New Alresford Town Trust

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.