, the several Senior
Residing Justices of the Southwark courthouses. This year’s lecture and dinner
was held on 17th May at the Amigo Hall of St George’s
Metropolitan Cathedral, ie that of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the south
of England. Apart from our own High Steward, Peter Beaumont QC the Recorder of London, our guests included The
Recorder of Westminster who had
only been appointed the evening before and this was his first official
engagement, the senior Resident
Judge at Southwark HHJ Alistair Macrieth,
District Judge of Camberwell Green, Ann Sawetz, and our old friend from the Royal Courts of Justice the Senior Master
Steven Whitaker the Queen’s
Remembrancer, along with the HM Coroner
for Southwark Dr Andrew Harris and the City Remembrancer Paul Double.
Apologies were received from The City Sheriffs and the principal
resident justice of the ILCC the newly instituted Recorder of Southwark HHJ Roger Chapple called away by a family crisis that afternoon. Attendance was less than we had hoped for,
at 62. The status of this event is without parallel, not even the City
Corporation itself could do this as a formal function and with the list of
speakers that we have had thus far has its own pre-eminence on the legal
circuit. It was fitting therefore that the speaker was the Rt Hon Lord Judge of Draycote, The Lord Chief Justice.
The Rochester Visit has now become a regular feature of our year, hosted
by our sister FEW Guild, The Rochester Oyster and Floating Fishery, held on Saturday/ Sunday 30th June and 1st
July. This is a working guild and company of fisherman and has statutory
rights of Presentment at the said court which is presided over by the Admiral
of the Medway the Mayor of Medway borough with a group of six robed Councillors
forming the Admiralty Court. The day started with the Admiralty Court held in
the beautiful Guildhall. The Manor Officers were also permitted to convey the
formal of one of our own Jurors - Greetings
of the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor Ald David Wootton to the Mayor and Freemen of
the Medway. We then processed the Mayor of Medway from the Guildhall to the
river and then took to boats for beating the bounds to Hawkwood Stone and ended
with an entertaining luncheon at the Rochester Cruising Club. Once again, this
year we were provided by the City of London Port Health Authority with
the Lady Aileen 50ft launch for both days of the event which enabled us
to provide places aboard for up to 12. We are extremely grateful for the warm
hospitality extended to the Manor by the Rochester guild, the Cruising Club and
Mayor of Medway every year at this event. This event is by invitation to the
Manor Officers and therefore as guests ourselves we cannot invite Manor members
on a subscription basis.
The ‘Bridge House-Yard Dinner’, was held on 13th September at
our now regular venue the Hall of St
George the Martyr, Borough High Street. The Chief Commoner, is in fact no stranger at all, Ken Ayers
having been a past Sheriff and
so a previous senior guest; Sheriff Wendy Mead CC and the Sheriff ‘Elect’ Nigel Pullman and the Junior Alderman, Peter
Hewitt; The Queen’s Remembrancer and Lt Col Steve Lee RMR (City
of London). We were given a joint presentation by James Langthorn and
Amelia Fairman of Pre-Construct Archaeology of their findings at the route
of the new Thameslink Viaduct across the Borough Market. Apart from a Roman
Bath House on Borough High Street, the much sought after Anglo-Saxon Defensive
Trench was discovered under Bedale Street, which is of course was were they
should have expected it to be !! Sixty Nine Members and guests
attended a recovery from last year to the high levels we had up to 2008. This
was without doubt an occasion matched by very few others in the City save for
those at Mansion House and Guildhall for the number of senior civic dignitaries
present.
The Committee would urge all of the members to try and come to these functions with friends, partners and paying guests. Those of you who are Liverymen who intend to sponsor persons for the Freedom by Redemption without the intervention of a Livery Company are urged to consider making use of the View of Frankpledge and Thanksgiving Service and Quit Rents Ceremony events to be proposed for and celebrate the receipt of the Freedom in a suitable commemorative and dignified way.
Invitations to Guilds, Livery functions and
the Honorary Freedoms of Southwark Ceremony
Throughout the year either myself, an
Officer, or the Clerk represented the Manor as invited guests at Livery and
City events. On 16 November immediately following the Court Leet I attended at
the Actuaries Hall at Staple Inn for their annual dinner for Masters
their Guest Speaker was Lord Moynihan. On 11
January our Clerk was a guest at the Plaisterers Company’s annual
Clerk’s Dinner. In February I attended the World Traders annual Tacitus
Lecture and Reception at Guildhall. Further invitations:-. The Livery City
University and Cass Business School Lectures are an opportunity to meet
informally a very wide selection of Masters and Clerks. The entire Committee
was invited to the Southwark Civic Awards at St George’s Cathedral on May 12th
when not only local community activists were recognised but the formal Honorary Freedom of the Borough was
bestowed on Sir Michael Caine and the three MPs of Southwark, Simon Hughes,
Harriet Harman and Dame Tessa Jowell; participating on the dais as the Proposer for the Installation of the
Recorder of Southwark, HHJ Roger Chapple, was our own Clerk! The Tax Advisers held
their Master’s and Clerks Luncheon at Cutlers Hall on 17th May, a marathon for myself and Tony because we went
shortly after to our own Justices and Jurors Dinner. However, we were
flattered that in the Master Tax Adviser’s speech he pointed out that as a
Master he was priviledged to be invited to other functions which the vast
majority of Liverymen know nothing about and in this regard then gave a
detailed account of the Southwark Quit Rents ceremony as the most fascinating
he had attended as Master.! On the 14th June the Clerk and myself were invited guests of the Watermen
and Lightermen’s Knolly’s Rose ceremony and luncheon, Mansion House and the Company’s Hall and
also on 20th July cruise and lunch following the Doggett’s
Coat and Badge Wager. Indeed, I was the principal guest of honour of the
Master because like the Watermen we are not a Livery (the Livery are
entertained by the Fishmongers) our Clerk, incidentally, is now himself a
Freemen of that Company. However, Sheriff Wendy Mead and Consort Robert Tipping
where present as personal guest’s of the Master. On the 20th October
I was unable to attend with the Clerk the new Sheriffs’ Quit Rents ceremony
at the RCJ as a guest of the Queen’s Remembrancer, but this is now a regular
invitation to the Foreman. Wider afield we were represented at the sister
Court Leet manors of Alcester, Bromsgrove, Henley and Warwick. The higher
profile of the Manor has meant that this has been reflected in the number of
invitations we now receive to attend Livery Company events, lectures and
Receptions, such as those of the World
Traders, Plaisterers and Painter Stainers among others and we seem to have
now a firm relationship with the
Actuaries and the Tax Advisers
attending their formal Livery Banquets as a natural outgrowth of our Quit Rents
event..
Finances and Audit of Accounts
With this letter you will find a copy of the abstract
of the Audited Accounts which are placed before the Annual Meeting. As you can
see, above, the Committee has chosen Freddie Trowman and Ian Wingfield to
undertake these duties from next year. Authority over expenditure on goods and
services is exercised by the Committee and the Trustees.
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Banking and
Audit Procedure: - All Expenditure is approved by the Committee under
general administration or as special purchases; the Committee also receives
Banquet Budget Reports from the Clerk at their meetings to monitor. Cheques /
Payments are raised by the Treasurer on request of the Clerk, backed by an
Invoice/ Receipt. All Income Pro Formas for goods/ services/ banqueting are
retained and payments banked by the Clerk. Receipts and Pro Formas are
attached to a narrative Memo by the Clerk and are given to the Auditors at
the next Committee Meeting, along with Bank Statements, with any used Pay-In
and Cheque Books, to check off. The full narrative is also given on the
Income and Expenditure report. The Auditors receive all other Pay-In and
Cheque Books at end of FY to complete the account, balances and Income and
Expenditure report, with the Treasurer and Clerk. The abstract of the
Accounts are approved by the Auditors as attached to the Annual Letter. Note
by the Auditors |
The
Tenancy Fee Account has to carry the
costs of communications, the Tenancy Fee and sundry other items which the
membership as a whole ought in fairness to carry, such as entertaining our
official guests. However, the increasing numbers of membership is now making a
signifcant contribution to finances. Therefore, the Tenancy Fee shall increase
to £50.00 for 2012-13. This
account also has to fund the costs associated with the Court Leet Day.
Merchandise & General Account. Originally this account generated major
surpluses by sales to third parties and was a major subsidy when the Manor was
expanding its activities and before we could recruit a ‘critical mass’ of
support to events and membership. These ‘customers’ have now declined due to
the recession and now the account’s activity was mainly of expenditure and
stock purchase. The value of the stock is written down as nominal on purchase
as it is acquired as a much larger order the cost of which is covered on the
intitial part sale. The value of the stock is realised as full profit at sales.
The prices for Guildable Manor Merchandise for our own members are deliberately
set at below High Street rates to encourage membership identity, in most cases
they are priced at a little above cost. These items are of exceptional quality
and value.
Banqueting Account. With
the combination of improved attendances and reasonably priced caterers this
account again realises modest surpluses, which are applied to charity. Event
subscriptions are closely budgetted attract support. All of our major functions
follow a format of an Event, be it ceremonial or a talk or other entertainment,
a good quality meal at excellent prices with drink, usually with excellent
company and official guests. This is a sensible mixture of formal and informal.
No Livery Company can offer this value and no City Ward Club has this level of
civic status and pomp. I would ask all members to bring guests with a prospect
of joining a unique institution as an introduction to the rich heritage of both
the City of London and Southwark.
Charitable Donations (Banqueting Account) The Committee, in accordance with last year’s Annual Meeting made
further contributions to charitable objects, many of these were laying in
long-term ‘goodwill’ with various institutions to develop better relationships.
Some payments for venue hire are treated as ‘gifts’ as that is the way the relevant institution
prefers this is regarded. The Committee of Officers shall vary these amounts as
to what is a prudent disbursement in regard to the balance of the Accounts.
Queries
If any one has any questions arising out of this Letter, the Accounts
or from the Minutes of the last General Meeting, (previously distributed and
reproduced below) the point of circulating these in advance is to ask you to
give me Notice, in reasonable time before the meeting, so that a detailed
answer can be prepared and made at the Annual Meeting at which these documents
shall be taken ‘as read’. Any AOB questions at the meeting shall be dealt with
in full in writing after the meeting. Likewise, at any other time during the
year, if members have any queries of, or want to make suggestions to, the Committee
then a note about these shall receive a detailed and considered reply.
Yours sincerely,
Janet Honnoraty, For and on behalf of the
Officers and Trustees of the Guildable Manor.
THE COURT LEET OF THE GUILDABLE MANOR OF SOUTHWARK
2012-2013
The names of the Free Tenants summonsed to attend as
Jurors of the said Manor at
the Amigo Hall - St George’s Cathedral, Southwark
SE1
on Wednesday the 14th day of November 2012 at
3.20pm.
