Long serving Trustees
Six of the nine original Trustees stayed with the Trust for 20 + years, the other three died before reaching this qualifying milestone. This follows the pattern established by the Baliffs and Burgesses of the town pre-1890 when, once elected, individuals served for life, dying in post or resigning only for health reasons. It also shows the immobility of the population in those times, in that few individuals, once established, moved away from the town.
Three families, Shield, Hankin and Searles have each provided two generations of long serving Trustees. The six individuals involved served the Trust for a total of 221 years.
LONG SERVING TRUSTEES & CLERKS 1890-2009
Mr. J.R. Shield | 1890-1939 | 49yrs | Co-opted | Last Bailiff. Solicitor. Founder of the Town Trust. Died in post. |
Mr. C.E.Covey | 1890-1912 | 22yrs | Co-opted | Former Burgess. Son of local benefactor. Died in post. |
Mr. W.H. Hunt | 1890-1914 | 24yrs | Co-opted | Former Burgess. Architect. Died in post. |
Mr. J.F. Chapman | 1890-1920 | 30yrs | Nominated | Ironmonger. Died in post. |
Mr. J.G. Gladstones | 1890-1920 | 30yrs | Nominated | Went on to be Co-opted Trustee in 1913. Resigned due to ill health. |
Mr. W. Willis | 1890-1912 | 22yrs | Nominated | |
Mr. E. King | 1919-1943 | 24yrs | Clerk | |
Mr. J. Hall | 1892-1922 | 30yrs | Nominated | |
Mr. G. Payne | 1904-1925 | 21yrs | Nominated | Shoemaker |
Dr. H.Hodgson | 1906-1949 | 43yrs | Co-opted | Surgeon and local artist. |
Mr. T.C. Hankin | 1912-1933 | 21yrs | Nominated | Hotel proprietor. Died in post. |
Mr. G.E.R.Shield | 1914-1966 | 52yrs | Co-opted | Formerly Clerk to Trustees until 1914 but for how long is unknown. Son of J.R. Sheild. Solicitor. |
Mr. G.W. Searles | 1944-1979 | 35yrs | Co-opted | Veterinary Surgeon. Founder of the Community Minibus service. Died in post. |
Mr. A.H. White | 1946-1989 | 43yrs | Nominated | Became clerk in 1959 after serving 13 years as a Trustee. |
Mr. C.A. Hankin | 1949-1991 | 42yrs | Nominated | Owner of Garage at the bottom of West Street . |
Mr. A.J. Duffy | 1952-1975 | 23yrs | Nominated | Died in post |
Mr. J. Curtis | 1964-2005 | 41yrs | Nominated | Went on to be Co-opted Trustee in 1985. |
Dr. G.C. Brill | 1967-2002 | 35yrs | Co-opted | MD |
Mr. H.M. Hewins | 1968-1992 | 24yrs | Nominated | Went on to be Co-opted Trustee in 1979 |
Mr. J. Adams | 1970-1993 | 23yrs | Co-opted | Schoolteacher. |
Mrs..P.A. Hanson | 1979-2003 | 21yrs | Nominated | Two terms, 1979-1983, 1987-2003. Daughter of G.W. Searles. |
Qualification for inclusion equals twenty plus years service.
The 1890 Scheme of Arrangement supervised by the Charity Commissioners stipulated four Co-opted Trustees and five nominated by the Parish Council and this remained in force until 2015.
Co-opted Trustees were originally appointed for eight years and Nominated Trustees for five years. At the end of the appointed period, the individual concerned had to decide whether or not to put themselves up for re-election. If they did so, they were usually voted back on board unanimously. The appointment periods were changed in 1989 to five years for Co-opted Trustees and four years for Nominated Trustees
In 2015 the Town Council ceded its right to nominate Trustees in favour of a Membership Scheme whereby five Trustees are nominated and elected by members of the Trust.