Freemen of the Borough & Honorary Aldermen

Freemen of the Borough

A Freedomship is bestowed on persons of distinction, who have, in the opinion of the Council, rendered eminent services to the Borough. The Council must pass a resolution by two thirds of Members voting at a specially convened meeting and the resolution should recite the particular grounds upon which the Council have come to their decision.

Details of public services rendered by the recipient should also be included. The following were granted Honorary Freemen of the Borough:

On 13th September 1991

Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Leslie Cohen, OBE, TD, CPM, JP (Deceased)

James Henry Cooke

Margaret Eileen Jackson MBE, JP (Deceased)

On 29th April 1999

Mary Butterwick

Honorary Aldermen

The Council can also bestow the title of Honorary Alderman on persons who have, in the opinion of the Council, rendered eminent services to the Council as past Members of the Council but who are not current Councillors of the Council.

Should an Honorary Alderman subsequently be re-elected to the Council, the title would be suspended and re-enacted following the termination of that period of elected service.

The following were awarded the title of Honorary Alderman:

On 29th March, 2000

Derek Cooke

Kenneth William Craggs

Harry Davies MBE (Deceased)

John Dyson (Deceased)

Brian Cooper Hodgson

Dora Redican

Sydney Redican (Deceased)

John McKie Scott OBE, JP, MA

Sir Maurice Sutherland (Deceased)

Maureen Taylor MBE, JP

James Matthew Vaughan

Lawrence Wild OBE, JP

Edward Wood

On 13th September 2000

Robert Dobson

James Albert Tachell (Deceased)

On 18th February 2004

Winifred Hodgson MBE

On 24th March 2004

Keith Dobinson

On 22nd March 2006

James Henry Cooke

On 6th September 2006

Ann McCoy (Title on hold due to re-election, May 2007, see explanation above)

On 5th September 2007

Joan Wade