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Roy Alston Jeremy
Barrett Leoniza
Barrett Gwen
Batchelor Tim
Benjamin Beryl
Boulton David
Boston Roy
Bradley Valerie
Carroll Andrea
Coore Kevin
Couling Paul Crisp Norman
Dale Richard
Darby Loraine
Davis Roger
Davis William
Donovan Matthew
Dupee |
Edward
Errington Harry
Evans Dr Richard
Fynes Peter Gadbury Kathleen
Gill Roy Gill Donald
Goree Charlotte
Grezo Roman de
Gamotha Prem Goyal Adrian
Greenwood Leslie
Grout Angela
Gurling James
Gurling John
Hammond Leigh
Hatts Susan
Haydock |
Hilary
Haydon David
Henderson Lesley
Henderson Richard
Hollier Janet
Honnoraty Michael
Honnoraty Patricia J
Huggins Josephine
R Huggins Edward
Jansz Glynn
Jones Donna
Joscelyne Dominic
Kelsey Martin
King Thomas
Kohwagner Cheong
Ming Lam Ron Leek Cyril Levy |
Douglas
Lewins Simon
McIlwaine Michele
McLusky Edward
Newman Stephen
Nimmons Bryan Page Makia Pai Rudolf
Pongratz Jill
Philps Malcolm
Potter Mervyn
Redding David
Repetowsky Diane
Riley Daniel
Roche Tony Sharp |
Lynn Smith Robin
Sherlock Ketan
Sheth Graham
Sutherland Maureen
Sutherland Michael
Stewart Alexandra
Tansey Judy
Tayler-Smith Ian Tough Peter
Townsend Frederick
Trowman Christopher
Trye Michael
Wallis Paul
Weninger Bryan
Whalley Keith
Williams Nicholas
Williams |
Jane
Williams David
Wilson Ian Wingfield Norman
Winnett Patricia
Winnett William
Whitfield David
Wootton |
AGENDA FOR ANNUAL
MEETING, ON THE ABOVE DATE AND VENUE
at 2.15pm
1.i)
To Accept the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of 16th November 2011 as a
Correct Record.
ii)
Matters Arising.
2.i)
To Accept the Annual Letter as Circulated.
ii)
Matters Arising.
3.i)
To Receive the Audited Accounts as Circulated.
ii)
Matters Arising.
4.)
i) Votes of Thanks, proposed by the Foreman.
ii)
Matters Arising.
6)
Any Other Business.
MINUTES OF
ANNUAL MEETING: WEDNESDAY 16th NOVEMBER 2011
at 2.15pm
held at The Amigo Hall, St George’s RC Cathedral,
Southwark, London SE1,
These were circulated in November 2011 and
again in October 2012 and notified errors and ommissions rectified.
1.i) Attendance:
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Tim Benjamin; Beryl Boulton;
Roy Bradley; Valerie Carroll ; Kevin Couling; Jane Coglan; Loraine Davis; Roger Davis; William
Donovan; Peter Gadbury; Kathleen Gill; Roy Gill; Donald
Goree; Leslie Grout; James Gurling; Leigh Hatts; Susan
Haydock; Hilary Haydon; Janet Honnoraty; Michael Honnoraty; Glynn Jones; Donna Joscelyne; Patrick Joyce; Ron Leek; Cyril Levy; Simon McIlwaine; Edward
Newman; Bryan Page; Paul Phillips; Jill Philps; John Philps; Mervyn Redding; Diane Riley; Daniel Roche; Tony
Sharp; Robin Sherlock; Michael
Stewart; Graham
Sutherland; Maureen Sutherland; Alexandra Tansey; John Taylor; Ian Tough; Christopher Trye; Michael Wallis; Paul Weninger; Bryan Whalley; Keith Williams; Nicholas Williams;
David Wilson; Ian Wingfield. |
2.i) To Accept the Minutes
of the Annual Meeting: Wednesday 17th
November 2010 at 2.15pm
held at The Amigo Hall,
London SE1 as a Correct Record.
Agreed Nem Com
ii) Matters Arising. None
3 i)
To Accept the Annual Letter as Circulated.
Agreed
Nem Com
3.ii)
Matters Arising. None
4.i)
To Receive the Audited Accounts as Circulated.
Agreed Nem Com
ii)
Matters Arising. None
5.)
Votes of Thanks, proposed by the Foreman. The Foreman thanked all of the
Officers for their support over the last year and also the Jurors for attending
functions.
6.) Any Other Business:-
None.
END.
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Watermen & Lightermen Annual Dogget’s Coat and Badge 2012: |
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Jenny,
Master John Redmond and Janet aboard MV Mercia |
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Post
Race Lunch – as guests of honour with Sheriif Wendy Mead, her Consort Robert
Tipping |
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View
from the Bridge of MV Elizabethan
of the Olympic Bridge as the ‘Gateway to Southwark’ !!! |
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Bridge House-Yard Dinner 2012: |
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Guest Speakers James and Amelia with
Janet and Constable Mike |
Chief Guest of Honour Chief Commoner
Ken Ayers CC |
INSTALLATION OF
THE FIRST RECORDER
OF SOUTHWARK

above, l-r HHJ Roger Chapple, the Recorder
of Southwark; Cllr Loraine Lauder, Mayor of Southwark and Tony Sharp, Clerk of the Manor.
Despite Southwark being one of the
nation’s most ancient boroughs and the location of more Judicial Benches than
in any other town, the Council has only in the last year appointed a Recorder.
HHJ Roger Chapple was Installed in post at a formal Civic Awards and Borough
Freedoms Ceremony on 12th May, at St George’s Cathedral, along with
local worthies and such luminaries as the three local MPs (Simon Hughes,
President of the Lib Dems; Dame Tessa Jowell, former Minister of State, Lab;
Harriet Harman, former Deputy PM, Lab) and Sir Michael Caine CBE.
Each was formally Proposed for the
Honour and our Clerk was regarded as the appropriate Nominator for the
Recorder, having been instrumental in convincing the Council of the status and
merit of the office. HHJ Chapple said in his Acceptance Speech that he was
intending to get a closer connection with the local communities and his Court
and at least part of this will be to participate actively in the ceremonial
role of his Office. Proof of this is that he has already constituted the Borough
Recorder’s Court and to hold a Judicial Service.
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Lord of the Manor The Lord Mayor, Commonalty
and Citizens of the City of London Bankers: Child & Co, 1 Fleet Street, London EC4 www.guildablemanor.org |
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Senior Patrons The High Steward of Southwark HHJ Peter Beaumont QC The Recorder of London The High Bailiff of Southwark Charles Henty The Secondary of London
& Under Sheriff Foreman Ian Tough JP |
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Hon Auditors Dr Ian Wingfield Prof Freddie Trowman |
GVILDABLE MANOR Colechurch House, London Bridge Walk, London SE1
2SX Registered Address 020 7394 1271 |
Clerk of the
Manor Tony Sharp clerk@guildablemanor.org |
Annual Letter 2011
1 October 2011
Dear Jurors,
You have been notified of the High Steward’s Precept and by now received your Summons for the November Court Leet. Please find the Agenda* and abstract of Audited Accounts for the Annual Meeting, which shall take place at that venue at 2.15pm that day, enclosed: This document shall be taken ‘as read’ at the meeting.
*ie draft agenda; members may propose any
business before the Meeting for inclusion, or use ‘AOB’ at the Meeting
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The Officers to be Sworn are:- |
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FOREMAN |
Janet Honnoraty |
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CONSTABLE |
Mike Honnoraty |
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AFEEROR |
Leslie Grout |
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FLESH TASTER |
Glynn Jones |
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ALETASTER (St Saviour’s side) |
Dr Keith Willliams |
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ALESIZER (St Olave’s side) |
Ted Newman 1-6
Committee of Officers with
Trustees; by succession and service under Rule 7 |
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SUPERNUMERARY:- |
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ALESIZER (St Saviour’s side) |
Robin Sherlock |
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“ ” All other Officers and Trustees |
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ALESIZER (St Olave’s side) |
Ald James Gurling, Roger Davis, Donald Goree |
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“ ” All other Officers and Trustees |
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Rule 7.9 |
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CLERK OF THE MANOR‡ |
Tony Sharp (F:
2001-2002) |
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ORATOR ~ CLERK‡ |
Peter Gadbury (F:
2000-2001) |
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OUTROPER OR COMMON CRYER‡§ |
David Wilson (F:
2005-2006) § Charter of
Charles I 1625 ‡ Rule 7.9 |
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BEADLES ‡ (St Olave’s side) (St Saviour’s side) |
All Officers and Trustees All Officers and Trustees ‡ Rule 7.9 |
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SERVED FOREMEN AND TRUSTEES‡‡ |
Peter
Gadbury (F: 2000-2001) ‡‡
Tony Sharp (F:
2001-2002) ‡‡ Ian Wingfield (F:
2002-2003) ‡‡ Diane Riley (F:
2004-2005) David Wilson (F:
2005-2006) ‡‡ |
Cyril
Levy (F: 2006-2007) Frederick Trowman (F: 2007 2008) ‡‡ David
Boston (F: 2008-2009) Ron
Leek (F: 2009-2010) Ian Tough (F: 2010-2011) ‡‡ Rule
3. |
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HON AUDITORS §§ |
Ian Wingfield (F:
2002-2003) Frederick Trowman (F: 2007 2008) §§
Notified to Annual Meeting under Rule
8. |
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The three
Southwark Courts Leet retain the right to sit for their customary business
including “...the appointment of traditional officers” as a limited jurisdiction under the ‘Administration of Justice Act
1977; §23 (1)(b) Sch 4 Pt III’.
General
Just a few days before being
sworn in as Foreman, the other officers and myself, attended Guildhall Art Gallery on the morning of
13th November 2010 to make a presentation to our new Lord
Mayor, Ald Michael Bear. We were gratified that some of our guests, who had
great experience and had held high office in the Livery, had never previously
attended and said that this reflected on the status and high regard in which
the Manor is held within the City.
Membership and
Tenancy
As
the Manor membership expands, so does the cost of running it; nor are we quite
big enough to benefit from an economy of scale. The costs of holding the Court
Leet have risen and the necessity is now that we have to hire larger venues to
hold this means our margins are squeezed. The committee was expecting a major
loss of membership, especially among those Jurors who had not been attending
functions for some years. We admitted six new members year as we had ten
non-renewals and resignations, presumably as a result of the recession. There
are now 95 Jurors, and we expect a number of new members before
Christmas to take us back to our 100 figure in the New Year. This membership
gives us the critical mass to support functions. The Committee would
nevertheless request that you actively recruit suitable persons to become
Jurors, especially if they are unlikely to become Liverymen but are
attracted to the City’s traditions, and of course we offer the unique
combination of the Southwark arrangements to propose them for the Freedom and
to celebrate its receipt at View of Frankpledge and Quit Rents. We have some
very senior City representatives at these events, who have indicated that they
are most impressed with the ceremonial aspects and conviviality. A general rise
in costs for functions over the last two years is reflected in the increase in
charges for these events. The Committee is mindful that charges have to be
levied at a rate that keeps them attractive for the members.
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Why are Manor members
‘Tenants’ and ‘Jurors’? The
qualification for ‘Listing for Summons’ to the Court Leet is being a Tenant
in the Manor. In late July the High Bailiff confirms the date of the Court
Leet and asks for a list of those qualified (bona fide Tenants) from the
Clerk. The Clerk sends the members list of that date to the City Surveyors
Dept (the landlord) with a note to say that all named are liable under the
terms of our Lease at Colechurch House; that legal status is a ‘tenancy’. The
List is then as such sent to the Old Bailey. However,
in the interim period between members joining the Manor and the Court Leet at
which one becomes a ‘Sworn Juror’, they are referred to as just ‘Tenants’ and
this slight difference is similar to the distinction in the City Livery
Companies were one is firstly a ‘Freeman’ of the company and then are
‘enclothed’ in the Livery as a full member. Note by The
Clerk |
Events and
Functions of the last year
Despite
the Recession, there has been a slight improvement in attendances, but this
reflects our increased membership size. The committee has secured two
alternative attractive venues at Amigo Hall, RC Cathedral and St George the
Martyr, Borough for our four formal events. General feedback from everyone
is that Masters Catering, a Southwark based company, are as good as we
could expect at the very reasonable fixed tariff that they have provided for the
following year.
