Website produced and maintained for the Hungerford Historical Association
by Hugh Pihlens

You are in [Themes] [Councils - Parish, RDC, Town]

Jack Williams wrote about the start of the Parish Council in Hungerford:

"In 1994 I wrote a short history of the Hungerford Parish Council, which celebrated 100 years of its history. The research was undertaken with enthusiasm and I was given assistance by Paul Cable in its publication, by Jean Hutchins, who transformed my handwriting into readable typescript and Stewart Hofgartner and David Holtby, who covered cost of publication.

Please therefore make the journey back to 1894; the whole nation was engaged in the process of electing councils and I have press cuttings covering the parishes of Thatcham, Chieveley, Inkpen, Midgham, Bradfield, Woolhampton and Ashmansworth. In the larger places there was great excitement, but nowhere more than in Hungerford. Out of the 600 votes eligible, some 400 put in an appearance and this attendance completely filled the Corn Exchange.

The date was Tuesday December 14th 1894, and whilst the meeting had none of the ancient ceremony associated with Hocktide, it captured the imagination of Hungerford's townspeople in a quite unique way.

A Chairman, Mr Morse Coulter was elected and over 40 original nomination papers were handed in and after a lengthy scrutiny this was reduced to 28 acceptable applications.

The original Parish Council was to consist of only 11 members and as the initial instruction was to elect by show of hands, the attempt to elect that evening was a practical impossibility.

The 600 eligible voters had been thoroughly vetted, but sad to say there was only one lady present and so no member of the fair sex was nominated to stand for the Council. As all the seats in the room were taken, there was a large crowd at the back, who smoked their pipes and shuffled their feet and it is wonderful to try and imagine the scene. The excitement in Hungerford stemmed from the romantic history of the Feoffees of the Town and Manor and from the mystery of the "Vestry Meeting," which consisted of a few "officials," called overseers, it was an office that could not be refused and by an act of Elizabeth I, they were always substantial householders. So in 1894 the town's people decided that democracy was now to come to our town."

The Hungerford Town Council ran in parallel with the Hungerford Rural district Council for 80 years until 1974, but as with many other smaller authorities, the District Council was swallowed up by Newbury District Council.

In 1974 the Parish Council availed themselves of the opportunity to adopt the status of Town Council and elect a Town Mayor to be its first citizen.

The story of the first hundred years of the Parish and Town Council (1894-1994) was compiled by Jack Williams, and published as a booklet.

See also:
- Hungerford Parish & Town Council, 100 Years of Service, 1894-1994

Back to Top