History of local government in Bristol

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Bristol City Council, formerly known as The Bristol Corporation (and colloquially as "The Corporation"), is the local government authority governing the city of Bristol, England. Following the Norman conquest of England in 1066, successive royal charters granted increasing rights of local governance to Bristol. County status was attained in 1373 and city status in the early sixteenth century. Bristol Corporation was established in the nineteenth century and the office of Lord Mayor was created in 1888. Following a brief period as part of the county of Avon in the late twentieth century, Bristol regained its status as a city and county in 1996.

Origins

The exact date of establishment of a town council is unknown. The Domesday survey recorded that Bristol, then known as Brygstowe was part of the royal manor of Barton and was a borough governed by a reeve, and assessed at 110 marks.[1] Charters confirming rights and duties were granted by Henry II in 1172 and by John in 1190. The first mayor may have been Robert FitzNichol who took office in 1200. As the town developed the mayor was assisted by provosts, later known as stewards and bailiffs. The mayor was chosen by the merchants of Bristol.[1] A list of mayors dating from 1216 was published by the town clerk, Robert Ricart, in 1479.[2] A charter granted by Henry III in 1256, extended the town's rights, enabling the burgesses to choose coroners and to farm the fees payable to the king.[1]

County and city status

In 1373, Edward III granted a charter to Bristol stating that:

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We have conceded to our beloved burgesses of our town of Bristol and to their heirs and successors in perpetuity that the town of Bristol with its suburbs and precincts shall henceforth be separate from the counties of Gloucester and Somerset and be in all things exempt both by land and by sea, and that it should be a county by itself, to be called the county of Bristol in perpetuity, and that the burgesses and their heirs and successors should have in perpetuity within the town of Bristol and its suburbs and precincts certain liberties and exemptions and enjoy them fully and use them as is more fully contained in the said charter.[3]

Bristol was the first provincial town to be given this status.[3]

Bristol was first described as a city in a charter of Elizabeth I in 1581, but this document suggests that Bristol had been granted city status at the time of Henry VII.[4] The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 established Bristol Corporation, which consisted of 48 councillors and 18 aldermen.[1] The term Corporation of Bristol or Bristol Corporation, encompassing the mayor and common council, had been in use since the eighteenth century at least.[5] Bristol became a county borough in 1888 and the boundaries were extended into Gloucestershire and Somerset.[6]

Mayors

The first historically recorded mayor of Bristol was Roger Cordewaner in 1216,[7] though other sources record Adam le Page also in 1216.[8] Following the Bristol riots of 1831 the then incumbent mayor of Bristol Charles Pinney was tried in London for negligence, but found innocent. This was one of many local disturbances throughout England leading to the Municipal Corporation Act 1835 and the installation of a permanent mayoral office.[9]

Form early times the mayor was the chief officer of the council, elected by the members of the common council. The position of Mayoress was usually held by the wife or daughter of the mayor. In 1899, Queen Victoria granted the mayor the right to be styled Lord Mayor.[10] When a woman served she was still referred to as Lord Mayor, rather than Lady Mayoress.[7]

In 2012, the new post of Mayor of Bristol was created following a referendum held on 3 May. The first elections to the new post were held on 15 November 2012,[11] and resulted in the election of George Ferguson (Independent). This post differs from that of the Lord Mayor. It will be an executive role as opposed to the first citizen civic representative role of the Lord Mayor.[12]

Avon and after

From 1974 to 1996, Bristol was subsumed into the new county of Avon following the Redcliffe-Maud Report. Avon was abolished in 1996 and the city became a unitary authority, styled as the City and County of Bristol.

See also

Works cited

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References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Seyer, 294
  5. ↑ Seyer, 187
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Mayors and Sheriffs of Bristol 1200 – 1300 "1216 Adam le Page"
  9. ↑ Graham William Arthur Bush Bristol and its municipal government, 1820–1851 – Page 218 – 1976 "1835; Trial of Charles Pinney, esq., — Mayor of Bristol during the Riots (London: 1833)."
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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