Court Leet 2010
Our
most important event of the year was held on 17th November 2010 when
I was sworn in as Foreman in the Amigo Hall, St George’s RC Cathedral,
Southwark. Three members applied to serve as officers and the Trustees proposed
that Glynn Jones and Keith Williams to be Sworn and they joined as the
Committee. Ted Newman had been intended to also join but due to error was
unable to do; he is expected to be listed next year. The problem of finding a
suitable venue to hold all of the day’s functions has now been resolved with
this new venue allowing separate spaces to be used for Reception, Feast and
Court. This was attended by 75 Jurors and Guests, including the Old
Bailey team; Ann Cottle Secretary of the Court for the last 14 years had taken
severance from her duties at the ‘Bailey and so it was felt that a suitable
presentation be made to her of an enscribed and framed Manor Print. Ann later
remarkedthat it was a nice coincidence to retire at this venue because she was
an ‘Old Girl’ of the Notre Dame School, the Cathedral School opposite. We had
the highest number of Jurors ever to attend (59) and also the largest
proportion of them to do so. Fourteen new Freemen were proposed. Overall the
2010 Ceremony was regarded as a great success because we now have a cohort of
Officers who have served long enough to appreciate the issues and logistics of
the event.
Quit Rents and Court
of Exchequer
The
combined Thanksgiving Service and Quit
Rents Ceremony was held on 17th March, for new Freemen,
Members and Guests. We first assembled at the Chamberlain’s Court, where
eleven took the oath. Once again the Service was held at our guild-church St
George the Martyr, Borough High Street conducted by our Hon Chaplain the
Venerable Dr Michael Ipgrave OBE, Archdeacon of Southwark supported by the Revd
Dr Elfed Hughes supernumerary of St George’s. The Ceremony followed. The
Senior Master Steven Whitaker, the Queen’s Remembrancer, received the
Quit Rents on behalf of the Crown from us (on behalf of the City). For this
purpose he instituted the Court of Exchequer to which the Southwark
Jurors were Summoned. This is one of only four City ceremonies which he
participates in; the others being the Trial of the Pyx, the presentation of the
Sheriffs and the presentation of the Lord Mayor. I then hosted a Luncheon at
the St George’s Hall, luncheon prepared by Masters Catering. Some 74
Jurors and their guests attended, down by 10 percent on last year. Our
civic brethren and guests included the Master of the Actuaries with their
partners and Clerk and the Clerk of the WC Tax Advisers. One of our practices,
which has been remarked upon by visiting livery, is the reading by our new
freemen of passages from Some Rules from
the Conduct of Life (‘the little red book’) at the luncheon. Apparently,
visiting livery are much taken with it and have indicated they are to adopt it
within their own companies. The Committee regard the arrangement for this event
at St George the Martyr as most suitable, enabling Service, Ceremony and feast
to be held at the same convenient and most historic venue.
The History Tour
of the Borough
The annual guided walk was held on Saturday 9th
April conducted by our Clerk, Tony Sharp, and started at Borough tube
station and finished at The Mudlark, Montague Close where we had excellent
individual lunches and drinks. These tours are probably the most convenient and
accessible way to understand the fascinating history of the Manors.
Justices and Jurors Dinner: Annual Spring
Banquet
This is now one
of our most prestigious events and combines our status as threeold, a legal
body, a City and a Southwark institution. Although Southwark was the historic
home of many courts and their jurisdiction prisons, The King’s Bench and the
Marshalsea, the Borough Compter, the White Lion, the Clink, the Surrey County
gaols and our own Court House and the Union Hall, it is still today the home
borough of three Crown Courts and its Coroner’s and two Magistrates Courts;
Note ‘court Districts’ not mere court rooms. It is hard to find any other
borough with more than one of these. Uniquely, therefore I presided at a
function to entertain and inform, our double mission, the several Senior
Residing Justices of the Southwark courthouses. This year’s lecture and dinner
was held on 19th May at the Amigo Hall of St George’s
Metropolitan Cathedral, ie that of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the south
of England. This is the newest conference venue in Southwark and all attendees
expressed themselves impressed with its spaciousness, we expect to use it more
often in future. Southwark has not two but three Cathedrals (the third being
Greek Orthodox), indeed St George’s Cathedral is the oldest of them being so
since the restoration of the Catholic heirarchy in England in 1850. Apart from
our own High Steward, Peter
Beaumont QC the Recorder of London, our guests
included the principal resident justice of the Inner London Sessions HHJ
Roger Chappel; representative Justice of Blackfriars Crown Court HHJ John Hillenthe
District Judge of Camberwell Green, Susan Green, and our old friend from the Royal Courts of
Justice the Senior Master Steven Whitaker the Queen’s Remembrancer, along with the HM
Coroner for Southwark Dr Andrew Harris. Apologies were received from The
City Sheriffs, the Recorder of Westminster and the SDJ Tower Birdge MC.
Attendance of the Jurors was less than we had hoped for, at 41. My predecessor
as Foreman, Ron Leek wrote last year that “the
status of the event is without parallel, not even the City Corporation itself could
do this”. It was fitting therefore that the speaker was the Rt Hon Lord Neuberger, Master of the Rolls who started his
amusing and informative talk by saying “I
feel honoured and privileged to address such an ancient and distinguished
organisation ...” after which the content got even better; he finished
his talk by covering some of the points he had to consider for his Report
published the following day, on Super Injunctions and Privacy Law.
After
a gap of some five years we were delighted to be invited once again to HM Tower of London
for a tour, buffet and to attend the Ceremony of the Keys on the 15th June. Twenty Jurors and guests
attended.
The Rochester Visit has now become a regular feature of our year, hosted
by our sister FEW Guild, The Rochester Oyster and Floating Fishery, held on Saturday/ Sunday 2nd and 3rd July. This
is a working guild and company of fisherman and has statutory rights of
Presentment at the said court which is presided over by the Admiral of the
Medway the Mayor of Medway borough with a group of six robed Councillors
forming the Admiralty Court. The day started with the Admiralty Court held in
the beautiful Guildhall. The Manor Officers were also permitted to convey the
formal Greetings of the Rt Hon the Lord
Mayor Ald Michael Bear to the Mayor and Freemen of the Medway. We then
processed the Mayor of Medway from the Guildhall to the river and then took to
boats for beating the bounds to Hawkwood Stone and ended with an entertaining
luncheon at the Rochester Cruising Club. Once again, this year we were provided
by the City of London Port Health Authority with the Lady Aileen 50ft
launch for both days of the event
which enabled us to provide places aboard for up to 12. We are extremely
grateful for the warm hospitality extended to the Manor by the Rochester guild,
the Cruising Club and Mayor of Medway every year at this event. This was the 50th
Anniversary of the Cruising Club’s involvement. This event is by invitation to
the Manor Officers and therefore as guests ourselves we cannot invite Manor
members on a subscription basis.
The ‘Bridge House-Yard Dinner’, was held on 15th September at
our now regular venue the Hall of St
George the Martyr, Borough High Street. The Chief Commoner, is in
fact no stranger at all, Richard Regan having been a past lay Sheriff and so a previous senior guest.
We also entertained Alderman David Wootton (SABTC) whom is also a Juror of the Manor and was
to be elected Lord Mayor a fortnight later and the Sheriffs ‘Elect’
Alderman Alan Yarrow, whom is ‘our Alderman’ being that for ‘Bridge Ward
Without’ and Wendy Mead CC. Sixty Five
Members and guests
attended a recovery from last year to the high levels we had up to 2008. This
was without doubt an occasion matched by very few others in the City save for
those at Mansion House and Guildhall for the number of senior civic dignitaries
present.
Throughout
the year either myself, an Officer, or the Clerk
represented the Manor as invited guests at Livery and City events. On 22
November I attended at the Actuaries Hall at Staple Inn for their annual
dinner for Masters and was gratified to discover that their Guest Speaker was
Lord Phillips PSC whom we had anticipated by six months !! Also in January, the entire Committee was invited to the City
Remembrancer’s special Lecture and Reception on Florence Nightingale at
Guildhall. On 11 January our Clerk was a guest at the Plaisterers Company’s
annual Clerk’s Dinner. In February I attended the World Traders annual
Tacitus Lecture and Reception at Guildhall, I was most gratified to be an
official guest of that which is my own Livery Company!! Further
invitations:- on 2nd March the
Loriners’ Company’s 750th Anniversary Service was held at St Paul’s
and was invited to Process with the
Livery Masters in the Cathedral, the second occasion in recent years that
the Manor has been so recognised; I was attended by the Clerk and we were given
a warm welcome at the Reception
following this at Stationers’ Hall, we explained to the other guests that
the Loriners was one of only two Companies that could prove they were a City
institution of longer standing than that of the Manor; this time Tony was
gratified to be an official guest of his Livery Company!! The same month the
Clerk was invited to the Plaisterers’ Company’s Dinner for Clerks. In late June
there were two City-wide events at which we were represented - the Flag Day in
Guildhall Yard on the 21st and on the 29th a Reception was held at
the Mansion House with the Lord Mayor for the Territorial and Cadet
Forces associated with the City. The Livery City University and Cass
Business School Lectures are an opportunity to meet informally a very wide
selection of Masters and Clerks. On the
15th July the Clerk and myself were invited guests of the Watermen
and Lightermen’s cruise and lunch following the Doggett’s Coat and Badge
Wager. Indeed, I was the principal guest of honour of the Master because
like the Watermen we are not a Livery (the Livery are entertained by the
Fishmongers). On the 12th October I attended with the Clerk the new
Sheriffs’ Quit Rents ceremony at the RCJ as a guest of the Queen’s
Remembrancer. Myself and the Clerk attended the Tenth Anniversary Commemoration Service at St Paul’s for the ‘9/11’
Terrorist Attacks on the USA. Wider afield we
were represented at the sister Court Leet manors of Alcester, Bromsgrove,
Henley and Warwick. The higher profile of the Manor has meant that this has
been reflected in the number of invitations we now receive to attend Livery
Company events, lectures and Receptions, such as those of the Plaisterers, Painter Stainers, Fuellers,
Horners, Guild of Air Pilots among others.
The
Committee would urge all of the members to try and come to these functions with
friends, partners and paying guests. Those of you who are Liverymen who intend to sponsor persons for the Freedom by
Redemption without the intervention of a Livery Company are urged to consider
making use of the View of Frankpledge and
Thanksgiving Service and Quit Rents
Ceremony events to be proposed for and celebrate the receipt of the Freedom
in a suitable commemorative and dignified way.
Finances and Audit of Accounts
With this letter you will find a copy of the abstract
of the Audited Accounts which are placed before the Annual Meeting. As you can
see, above, the Committee has chosen Freddie Trowman and Ian Wingfield to
undertake these duties from next year. Authority
over expenditure on goods and services is exercised by the Committee and the
Trustees.
