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The Town and Manor of Hungerford and the Liberty of Sanden Fee [Town & Manor for short] is a registered charity, under a scheme dating from February 1908. [Follow this link to view a Copy of the 1908 Scheme.] The two portions were amalgamated for
administrative purposes in 1961. The Town & Manor is responsible for managing:
- The two areas of Common - Common Port Down - just over 200 acres east of the town) and Freeman's Marsh - nearly 100 acres west of the town,
- The Town Hall and Corn Exchange - thought to be the only town hall in the country not maintained by the Council Tax,
- The John of Gaunt Inn in Bridge Street,
- The fishery on the rivers Kennet and Dun, totalling about 4.5 miles of prime chalk stream trout fishing, and including the water keeper's house,
- Various other portions of land, including The Croft, a quiet green area near the parish church, given to the town in 1588, Harvey's Meadow - over 30 acres of SSSI
land to the north-east of the town, the market place (in the High Street), and strips alongside the highway on each side of the High Street in which the trees are set.
In all, the various accounts show an annual turnover of over £200,000.
This large estate is managed by a number of commoners and trustees, including:
- Overseers of the Common: Headed by the Honorary Secretary of the Commons Committe, the Overseers look after the day to day management of the land, subject to the rights of commoners. They organise the stocking, security, fertilising and harrowing programme of the land as well as the overall management and farming aspect of it, in much the same way as a farmer would run his own farm. They keep their own accounts, subject to a budget ratified by the trustees, which forms part of the Town and Manor General Fund, any profit from which is transferred to the Constable's Account. They also retain on an honorarium basis, a Hayward, who assists both themselves and the grazers in the management of the livestock.
- Water Bailiffs: Like the overseers, this is a committee formed of commoners and trustees. They attend to the year round requirements of the charity's water and fishery. They keep their own accounts, any surplus from which is also transferred to the Constable's Account. The day-to-day management of the fishery is under the control of an Honorary Fishery Manager, who organises the upkeep of the water, its banks and bridges and the level of stocking, the letting of rods, the safeguarding of the rights of the commoners and the employment of a full-time Water Keeper. This most important aspect of the Charity's affairs is an invaluable source of revenue to the Constable's Account and, as such, directly to the well-being and continuance of the Town and Manor.
- Buildings Committee: Under its honorary secretary, looks after the fabric of all
the charity's buildings. It employs a hall keeper, keeps its own accounts, organises repairs, lettings, security, insurance and a myriad of other items that fall within the parameter of buildings, even the
High Street trees!
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All of the committees are chaired by the Constable;
all of the committees contribute to a greater or lesser degree to the Constable's account. It is this account which must juggle with all these various aspects of the Town and Manor's holding in such a way as to
satisfy not only the Commoners, via their Hocktide Jury, but also the Charity Commission.
Certain properties in the town - those listed in the original 1617 feoffment, attract Common Rights, which allow the Commoners (provided they live within 5 miles of the Corn Exchange) the
right to graze cattle on the Common (or Freeman's Marsh for Sanden Fee Commoners) between 15th April and 15th November each year. Fishing is from 1st May until 30th September, with grayling fishing continuing
until December.
There are 109 Town & Manor properties holding rights; three of these are merely the sites of former properties. In the Manor and Liberty of Sanden Fee there are 19 properties, two of
which are sites of demolished buildings. Some of the properties attract more than one right - and if all rights were exercised, the Common would be required to support 438 head of cattle, whereas the most it is
advised to support is between 170 and 190.
Many people ask "What is meant by the Liberty of Sanden Fee?". Robert James explains that "there is absolutely no record of a Manor of Sanden Fee, nor any Lord of the Manor.
Certainly there was a Knight's Liberty held by William Bretagnoll from Simon de Montfort for the herding of 150 sheep. Perhaps it was fortuitous that when the Clerk to the Town and Manor ordered new letter headings
in 1979, the new printing said "Clerk to the Town & Manor of Hungerford and the Liberty of Sanden Fee" - an error of instruction to the printer!".
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The Town and Manor Trustees still hold a number of historic relics from earlier days. Many
are held in the Town Coffer, for which three keys (each held by separate keyholders) are required to open it. The items include the following, all of which were shown by the Trustees, with Bruce Mayhew as Constable,
to the Hungerford Historical Association members at a meeting on 23rd February 1998:
- Town Coffer
- Three Keys
- Brass Bell
- Town Seal and Two Replica Seals
- Silver Punch Bowl and Two Punch Ladles
- Constable's Chain of
Office
- Blacksmith's Box
- Two Rattles
- Branding Irons
- Quit rent Roll and Porrtrieve Truncheon
- Two Tutti Men's Truncheons
- Tutti Poles
- Two Ale tasters Pewter Tankards
- Frank Pledge
to be placed in Coffer
- Beadle Staff
- Constable's Accounts to be placed in Coffer
- Cow Stick
- Constable's Chair and three others
- Bailiff's Staff
- Constable's Horn 1992
- Old Hunting Horn
1634
- John of Gaunt Horn 1362
See also:
- Manorial History
- Town & Manor Charity Scheme, Feb 1908
- Town Coffer and other Town and Manor artefacts
- Notes and reports - Constable Bruce Mayhew's talk to the HHA Sep 1998
Updated: 14.7.2010
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