Honorary Freedom of the Borough of Cricklade
The Cricklade Court Leet will confer Honorary freedom on a person who, in the sole opinion of the Court, has given either outstanding voluntary service for the benefit of Cricklade or has performed an outstanding act which deserves the recognition of the Town.
Freedom of the town or borough is a variation on the freedom of the city tradition, and has a similar symbolic meaning; evoking medieval walled cities, the gates of which would be guarded during the day and locked at night, the key symbolises the freedom of the recipient to enter and leave the city at will, as a trusted friend of city.
History of the Freedom of the Borough of Cricklade
On the 17th June 1987 to mark the 1100th Anniversary of the Saxon Borough of Cricklade the first appointments of Honorary Freeman of the Hundred and Borough of Cricklade were made by the Cricklade Court Leet.
A Roll of Honour, bearing the names of all Honorary Freemen, is, with the agreement of the Trustees, displayed in the Cricklade Town Hall.
Roll of Honour
| YEAR | NAME | Known as | CITATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | F. Freeth | Frederic | In his service to the town, Fred was a Foeffee of Wayland Estates, a councillor and was also instrumental in reinstating the Manorial Court |
| 1987 | R. Giles | Reece | Aside from his sporting prowess, Dick was a town councillor for 40 years and, additionally, a district councillor for 19 years |
| 1987 | M.J. Little | Marcus John | Businessman John, in addition to running Cricklade’s glove factory, gave a lifetime’s service to local sporting associations |
| 1989 | J.A. Baker (Posthumous) | James Arthur | Jim gave a lifetime’s service to the townspeople, both as draper/outfitter and also as chair of the Town Hall committee for 32 years |
| 1989 | R.J. Coole JP | Reginald John | Reg gave more than 40 years’ council service to the town and county as well as being a Magistrate and Chair of the Bench |
| 1989 | J.G. Marley | James George | As a former Town Council Chair for eight of the 20 years he was councillor, Jim was also the first Chair of the Leisure Centre |
| 1989 | R.D.M. Page | Robert Desmond Murton | As headteacher of St Sampson’s School for 30 years, sportsman and educationalist Desmond promoted all that was best in and for the town |
| 1989 | J.F.W. Sweet | John Franks Webb | John is particularly remembered as the driving force in building and managing the Leisure Centre and its Community Association |
| 1993 | K. Coole Mrs | Kathleen | Kathleen’s services to the community included 32 years’ as town councillor and 19 concurrent years as vice chair of the district council |
| 1993 | W.F. New | William Francis | Grocer’s shop owner Bill lived in Cricklade for over 80 years and was a respected figure in sporting and benevolent associations |
| 1993 | R. Saunders | Roy | Butcher Roy came to Cricklade in 1960 and served in several major capacities, not least leading the work to save the Parish Hall |
| 1995 | R. Blackwell | Ronald | As one of the longest-serving members of the Manorial Court, businessman Ron also fulfilled many other important Cricklade roles |
| 1995 | G.W. Hobbs | Graham Wilfred | In addition to being a town councillor, and chair for some years, Graham was a signatory at the inception of the Twinning Association |
| 2000 | N.N. Hayes | Norman Naylor | Norman was a town councillor for 26 years, twice as chair, and also a member and trustee of the Community Association for 28 years |
| 2000 | B.M. Large | Benjamin Michael | Mike formed Cricklade Youth Football Club in 1974 and went on to champion the success of many sporting associations in the town |
| 2006 | H.W. Widdows | Howard William | Howard was chair of the Town Hall committee for over 25 years, successfully steering its self-financing progress and improvement |
| 2009 | P.E Marshall (Posthumous) | Peter Everett | Peter served Cricklade’s community for over 35 years, mainly in the role of meticulous administrator of several organisations |
| 2009 | B.E. Atfield | Brian Edward | Brian served on numerous committees and bodies, also - as a town councillor, district and county councillor - in the weighty role of chair |
| 2009 | K.A. Jones | Kenneth Aubrey | Ken was an active member of the Town Hall committee for over 30 years, maintaining Cricklade’s multipurpose public meeting space |
| 2014 | C. Wilce | Clive | Clive has given outstanding voluntary service for many years, his leadership helped to steer complicated issues through council decisions |
| 2014 | J.'Taff' Lee | John (Taff) | On leaving the RAF, Taff immersed himself as a volunteer in community life, most notably in his untiring work with the Royal British Legion |
| 2016 | M.F. Parsons Mrs | Marion Frances | Marion’s series of books, collectively known as ‘Cricklade Revealed’ has significantly captured the social history of the town from the 1920s |
| 2016 | D.N. Tetlow | David Nigel | David is connected with many organisations in the town, applying his wide knowledge and experience in appreciated leadership roles |
| 2018 | R.L. Jones M.B.E. | Robert Leslie | Bob’s input has been welcomed into many facets of Cricklade’s community since the early 1970s; he is also county councillor for the town |
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