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Banking and
Audit Procedure: - All Expenditure is approved by the Committee under
general administration or as special purchases; the Committee also receives
Banquet Budget Reports from the Clerk at their meetings to monitor. Cheques /
Payments are raised by the Treasurer on request of the Clerk, backed by an
Invoice/ Receipt. All Income Pro Formas for goods/ services/ banqueting are
retained and payments banked by the Clerk. Receipts and Pro Formas are
attached to a narrative Memo by the Clerk and are given to the Auditors at
the next Committee Meeting, along with Bank Statements, with any used Pay-In
and Cheque Books, to check off. The full narrative is also given on the
Income and Expenditure report. The Auditors receive all other Pay-In and
Cheque Books at end of FY to complete the account, balances and Income and Expenditure
report, with the Treasurer and Clerk. The abstract of the Accounts are
approved by the Auditors as attached to the Annual Letter. Note
by the Auditors |
The
Tenancy Fee Account has to carry the
costs of communications, the Tenancy Fee and sundry other items which the
membership as a whole ought in fairness to carry, such as entertaining our
official guests. However, the increasing numbers of membership is now making a
signifcant contribution to finances. Therefore, the Tenancy Fee shall remain at
£40.00 for 2011-12. This account
also has to fund the costs associated with the Court Leet Day.
Merchandise & General Account. Originally this account generated major
surpluses by sales to third parties and was a major subsidy when the Manor was
expanding its activities and before we could recruit a ‘critical mass’ of
support to events and membership. These ‘customers’ have now declined due to
the recession and now the account’s activity was mainly of expenditure and
stock purchase. The value of the stock is written down as nominal on purchase
as it is acquired as a much larger order the cost of which is covered on the
intitial part sale. The value of the stock is realised as full profit at sales.
The prices for Guildable Manor Merchandise for our own members are deliberately
set at below High Street rates to encourage membership identity, in most cases
they are priced at a little above cost. These items are of exceptional quality
and value.
Banqueting Account. With the combination of improved attendances and reasonably priced caterers this account again realises modest surpluses, which are applied to charity. Event subscriptions are closely budgetted attract support. All of our major functions follow a format of an Event, be it ceremonial or a talk or other entertainment, a good quality meal at excellent prices with drink, usually with excellent company and official guests. This is a sensible mixture of formal and informal. No Livery Company can offer this value and no City Ward Club has this level of civic status and pomp. I would ask all members to bring guests with a prospect of joining a unique institution as an introduction to the rich heritage of both the City of London and Southwark.
Charitable Donations (Banqueting Account) The Committee, in accordance with last year’s Annual Meeting made further contributions to charitable objects, many of these were laying in long-term ‘goodwill’ with various institutions to develop better relationships. Some payments for venue hire are treated as ‘gifts’ as that is the way the relevant institution prefers this is regarded. The Committee of Officers shall vary these amounts as to what is a prudent disbursement in regard to the balance of the Accounts.
Queries
If any one has any questions arising out of this Letter, the Accounts
or from the Minutes of the last General Meeting, (previously distributed and
reproduced below) the point of circulating these in advance is to ask you to
give me Notice, in reasonable time before the meeting, so that a detailed
answer can be prepared and made at the Annual Meeting at which these documents
shall be taken ‘as read’. Any AOB questions at the meeting shall be dealt with
in full in writing after the meeting. Likewise, at any other time during the
year, if members have any queries of, or want to make suggestions to, the
Committee then a note about these shall receive a detailed and considered
reply.
Yours
sincerely,
Ian Tough, For and on behalf of the
Officers and Trustees of the Guildable Manor.
THE COURT LEET OF THE GUILDABLE MANOR OF SOUTHWARK
2011-2012
The names of the Free Tenants summonsed to attend as
Jurors of the said Manor at
the Amigo Hall - St George’s Cathedral, Southwark
SE1
on Wednesday the 16th day of November 2011 at 3.20pm.
|
Roy Alston Janice Bamber Kenneth Bamber Jeremy Barrett Leoniza Barrett Gwen Batchelor Tim Benjamin Beryl Boulton David Boston Roy Bradley Valerie Carroll Kevin Couling Jane Coglan Daphne
Dale Norman
Dale Loraine
Davis Roger
Davis |
Howard Doe William
Donovan Matthew Dupee Edward Errington Harry Evans Fiona Gadbury Peter Gadbury Kathleen Gill Roy
Gill Donald Goree Charlotte Grezo Adrian
Greenwood Leslie Grout Angela Gurling James
Gurling John Hammond |
Leigh Hatts Susan Haydock Hilary Haydon David Henderson Lesley Henderson Richard Hollier Janet
Honnoraty Michael Honnoraty Bradley Horn Josephine
Huggins Edward Jansz Glynn Jones Donna Joscelyne Dominic Kelsey Martin King Thomas Kohwagner |
Cheong Ming Lam Lorraine Lauder Ron Leek Cyril Levy Simon McIlwaine Michele McLusky Edward
Newman Stephen
Nimmons Bryan
Page Makia Pai Rudolf
Pongratz Jill
Philps Malcolm Potter Mervyn Redding |
David Repetowsky Diane Riley Daniel Roche Tony Sharp Lynn Smith Robin Sherlock Ketan Sheth Graham
Sutherland Maureen
Sutherland Michael Stewart Alexandra Tansey Ian Tough Barry Theobald-Hicks Frederick
Trowman Christopher
Trye Michael Wallis |
Kenneth Webber Anita Webber Paul
Weninger Bryan Whalley Keith Williams Nicholas Williams David Wilson Ian Wingfield Norman Winnett Patricia Winnett David Wootton |
AGENDA FOR ANNUAL
MEETING, ON THE ABOVE DATE AND VENUE
at 2.15pm
1.i)
To Accept the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of 17th November 2010 as a
Correct Record.
ii)
Matters Arising.
2.i)
To Accept the Annual Letter as Circulated.
ii)
Matters Arising.
3.i)
To Receive the Audited Accounts as Circulated.
ii)
Matters Arising.
4.)
i) Votes of Thanks, proposed by the Foreman.
ii)
Matters Arising.
6)
Any Other Business.
MINUTES OF
ANNUAL MEETING: WEDNESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2010
at 2.15pm
held at The Amigo Hall, St George’s RC Cathedral,
Southwark, London SE1,
CIRCULATED IN
NOVEMBER 2010 AND OCTOBER 2011: notice of errors and omissions incorporated
1.i) Attendance:
|
Janice Bamber, Kenneth Bamber, Tim Benjamin, Kathryn Best, Beryl Boulton, David Boston, Roy
Bradley, Loraine Davis, Roger Davis, Howard Doe, Geoffrey
Drust, Victor Drust, Fiona Gadbury,
Peter Gadbury, Kathleen Gill, Roy Gill, Dr Charlotte Grezo, John
Garbutt, Leslie Grout, James Gurling; Leigh Hatts,
Susan Haydock, Richard Hollier, Janet
Honnoraty, Michael Honnoraty, Jonathan
Jewell, Glynn Jones, Patrick Joyce, Thomas Kohwagner, Cheong Ming Lam, Ron Leek, Cyril
Levy, Simon
McIlwaine, Stephen Nimmons, Bryan Page, Jill Philps, John Philps, Cyrus
Poteratchi, Mervyn Redding, David Repetowsky, Diane Riley, Daniel Roche, Tony Sharp, Graham Sutherland, Maureen Sutherland, Alexandra Tansey, John Taylor, Barry Theobald Hicks;
Ian Tough, Frederick Trowman, Christopher Trye, Michael Wallis, Paul
Weninger, Bryan Whalley, Keith Williams, David Wilson, Dr Ian
Wingfield, Norman Winnett,
Patricia Winnett |
2.i) To Accept the
Minutes of the Annual Meeting: Wednesday 18th
November 2009 at 2.15pm
held at The John Marshall Hall,
London SE1 as a Correct Record.
Agreed Nem Com
ii) Matters Arising. None
3 i)
To Accept the Annual Letter as Circulated.
3.i)
Notice was given by the Foreman that Edward Newman was not being Sworn this day and that therefore Glynn Jones
shall be Aletaster (St Saviour’s side) and also therefore Keith Williams shall
be Sworn Alesizer (St Olave’s side), the Notice being Amendments to the Annual
Letter - To Accept the Annual Letter as circulated and as Amended.
Agreed
Nem Com
ii) Matters Arising. None
4.i)
To Receive the Audited Accounts as Circulated.
Agreed Nem Com
ii)
Matters Arising. None
5.)
Votes of Thanks, proposed by the Foreman. The Foreman thanked all of the
Officers for their support over the last year and also the Jurors for attending
functions.
6.) Any Other Business:-
None.
END.
|
Hon Auditors Dr Ian Wingfield Prof Freddie Trowman |
GVILDABLE MANOR Colechurch House, London Bridge Walk,
London SE1 2SX Registered
Address 020 7394 1271 |
Clerk
of the Manor Tony Sharp clerk@guildablemanor.org |
Annual Letter
2010

above Lord Phillips, President of the Supreme Court, guest speaker at the
Justices and Jurors Dinner of 6 May 2010 is greeted by Foreman Ron Leek.
left: Foreman Ron, ‘Quits the Rent’ for
Southwark on behalf of the
City to the Queen’s Remembrancer March 2010 below: Foreman Ron presents the
Illuminated Address of Greetings from the Lord Mayor of London to
the Admiral and Mayor of Medway Cllr David Brake at the Rochester
Admiralty Court June
2010.


1 October 2010
Dear Jurors,
You have been notified of the High Steward’s Precept and by now received your Summons for the November Court Leet. Please find the Agenda* and abstract of Audited Accounts for the Annual Meeting, which shall take place at that venue at 2.15pm that day, enclosed: This document shall be taken ‘as read’ at the meeting.
*ie draft agenda; members may propose any
business before the Meeting for inclusion, or use ‘AOB’ at the Meeting
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The Officers to be Sworn are:- |
|
||
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FOREMAN |
Ian Tough |
||
|
CONSTABLE |
Janet Honnoraty |
||
|
AFEEROR |
Mike Honnoraty |
||
|
FLESH TASTER |
Leslie Grout |
||
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ALETASTER (St Saviour’s side) |
Ted Newman |
||
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ALESIZER (St Olave’s side) |
Glynn Jones 1-6
Committee of Officers with
Trustees; by succession and service under Rule 7 |
||
|
SUPERNUMERARY:- |
|
||
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ALESIZER (St Saviour’s side) |
Keith Williams, Geoffrey Drust |
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“ ” All other Officers and Trustees |
||
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ALESIZER (St Olave’s side) |
James Gurling, Roger Davis, Donald Goree |
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“ ” All other Officers and Trustees |
||
|
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Rule 7.9 |
||
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|
|
||
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CLERK OF THE MANOR‡ |
Tony Sharp (F:
2001-2002) |
||
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ORATOR ~ CLERK‡ |
Peter Gadbury (F:
2000-2001) |
||
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OUTROPER OR COMMON CRYER‡§ |
David Wilson (F: 2005-2006) § Charter of
Charles I 1625 ‡ Rule 7.9 |
||
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BEADLES ‡ (St Olave’s side) (St Saviour’s side) |
All Officers and Trustees All Officers and Trustees ‡ Rule 7.9 |
||
|
|
|
||
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SERVED FOREMEN AND TRUSTEES‡‡ |
Peter Gadbury (F: 2000-2001) ‡‡Tony Sharp (F:
2001-2002) ‡‡ Ian Wingfield (F:
2002-2003) ‡‡ Diane Riley (F: 2004-2005) David Wilson (F: 2005-2006) ‡‡ |
Cyril Levy (F: 2006-2007) Frederick Trowman (F: 2007 2008) ‡‡ David Boston (F: 2008-2009) Ron Leek (F: 2009-2010) ‡‡ Rule
3. |
|
|
HON AUDITORS §§ |
Ian Wingfield (F:
2002-2003) Frederick Trowman (F: 2007 2008) §§
Notified to Annual Meeting under Rule
8. |
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The three
Southwark Courts Leet retain the right to sit for their customary business
including “...the appointment of traditional officers” as a limited jurisdiction under the ‘Administration of Justice Act
1977; §23 (1)(b) Sch 4 Pt III’.
General
Just a few days before being
sworn in as Foreman, the other officers and myself, attended Guildhall Art Gallery on the morning of
14th November 2009 to make a presentation to our new Lord
Mayor, Ald Nick Anstee. We were gratified that some of our guests, who had
great experience and had held high office in the Livery, had never previously
attended and said that this reflected on the status and high regard in which
the Manor is held within the City.
Membership and
Tenancy
As
the Manor membership expands, so does the cost of running it; nor are we quite
big enough to benefit from an economy of scale. The costs of holding the Court
Leet have risen and the necessity is now that we have to hire larger venues to
hold this means our margins are squeezed. The committee was expecting a major
loss of membership, especially among those Jurors who had not been attending
functions for some years, I am pleased to say we had no formal resignations of
Jurors and had only two non-renewers. We also had twenty three new
members join us more than covering our losses, so that we feel that we are
heading in the right direction. There are now 101 Jurors, so that we
have now achieved the target we set ourselves in 2000. This membership gives us
the critical mass to support functions. The Committee would nevertheless
request that you actively recruit suitable persons to become Jurors,
especially if they are unlikely to become Liverymen but are attracted to the
City’s traditions, and of course we offer the unique combination of the
Southwark arrangements to propose them for the Freedom and to celebrate its
receipt at View of Frankpledge and Quit Rents. We have some very senior City
representatives at these events, who have indicated that they are most impressed
with the ceremonial aspects and conviviality. A general rise in costs for
functions over the last two years is reflected in the increase in charges for
these events. The Committee is mindful that charges have to be levied at a rate
that keeps them attractive for the members.
|
Why are Manor members
‘Tenants’ and ‘Jurors’? The
qualification for ‘Listing for Summons’ to the Court Leet is being a Tenant
in the Manor. In late July the High Bailiff confirms the date of the Court
Leet and asks for a list of those qualified (bona fide Tenants) from the
Clerk. The Clerk sends the members list of that date to the City Surveyors
Dept (the landlord) with a note to say that all named are liable under the
terms of our Lease at Colechurch House; that legal status is a ‘tenancy’. The
List is then as such sent to the Old Bailey. However,
in the interim period between members joining the Manor and the Court Leet at
which one becomes a ‘Sworn Juror’, they are referred to as just ‘Tenants’ and
this slight difference is similar to the distinction in the City Livery
Companies were one is firstly a ‘Freeman’ of the company and then are
‘enclothed’ in the Livery as a full member. Note by The
Clerk |
Events and
Functions of the last year
Because
of the Recession, there has been a decline in attendances. The committee is
mindful that some venues are less attractive to the members than others but we
are constrained because of the finances in hiring preferred venues and the cost
of these added to the higher charges of untied caterers leads to further
escalation in costs and charges. We did find an excellent caterer for some of
the events held at St George the Martyr but this led to major losses and we
struggled to keep prices down. The Committee hope that Masters Catering,
another Southwark based company, are regarded as suitable as well as reasonably
priced.
Court Leet 2009
Our
most important event of the year was held on 18th November 2009 when
I was sworn in as Foreman in the John Marshall Hall, Christchurch. Three
members applied to serve as officers and the Trustees proposed that James
Gurling was to be Sworn and he has joined as a Committee Officer. The problem
of finding a suitable venue to hold all of the day’s functions had still not
been resolved and so the Court Leet Feast was held at the London Bridge Hotel
following the Court Meeting. This was attended by 68 Jurors and Guests, unfortunately
the Old Bailey team could not join us for the feast because of the timings.
Indeed this was the highest number of Jurors ever to attend (49) and also the
largest proportion of them to do so. Nevertheless, this was a disappointing
total as we have had an increase in overall membership and a lower total of
attendees, ie members plus guests, than for some years past. However, it was expected
to be so because of the present economic difficulties, the timing of the event
and the distance between the venues. The Committee believes that we have at
last secured the use of an adequate and suitable venue for both parts of the
event, The Amigo Hall of St George’s RC Cathedral in Southwark from this year.
Overall the 2009 Ceremony was regarded as a great success because we now have a
cohort of Officers who have served long enough to appreciate the issues and
logistics of the event. We decided to start earlier than usual to give a margin
for delays and unforeseen eventualities. In fact we had a 20 minute gap before
the High Steward and High Bailiff arrived and our learned Clerk, filled this in
with an entirely impromptu and unrehearsed lecture drawn from his research on
the very early history of Southwark, which he proposes was founded by King
Alfred the Great to liberate London from the Vikings in 878/ 879 AD. This will
be published in due course.
Quit Rents and Court
of Exchequer
The
combined Thanksgiving Service and Quit
Rents Ceremony was held on 18th March, for new
Freemen, Members and Guests. We first assembled at the Chamberlain’s Court,
where eleven took the oath. Once again
the Service was held at St George the Martyr, Borough High Street conducted
by our Hon Chaplain the Venerable Dr Michael Ipgrave, Archdeacon of Southwark
supported by the Rector of St George’s Rev Ray Andrews. The Ceremony
followed. The Senior Master Steven Whitaker, the Queen’s Remembrancer,
received the Quit Rents on behalf of the Crown from us (on behalf of the City).
For this purpose he instituted the Court of Exchequer to which the
Southwark Jurors were Summoned. This is only one of four City ceremonies which
he participates in; the others being the Trial of the Pyx, the presentation of
the Sheriffs and the presentation of the Lord Mayor. I then hosted a Luncheon
at the St George’s Hall, luncheon prepared by Masters Catering. Some
74 Jurors and their guests attended, down by 10 percent on last year. Our
civic brethren and guests included the Master of the Watermen and Alderman John
Garbutt who has now joined the Manor. One of our practices, which has been
remarked upon by visiting livery, is the reading by our new freemen of passages
from Some Rules from the Conduct of Life
(‘the little red book’) at the luncheon. Apparently, visiting livery are much
taken with it and have indicated they are to adopt it within their own
companies. The Committee regard the arrangement for this event at St George the
Martyr as most suitable, enabling Service, Ceremony and feast to be held at the
same convenient and most historic venue.
The History Tour
of the Borough
The annual guided walk was held on Saturday 17th April conducted by our Clerk, Tony Sharp, and started at London Bridge and finished at The Mudlark, Montague Close where we had excellent individual lunches and drinks. These tours are probably the most convenient and accessible way to understand the fascinating history of the Manors.
Justices and Jurors Dinner: Annual Spring Banquet
This is now one
of our most prestigious events and combines our status as threeold, a legal
body, a City and a Southwark institution. Although Southwark was the historic
home of many courts and their jurisdiction prisons, The King’s Bench and the
Marshalsea, the Borough Compter, the White Lion, the Clink, the Surrey County
gaols and our own Court House and the Union Hall, it is still today the home
borough of three Crown Courts and its Coroner’s and two Magistrates Courts;
Note ‘court Districts’ not mere court rooms. It is hard to find any other
borough with more than one of these. Uniquely, therefore I presided at a
function to entertain and inform, our double mission, the several Senior
Residing Justices of the Southwark courthouses. This year’s lecture and dinner
was held on 6th May at the Amigo Hall of St George’s
Metropolitan Cathedral, ie that of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the south
of England. This is the newest conference venue in Southwark and all attendees
expressed themselves impressed with its spaciousness, we expect to use it more
often in future. Southwark has not two but three Cathedrals (the third being
Greek Orthodox), indeed St George’s Cathedral is the oldest of them being so
since the restoration of the Catholic heirarchy in England in 1850. Apart from
our own High Steward, Peter Beaumont QC the Recorder of London, our
guests included the principal resident justice of Southwark Crown Court who
is The Recorder of Westminster HHJ Geoffrey Rivlin QC, (that is too
complicated to explain here!), we also entertained the senior justices of the Inner
London Sessions HHJ Nigel Gerald; the District Judge of Camberwell Green, Susan
Green, the District Judge of Tower
Bridge, Shamoon Somjee and our old friend from the Royal Courts of Justice
the Senior Master Steven Whitaker the Queen’s Remembrancer along with Paul Double
the City Remembrancer. Only Blackfriars Crown Court and the Southwark
Coroner were not represented. Attendance of the Jurors was less than we had
hoped for, at 40, but as this was on the General Election date we knew many
officers and members would be otherwise engaged. My
predecessor as Foreman, David wrote last year “... I fully expect that this
dinner shall grow in attendance to match the status of the event in future years”.
The status of the event is without parallel, not even the City Corporation
itself could do this. It was fitting therefore that the speaker was the Rt Hon
Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, President of the Supreme Court of the United
Kingdom
who talked about the “The First Six Months of the Supreme Court”.
The Rochester Visit has now become a regular feature of our year, hosted
by our sister FEW Guild, The Rochester Oyster and Floating Fishery, held on Saturday/ Sunday 26th/27th June. This
is a working guild and company of fisherman and has statutory rights of
Presentment at the said court which is presided over by the Admiral of the
Medway the Mayor of Medway borough with a group of six robed Councillors
forming the Admiralty Court. The day started with the Admiralty Court held in
the beautiful Guildhall. The Manor Officers were also permitted to convey the
formal Greetings of the Rt Hon the Lord
Mayor Ald Nick Anstee to the Mayor and Freemen of the Medway (see photo
front page). We then processed the Mayor of Medway from the Guildhall to the
river and then took to boats for beating the bounds to Hawkwood Stone and ended
with an entertaining luncheon at the Rochester Cruising Club. Once again, this
year we were provided by the City of London Port Health Authority with
the Lady Aileen 50ft launch for
both days of the event which enabled us to provide places aboard for up to 12.
We are extremely grateful for the warm hospitality extended to the Manor by the
Rochester guild, the Cruising Club and Mayor of Medway every year at this
event. This was the 50th Anniversary of the Cruising Club’s
involvement. This event is by invitation to the Manor Officers and therefore as
guests ourselves we cannot invite Manor members on a subscription basis.
The ‘Bridge House-Yard Dinner’, was held on 16th September at
our now regular venue the Hall of St George the Martyr, Borough High
Street. The principal guest of honour this year, the Chief Commoner, is in
fact no stranger at all - being one of our own Jurors ~ Robin Sherlock and
he is also a Southwark resident as well as the Parish Clerk of the Cathedral. We also entertained the Alderman Michael Bear (SABTC) whom was to be elected Lord Mayor a few
days later and the Sheriffs ‘Elect’ Alderman Fiona Woolf and Richard Sermon
MBE, the ‘Late’ Lord Mayor Ald Ian Luder. Sixty Five Members and guests attended a recovery from last year to the
high levels we had up to 2008. This was without doubt an occasion matched by
very few others in the City save for those at Mansion House and Guildhall for
the number of senior civic dignitaries present.
Throughout
the year either an Officer, the Clerk or myself
represented the Manor as invited guests at Livery and City events. In November
the entire Committee was invited to the City Remembrancer’s special lecture
on the 800th Anniversary of the Colechurch Bridge at Guildhall. In
January I attended at the Actuaries Hall at Staple Inn for their annual
dinner for Masters and also the World Traders annual lecture and Reception
at Guildhall. Further invitations I accepted were for the Royal Charter
Celebration of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists in St
Pauls Cathedral on 17th June, and the Bubbly-n-Ballet @ The
Bailey in aid of The Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Fund on 2nd July.
In March the newly appointed Fishmongers Clerk hosted a ‘get to know
you’ luncheon for all other City Clerks. In late June there were two City-wide
events at which we were represented - the Flag Day in Guildhall Yard on the 21st
and on the 29th a Reception was held at the Mansion House with the Lord
Mayor for the Territorial and Cadet Forces associated with the City. The Livery City University and Cass Business
School Lectures are an opportunity to meet informally a very wide selection
of Masters and Clerks. On the 15th
July the Clerk and myself were guests of the Watermen and Lightermen’s
cruise and lunch following the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Wager.
Indeed, I was the principal guest of honour of the Master because like the
Watermen we are not a Livery (the Livery are entertained by the Fishmongers).
On the 13th October I attended with the Clerk the new Sheriffs’
Quit Rents ceremony at the RCJ as a guest of the Queen’s Remembrancer. Wider
afield we were represented at the sister Court Leet manors of Alcester, Bromsgrove,
Henley and Warwick. The higher profile of the Manor has meant that this has
been reflected in the number of invitations we now receive to attend Livery
Company events, lectures and Receptions, such as those of the Painter Stainers,
Fuellers, Horners, Guild of Air Pilots among others.
The
Committee would urge all of the members to try and come to these functions with
friends, partners and paying guests. Those of you who are Liverymen who intend to sponsor persons for the Freedom by
Redemption without the intervention of a Livery Company are urged to consider
making use of the View of Frankpledge and
Thanksgiving Service and Quit Rents
Ceremony events to be proposed for and celebrate the receipt of the Freedom
in a suitable commemorative and dignified way.
Finances and Audit of Accounts
With this letter you will find a copy of the abstract
of the Audited Accounts which are placed before the Annual Meeting. As you can
see, above, the Committee has chosen Freddie Trowman and Ian Wingfield to undertake
these duties from next year. Authority over expenditure on goods and services
is exercised by the Committee and the Trustees.
|
Banking and
Audit Procedure: - All Expenditure is approved by the Committee under
general administration or as special purchases; the Committee also receives
Banquet Budget Reports from the Clerk at their meetings to monitor. Cheques /
Payments are raised by the Treasurer on request of the Clerk, backed by an
Invoice/ Receipt. All Income Pro Formas for goods/ services/ banqueting are
retained and payments banked by the Clerk. Receipts and Pro Formas are
attached to a narrative Memo by the Clerk and are given to the Auditors at
the next Committee Meeting, along with Bank Statements, with any used Pay-In
and Cheque Books, to check off. The full narrative is also given on the
Income and Expenditure report. The Auditors receive all other Pay-In and
Cheque Books at end of FY to complete the account, balances and Income and
Expenditure report with the Treasurer and Clerk. The abstract of the Accounts
are approved by the Auditors as attached to the Annual Letter. Note
by the Auditors |
The
Tenancy Fee Account has to carry the
costs of communications, the Tenancy Fee and sundry other items which the
membership as a whole ought in fairness to carry, such as entertaining our
official guests. However, the increasing numbers of membership is now making a
signifcant contribution to finances. Therefore, the Tenancy Fee shall remain at
£40.00 for 2010-11. This account also has to fund the costs associated
with the Court Leet Day.
Merchandise & General Account. Usually this account is profitable from
sales and this subsidised our other activities but this year, as true of last,
was mainly of expenditure and stock purchase. The value of the stock is written
down as nominal on purchase as it is acquired as a much larger order the cost
of which is covered on the intitial part sale. The value of the stock is
realised as full profit at sales. The prices for Guildable Manor Merchandise
for our own members are deliberately set at below High Street rates to
encourage membership identity, in most cases they are priced at a little above
cost. These items are of exceptional quality and value.
Banqueting Account. Normally this realises surpluses, applied to charity, but this year the general inflation has increased costs while we held the Event subscription down to attract support. All of our major functions follow a format of an Event, be it ceremonial or a talk or other entertainment, a good quality meal at excellent prices with drink, usually with excellent company and official guests. This is a sensible mixture of formal and informal. No Livery Company can offer this value and no City Ward Club has this level of civic status and pomp. I would ask all members to bring guests with a prospect of joining a unique institution as an introduction to the rich heritage of both the City of London and Southwark.
Charitable Donations (Banqueting Account) The Committee, in accordance with last year’s Annual Meeting made further contributions to charitable objects, many of these were laying in long-term ‘goodwill’ with various institutions to develop better relationships. Some payments for venue hire are treated as ‘gifts’ as that is the way the relevant institution prefers this is regarded. The Committee of Officers shall vary these amounts as to what is a prudent disbursement in regard to the balance of the Accounts.
Queries
If any one has any questions arising out of this Letter, the Accounts
or from the Minutes of the last General Meeting, (previously distributed and
reproduced below) the point of circulating these in advance is to ask you to
give me Notice, in reasonable time before the meeting, so that a detailed
answer can be prepared and made at the Annual Meeting at which these documents
shall be taken ‘as read’. Any AOB questions at the meeting shall be dealt with
in full in writing after the meeting. Likewise, at any other time during the
year, if members have any queries of, or want to make suggestions to, the
Committee then a note about these shall receive a detailed and considered
reply.
Yours sincerely,
Ronald Leek, For and on behalf of the
Officers and Trustees of the Guildable Manor.
THE COURT LEET OF THE GUILDABLE MANOR OF SOUTHWARK
2010-2011
The names of the Free Tenants summonsed to attend as
Jurors of the said Manor at
the Amigo Hall - St George’s Cathedral, Southwark
SE1
on Wednesday the 17th day of November 2010 at
3.20pm.
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Roy Alston Richard Andrews Janice
Bamber Kenneth
Bamber Jeremy Barrett Leoniza Barrett Gwen Batchelor Tim Benjamin Kathryn
Best Beryl Boulton David Boston Roy Bradley Kevin
Couling Jane
Coglan Daphne Dale Norman Dale Loraine Davis |
Roger Davis Howard Doe William Donovan Geoffrey Drust Victor
Drust Matthew
Dupee Edward
Errington Harry
Evans Frank
Everard Fiona
Gadbury Peter
Gadbury Roy Gill Donald
Goree Bessie Grewcock Dr Charlotte Grezo John Garbutt Silvia Gross |
Leslie Grout Angela Gurling James
Gurling John Hammond Leigh
Hatts Susan Haydock Hilary Haydon David Henderson Lesley Henderson Richard
Hollier Janet Honnoraty Michael
Honnoraty David
Hubber Josephine Huggins Edward Jansz Jonathan Jewell Glynn Jones |
Patrick Joyce Dominic Kelsey Martin
King Stephen
Kirkman Thomas
Kohwagner Cheong
Ming Lam Ron Leek Cyril Levy Ian McFarlane Joan McFarlane Simon
McIlwaine Michele
McLusky Edward Newman Stephen Nimmons Bryan Page Jill Philps John Philps |
Cyrus Poteratchi Malcolm Potter Simonie
Prior Angela
Prodger Mervyn
Redding David
Repetowsky Diane
Riley Daniel
Roche Tony Sharp Lynn Smith Robin
Sherlock Ketan
Sheth Graham Sutherland Maureen Sutherland Michael
J Stewart Alexandra
Tansey John
Taylor |
Ian Tough Barry
Theobald-Hicks Frederick Trowman Christopher Trye Michael
Wallis Kenneth
Webber Anita
Webber Kathleen
Weightman Paul Weninger Bryan
Whalley Keith
Williams Nicholas
Williams David
Wilson Dr
Ian Wingfield Norman Winnett Patricia Winnett |
AGENDA FOR ANNUAL
MEETING, ON THE ABOVE DATE AND VENUE
at 2.15pm
1.i)
To Accept the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of 18th November 2009 as a
Correct Record.
ii)
Matters Arising.
2.i)
To Accept the Annual Letter as Circulated.
ii)
Matters Arising.
3.i)
To Receive the Audited Accounts as Circulated.
ii)
Matters Arising.
4.)
i) Votes of Thanks, proposed by the Foreman.
ii)
Matters Arising.
6)
Any Other Business.
MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING: WEDNESDAY 18th NOVEMBER 2009 at 2.15pm,
held at The John Marshall Hall, Christchurch,
Southwark, London SE1,
CIRCULATED
IN NOVEMBER 2009 AND OCTOBER 2010: notice of errors and ommisions incorporated
1.i)
Attendance:
|
Richard
Andrews, Janice Bamber, Kenneth Bamber,
Tim Benjamin, Beryl Boulton, David
Boston, Kevin Couling, Loraine Davis, Roger Davis, Howard Doe, Geoffrey Drust, Victor
Drust, Peter Gadbury, Fiona
Gadbury, Donald Goree, Bessie
Grewcock, Leslie Grout, James
Gurling, Leigh Hatts, Susan Haydock, Hilary Haydon, Lesley Henderson, Richard Hollier, Janet Honnoraty, Michael
Honnoraty, Josephine Huggins, Ron Leek, Cyril Levy, Edward Newman, Bryan Page, Malcolm Potter, Mervyn Redding, Tony Sharp, Lynn Smith, Michael Stewart, Alexandra Tansey, John Taylor, Frederick Trowman, Christopher
Trye, Bryan Whalley, Kenneth Webber, Anita Webber, Kathleen
Weightman, David Wilson , Dr Ian Wingfield, Norman
Winnett, Patricia Winnett |
2.i)
To Accept the Minutes of the Annual Meeting: Wednesday 12th November 2008 at 2.45pm
held
at The LSE Bankside Hall, London SE1 as a Correct Record.
Agreed
Nem Com
ii)
Matters Arising. None
3 i)
To Accept the Annual Letter as Circulated.
Agreed Nem Com
ii) Matters Arising. None
4.i)
To Receive the Audited Accounts as Circulated.
Agreed Nem Com
ii)
Matters Arising. None
5.i) To Approve the Constitutional Changes as
outlined in the Annual Letter.
ii) Agreed Nem Con
6.)
Votes of Thanks, proposed by the Foreman. The Foreman thanked all of the
Officers for their support over the last year and also the Jurors for attending
functions.
7.)
Any Other Business:- None. END.
|
Lord of the Manor The Lord Mayor, Commonalty
and Citizens of the City of London Bankers: Child & Co, 1 Fleet Street, London EC4 |
|
Senior Patrons The High Steward of Southwark HHJ Peter Beaumont QC The Recorder of London The High Bailiff of Southwark Charles Henty The Secondary of London
& Under Sheriff Foreman David Boston |
|
Hon Auditors Dr Ian Wingfield Prof Freddie Trowman |
GVILDABLE MANOR Colechurch House, London Bridge Walk, London SE1
2SX Registered Address 020 7394 1271 |
Clerk of the
Manor Tony Sharp 1 October 2009 |
Dear Jurors,
You have been notified of the High Steward’s Precept and by now received your Summons for the November Court Leet. Please find the Agenda* and abstract of Audited Accounts for the Annual Meeting, which shall take place at that venue at 2.15pm that day, enclosed:
*ie draft agenda; members may propose any
business before the Meeting for inclusion, or use ‘AOB’ at the Meeting
|
The Officers to be Sworn are:- |
|
|
FOREMAN |
Ron Leek |
|
CONSTABLE |
Ian Wingfield |
|
AFEEROR |
Janet Honnoraty |
|
FLESH TASTER |
Mike Honnoraty |
|
ALETASTER (St Saviour’s side) |
Leslie Grout |
|
ALESIZER (St Olave’s side) |
James Gurling 1-6
Committee of Officers with
Trustees; by succession and service under Rule 7 |
|
SUPERNUMERARY:- |
|
|
ALESIZER (St Saviour’s side) |
Ian Tough, Geoffrey Drust |
|
|
“ ” All other Officers and Trustees |
|
ALESIZER (St Olave’s side) |
Roger Davis, Donald Goree |
|
|
“ ” All other Officers and Trustees |
|
|
Rule 7.9 |
|
|
|
|
CLERK OF THE MANOR‡ |
Tony Sharp (F:
2001-2002) |
|
ORATOR ~ CLERK‡ |
Peter Gadbury (F:
2000-2001) |
|
OUTROPER OR COMMON CRYER‡§ |
David Wilson (F: 2005-2006) § Charter of
Charles I 1625 ‡ Rule 7.9 |
|
BEADLES ‡ (St Olave’s side) (St Saviour’s side) |
All Officers and Trustees All Officers and Trustees ‡ Rule 7.9 |
|
SERVED FOREMEN AND TRUSTEES‡‡ |
Peter Gadbury (F: 2000-2001) ‡‡Tony Sharp (F:
2001-2002) ‡‡ Ian Wingfield (F:
2002-2003) ‡‡ Diane Riley (F: 2004-2005) David Wilson (F: 2005-2006) ‡‡ Cyril Levy (F: 2006-2007) Frederick Trowman (F: 2007 2008) ‡‡ David Boston (F: 2008-2009) ‡‡ Rule
3. |
|
HON AUDITORS §§ |
Ian Wingfield (F:
2002-2003) Frederick Trowman (F: 2007 2008) §§
Notified to Annual Meeting under Rule
8. |
|
|
|
The three
Southwark Courts Leet retain the right to sit for their customary business
including “...the appointment of traditional officers” as a limited jurisdiction under the ‘Administration of Justice Act
1977; §23 (1)(b) Sch 4 Pt III’.
General
Just a few days before being
sworn in as Foreman, the other officers and myself, attended Guildhall Old Museum on the morning of 8th
November 2008 to make a presentation to our new Lord Mayor, Ald Ian Luder.
We were gratified that some of our guests, who had great experience and had
held high office in the Livery, had never attended and said that this reflected
on the status and high regard in which the Manor is held within the City. This
was reinforced when our Foreman Freddie, Clerk Tony and Ale Conner Donald were
invited to the Mansion House to view the Show and receive Lunch with the
Lord Mayor.
Membership and
Tenancy
As
the Manor membership expands, so does the costs of running it; nor are we quite
big enough to benefit from an economy of scale. The costs of holding the Court
Leet have risen and the necessity is now that we have to hire larger venues
required to hold this means our margins are squeezed. Because of the Recession,
the committee was expecting a major loss of membership, especially among those
Jurors who had not been attending functions for some years, and indeed we had
formal resignations from six Jurors and had four non-renewers. However, we
actually had twenty three new members join us more than covering our
losses, so that we feel that we are heading in the right direction. There are
now 83 Jurors. So once again we believe it is possible to increase to 100
members so that we can have a better critical mass to support functions. The
Committee would therefore request that you actively recruit suitable persons to
become Jurors, especially if they are unlikely to become Liverymen but are
attracted to the City’s traditions, and of course we offer the unique
combination of the Southwark arrangements to propose them for the Freedom and
to celebrate its receipt at View of Frankpledge and Quit Rents. We have some
very senior City representatives at these events, who have indicated that they
are most impressed with the ceremonial aspects and conviviality. A general rise
in costs for functions over the last two years is reflected in the increase in
charges for these events. The Committee is mindful that charges have to be levied
at a rate that keeps them attractive for the members.
Events and
Functions of the last year
Court Leet
Our
most important event of the year was held on 12th November 2008 when
I was sworn in as Foreman in the LSE Bankside Hall, a new venue for us
which enables us to hold a Reception, Luncheon and the Court Leet all at the
same convenient place. The Luncheon was attended by 71 Jurors and Guests.
No new Officers were Sworn, no ordinary members applied to serve as officers.
However, we have a considerable pool of talent that shall give us continuity
for some years into the future. Of some importance for the future organisation
of the Manor was rthat at the annual meeting we adopted new terms into our
constitution and informed the High Steward, HHJ Peter Beaumont, at the Court
Leet that we were asking him to request of the Court of Aldermen that they
recognise the Manor organisation of Jurors formally.
Carol Service
One
of newer members, Daphne Dale, is Master of the Tower Ward Club. At her
invitation we held a joint Carol Service at the splendid church of St
Olave’s, Hart Street in the City, on the 8th December. I read
the first Lesson.
Thames Traditional
Cutter Race
The
Manor’s involvement with the Bankside Winter Fair events for the third year has
resulted in our becoming co-sponsors of the Thames Traditional Rowing Association’s Cutter Race in particular to
formally give welcome to our City brethren the
Masters of 19 Livery Companies, Rowing Clubs and their crews of which, the largest number ever, rowed over for
the festivities on 13th December. We then processed to the
Tate Modern, to the delight of the many tourists in the area and then went to
the Bankside pier to meet and greet the teams at the landing. We then processed
all 170 attendees into The Shakespeare Under-Globe exhibition
centre for a Reception and buffet, where I presented each of the participating
Crews with an illuminated address and certificate of completion. I was
particularly delighted to greet our ‘Southwark Livery’ neighbours the Masters
of the Glaziers, Scientific Instrument Makers and Launderers with their crews.
Additionally, for the first time the Watermen and Lightermen (in their Shallop
Blue livery) participated. It is most fitting that the Manor be the
representative body to welcome the Livery. This was the largest event ever
hosted by the Manor. This we hoped to become a regular annual event,
however it won’t be held in 2009 due to lack of a suitable venue. (See photo spread below).
Quit Rents and Court
of Exchequer
The
combined Thanksgiving Service and Quit
Rents Ceremony was held on 19th March, for new
Freemen, Members and Guests. We assembled at the Chamberlain’s Court,
where eleven took the oath. Once again this was held at St George the
Martyr, Borough High Street. The Service was followed by the Quit Rents
Ceremony. The Senior Master Steven Whitaker, the Queen’s Remembrancer,
received these on behalf of the Crown from us (on behalf of the City). For this
purpose he instituted the Court of Exchequer to which the Southwark Jurors
were Summoned. This is only one of four City ceremonies which he participates
in; the others being the Trial of the Pyx, the presentation of the Sheriffs and
the presentation of the Lord Mayor. I then hosted a Luncheon at the St George’s
Hall, catering by Juror Mark Grove’s ‘The Cook & The Butler’ which
was of quite the best quality of catering available in the City. Some 88 Jurors
and their guests attended, a record number for any formal event of the Manor.
Our civic brethren and guests included the Master of the Watermen and Aldermen
Wootton, Woolf, Graves and Evans. One of our practices, which has been remarked
upon by visiting livery, is the reading by our new freemen of passages from Some Rules from the Conduct of Life
(‘the little red book’) at the luncheon. Apparently, visiting livery are much
taken with it and have indicated they are to adopt it within their own
companies.
The History Tour
of the Borough
The annual guided walk was held on Saturday 4th April was conducted by our Clerk, Tony Sharp, and started at Borough Tube Station and finished at The Mudlark, Montague Close where we had excellent individual lunches and drinks. These tours are probably the most convenient and accessible way to understand the fascinating history of the Manors.
Justices and Jurors Dinner: Annual Spring
Banquet
The success of
the Bridge House-Yard Dinner led me to believe that the gap between two of our
formal events , the Quit Rents in March and the Bridge House-Yard Dinner in
late September was too long. However, an institution such as ours has to have a
theme for its events and the Manor’s theme is always its ancient jurisdiction.
In discussing just what this could mean with the Clerk I was surprised, not for
the first time, just how unique our Borough is both historically and currently,
when he explained that although Southwark was the historic home of many courts
and their jurisdiction prisons, The King’s Bench and the Marshalsea, the
Borough Compter, the White Lion, the Clink, the Surrey County gaols and our own
Court House and the Union Hall, it is still today the home borough of three
Crown Courts and its Coroner’s and two Magistrates Courts. It is hard to find
any other borough with even half that number. To that end we invited the
several Justices of these to attend a lecture and dinner at the London Bridge
Hotel. Apart from the principal resident justice of Southwark Crown Court who
is The Recorder of Westminster HHJ Geoffrey Rivlin QC, (that is too
complicated to explain here!), we also entertained the senior justices of the Inner
London Sessions HHJ Nicholas Philpot; the District Judge
of Camberwell Green, Ann Sawetz, the District Judge of Tower Bridge, Shamoon Somjee and our old friends
from the Royal Courts of Justice the Senior Master Steven Whitaker and Jill
Jacobs. Only Blackfriars Crown Court and the Southwark Coroner were not
represented. Frankly, that this was all organised in the space of five weeks by
our Clerk is quite astonishing. Attendance of the Jurors was less than we had
hoped for, at 37, but as this was at short notice and a completely new event
better than we could expect. However, some of us remember that only a few years
ago Manor membership stood at a little over a dozen. I fully expect that this
dinner shall grow in attendance to match the status of the event in future
years.
The Rochester Visit has now become a regular feature of our year, hosted
by our sister FEW Guild, The Rochester Oyster and Floating Fishery, held on Saturday/ Sunday 4th/5th July. This is a working guild and company
of fisherman and has statutory rights of Presentment at the said court which is
presided over by the Admiral of the Medway the Mayor of Medway borough with a
group of six robed Councillors forming the Admiralty Court. The day started
with the Admiralty Court held in the beautiful Guildhall. The Manor Officers
were also permitted to convey the formal Greetings
of the Rt Hon the Lord Mayor Ald Ian Luder to the Mayor and Freemen of the
Medway (see photo). We then processed the Mayor of Medway from the Guildhall to
the river and then took to boats for beating the bounds to Hawkwood Stone and
ended with an entertaining luncheon at the Rochester Cruising Club. However,
this year we were provided by the City of London Port Health Authority with
the Londinium III launch for both
days of the event which enabled us to provide places aboard for upto 12. We are
extremely grateful for the warm hospitality extended to the Manor by the
Rochester guild, the Cruising Club and Mayor of Medway every year at this
event. This event is by invitation to the Manor Officers and therefore as
guests ourselves we cannot invite Manor members on a subscription basis. (See
photo spread below).
London Bridge Fayre 800 and
Sheep Drive
Another additional event, on Saturday 11th
July, this time part of the Lord Mayor’s Appeal 2009, was a display of Livery
stalls as a mediaeval fair to celebrate the completion of Peter de Colechurch’s
bridge in 1209, combined with a Sheep Drive over London Bridge. We were most
gratified that the
Rt Hon the Lord Mayor Ald Ian Luder made a specific request that the Guildable
Manor welcome both
himself and the participating Livery masters when they crossed into Southwark.
During the Fayre an Ale Conning in spirits was held at the Distillers Co stall
and a Flesh Tasting at the ‘hog roast’. The formal welcome to the Lord Mayor
was conducted in our usual high ceremonial style and we presented an engraved
ale conning tankard to mark the occasion. I then joined the Lord Mayor in
driving a sheep over the bridge in time honoured fashion. Some thirty five members
and guests attended and we had a pub lunch at the Barrow Boy and Banker which rounded off the
day. We made a contribution of £225.00 to the LMA 2009.
The‘Bridge House-Yard Dinner’, was held on 16th September at our new venue the Hall of
St George the Martyr, Borough High Street. Aside from the Chief
Commoner, Deputy Bill Fraser OBE CC, as our principal guest, we also
entertained the Sheriff George Gillon CC and the Sheriffs ‘Elect’ Alderman
David Wootton (by coincidence I am David’s Ward Beadle), The City
Remembrancer - Paul Double, Master Steven Whitaker (the Queen’s Remembrancer)
as well as the Masters of the Girdlers and Watermens companies. Fifty seven
Members and guests attended some 20 per cent down on last year. This was
without doubt an occasion matched by very few others in the City save for those
at Mansion House and Guildhall for the number of senior civic dignitaries
present.
Throughout the year either an Officer, the Clerk or myself
represented the Manor as invited guests at Livery and City events. For example
in early June a Reception was held at the Mansion House with the Lord
Mayor for the Territorial and Cadet forces associated with the City. The
Livery City University and Cass Business School Lectures are an
opportunity to meet informally a very wide selection of Masters and Clerks. On
the 10th July the Clerk and myself were guests of the Watermen
and Lightermen’s cruise and lunch following the Doggett’s Coat and Badge
Wager. Indeed I was the principal guest of honour of the Master because
like the Watermen we are not a Livery (the Livery are entertained by the
Fishmongers). The Clerk represented us at the Tradtional Thames Rowing
Association held its ‘Admiral of the River Race’ between Westminster Bridge
and Westminster boating club on 14th July. The higher profile of the
Manor has meant that this has been reflected in the number of invitations we
now receive to attend Livery Company events, lectures and Receptions, such as
those of the Painter Stainers, Fuellers, Horners, Guild of Air Pilots. On the Morning
of the Lord Mayor’s Show, 14th November, I and the Officers
shall make a presentation to the Lord Mayor Ald Nicholas Anstee.
The
Committee would urge all of the members to try and come to these functions with
friends, partners and paying guests. Those of you who are Liverymen who intend to sponsor persons for the Freedom by
Redemption without the intervention of a Livery Company are urged to consider
making use of the View of Frankpledge and
Thanksgiving Service and Quit Rents
Ceremony events to be proposed for and celebrate the receipt of the Freedom
in a suitable commemorative and dignified way.
Finances and Audit of Accounts
With
this letter you will find a copy of the Audited Accounts which are placed
before the Annual Meeting. As you can see, above, the Committee has chosen
Freddie Trowman and Ian Wingfield to undertake these duties from next year. Authority over expenditure on goods and services is
exercised by the Committee and the Trustees.
The
Tenancy Fee Account has to carry the
costs of communications, the Tenancy Fee and sundry other items which the
membership as a whole ought in fairness to carry, such as entertaining our
official guests. We have now secured a storage shed at Colechurch for our
Equipages and this meant a rise in our Lease, shown in the account. However,
this year it mainly had to take the strains of what was usually afforded from
our profits from General sales. It was necessary to apply support to the Quit
Rents Lunch because of hire fees for the venue. The Tenancy Fee shall remain at
£40.00 for 2009-10. This account also has to fund the costs associated
with the Court Leet Day.
Merchandise & General Account. Usually this account is profitable from
sales and this subsidised our other activities but this year was mainly of
expenditure and stock purchase. The value of the stock is written down as
nominal on purchase as it is acquired as a much larger order the cost of which
is covered on the intitial part sale. The value of the stock is realised as
full profit at sales. The prices for Guildable Manor Merchandise for our own
members are deliberately set at below High Street rates to encourage membership
identity, in most cases they are priced at a little above cost. These items are
of exceptional quality and value.
Banqueting Account. Normally this realises surpluses, applied to charity, but this year the general inflation has increased costs while we held the Event subscription down to attract support. All of our major functions follow a format of an Event, be it ceremonial or a talk or other entertainment, a good quality meal at excellent prices with drink, usually with excellent company and official guests. This is a sensible mixture of formal and informal. No Livery Company can offer this value and no City Ward Club has this level of civic status and pomp. I would ask all members to bring guests with a prospect of joining a unique institution as an introduction to the rich heritage of both the City of London and Southwark. Charitable Donations (Banqueting Account) The Committee, in accordance with last year’s Annual Meeting made further contributions to charitable objects, many of these were laying in long-term ‘goodwill’ with various institutions to develop better relationships. Some payments for venue hire are treated as ‘gifts’. The Committee of Officers shall vary these amounts as to what is a prudent disbursement in regard to the balance of the Accounts.
Constitutional Amendments
A clarification of the roles and duties of the
Trustees vis a vis the Sworn Officers.
Renumbering of Sections: The emphases of
the foregoing points requires a certain rearrangement and renumbering of
Sections. Any further changes required by the Court of Aldermen shall be
notified in due course.
Queries
If
any one has any questions arising out of this Letter, the Accounts or from the
Minutes of the last General Meeting, (previously distributed and reproduced
below) the point of circulating these in advance is to ask you to give me Notice,
in reasonable time before the meeting, so that a detailed answer can be
prepared and made at the Annual Meeting. Likewise, at any other time during the
year, if members have any queries of, or want to make suggestions to, the
Committee then a note about these shall receive a detailed and considered
reply.
Yours
sincerely,
David Boston, For and on behalf of the
Committee of the Guildable Manor.
Livery and Traditional Cutter Race at the Globe
|
At left:A full house at the Under-Globe December 08 |
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|
At right: Foreman David with Master SIM right and
Master Waterman with the Escort at the Globe foyer |
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|
Visit to Rochester |
below left: the
City’s launch Londinium III at berth; bottom right: crew , Clerk and Foreman David |
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above
left: Borough Solicitor, Chief
Executive, Clerk and Foreman David above right: Foreman
David receives the pennant from Mayor |
|
THE COURT LEET OF THE GUILDABLE MANOR OF SOUTHWARK
The names of the Free
Tenants summonsed to attend as Jurors of the said Manor at John Marshall Hall,
Christchurch, Blackfriars Road, London SE1
on Wednesday the 18th
day of November 2009.
|
Roy Alston Richard Andrews Janice
Bamber Kenneth
Bamber Jeremy Barrett Leoniza Barrett Gwen Batchelor Tim Benjamin Beryl Boulton David Boston* Scott
Cargill Kevin
Couling Lennox
Cumberbatch Jane
Coglan Daphne Dale Norman Dale Loraine Davis |
Roger Davis* Howard Doe William Donovan Geoffrey Drust* Victor
Drust Matthew
Dupee Edward
Errington Harry
Evans Frank
Everard Peter
Gadbury SF T Fiona
Gadbury Donald
Goree* Bessie Grewcock Dr
Charlotte Grezo Mark Grove Leslie Grout* James
Gurling* |
John Hammond Leigh
Hatts Susan Haydock Hilary Haydon David Henderson Lesley Henderson Richard
Hollier Janet
Honnoraty* Michael
Honnoraty* David
Hubber Josephine Huggins Edward Jansz Paul Jaspal Bala Jaspal Glynn Jones Dominic
Kelsey Stephen
Kirkman |
Ron Leek* Cyril Levy SF Simon
McIlwaine Michele
McLusky Edward Newman Stephen Nimmons Bryan Page Malcolm Potter Simonie Prior Angela Prodger Mervyn
Redding Diane Riley SF Tony Sharp SF T Lynn Smith Robin
Sherlock Ketan
Sheth Sarah Stedeford |
Michael
J Stewart John
Taylor Ian Tough* Barry
Theobold-Hicks Frederick Trowman SF T Michael
Wallis Kenneth
Webber Anita
Webber Kathleen
Weightman Bryan
Whalley Nicholas
Williams David
Wilson SF T Dr
Ian Wingfield SF T Norman Winnett Patricia Winnett |
* Officer; SF Served
Foreman; T Trustee
AGENDA FOR ANNUAL
MEETING: WEDNESDAY 18th NOVEMBER 2008 at 2.15pm
to be held at
John Marshall Hall,
Christchurch, Blackfriars Road, London SE1
1.i)
To Accept the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of 12th November 2008 as a
Correct Record.
ii)
Matters Arising.
2.i)
To Accept the Annual Letter as Circulated.
ii)
Matters Arising.
3.i)
To Receive the Audited Accounts as Circulated.
ii)
Matters Arising.
4.)
i) To Approve the Constitutional Changes as outlined in the Annual
Letter.
5)
Votes of Thanks, proposed by the Foreman.
ii)
Matters Arising.
6)
Any Other Business.
END.
MINUTES OF
ANNUAL MEETING:
WEDNESDAY 12th NOVEMBER
2008 at 2.45pm
held at
The LSE Bankside Hall, Bankside, London SE1
(draft Minutes, please notify Clerk of any errors or
omissions)
These were
circulated in November 2008 and no comments were received
1.i)
Attendance:
|
Roy
Alston; Jeremy Barrett; Leoniza Barrett; David Boston; Beryl
Boulton ; Jane Coglan; Daphne Dale;
Norman Dale; Loraine Davis; Roger Davis; Howard Doe; William Donovan; Geoffrey Drust; Victor
Drust; Harry Evans; Peter Gadbury; Donald
Goree; Dr Charlotte Grezo; Leslie Grout; James Gurling; David Hubber; Josie
Huggins; Bala Jaspal; Paul Jaspal;
Hilary Haydon; Peter Hamel Cooke; Susan
Haydock; Richard Hollier; Janet Honnoraty; Michael
Honnoraty; Stephen Kirkman; Ron
Leek; Cyril Levy; Simon McIlwaine; Edward Newman; Stephen Nimmons; Malcolm Potter; Angela Prodger; Simonie Prior; Mervyn Redding; Tony Sharp; Robin Sherlock; Ian Tough; Frederick
Trowman; Michael Wallis; Brian Whalley; Nicholas Williams; Dr Ian Wingfield; |
2.i) To Accept the
Minutes of the Annual Meeting: Wednesday 14th November 2007 at 2.45pm
held at The John Marshall
Hall, Blackfriars Road, London SE1 as a Correct Record.
Agreed Nem Com
ii) Matters Arising. None
3 i) To Accept the
Annual Letter as Circulated.
Agreed Nem Com
ii) Matters
Arising. None
4.i) To Receive the
Audited Accounts as Circulated.
Agreed Nem Com
ii) Matters Arising. None
5.i)
To Approve the Constitutional Changes as outlined in the Annual Letter.
ii) Agreed Nem Con
5.) Votes of Thanks, proposed
by the Foreman. The Foreman thanked all of the Officers for their support over
the last year and also the Jurors for attending functions.
6.) Any Other Business:- None. END