The history of yeovil
The municipal borough of yeovil
The end of medieval administration
"The Special
Commissioners
for improving
the town of
Yeovil became fidgetty; the
Town
Commissioners of
Yeovil were
either careless
or not perfectly
satisfied with
their position,
and, as their
clerk stated,
did not many of
them attend to
their duties, so
that the ancient
corporation of
Portreeve and
Burgesses became
almost a myth,
and its various
bodies of Town
Commissioners
and Special
Commissioners a
confusion. Our
friends the
lawyers began to
say something
ought to be
done, and that
was enough
forsooth to get
rid, once and
for ever, of all
these separate
and sometimes
conflicting
bodies."
(Vickery, 1856)
In truth, while progress in the town seemed steady, if somewhat slow, the powers of the Town Commissioners were still not adequate for a modern, growing town. Consequently they sought to present a Bill to Parliament in order to create a municipal borough. The Act was passed on 3 July 1854 and as a result a burgess roll was drawn up by John Ryall Mayo of householders rated for three years for the relief of the poor. There were only 261 people eligible to vote in this first municipal election in Yeovil, of whom 178 voted for the 88 standing candidates and elected the following Councillors -
Name | Occupation | Votes |
W Bide | Glove Manufacturer | 168 |
JR Mayo | Gentleman | 155 |
HB Phelps | Glove Manufacturer | 136 |
E Whitby Jr. | Glove Manufacturer | 125 |
F Greenham | Gentleman | 107 |
J Hannam | Ironmonger | 103 |
T Dampier | Gentleman | 72 |
G Wadman | Draper | 68 |
J Glyde Jr. | Gentleman | 67 |
G Edwards | Draper | 58 |
T Fooks | Glove Manufacturer | 54 |
E Raymond | Glove Manufacturer | 54 |
Of these new
Councillors,
seven had been
Improvement
Commissioners
and one was a
former member of
the old
Corporation.
John Ryall Mayo
was elected as
the town's first
Mayor and
John Batten was
appointed Town
Clerk. The
town's last
Portreeve,
draper
Benjamin Ryall,
handed over the
Corporation seal
and mace thereby
ending over
eight hundred
years of
medieval
government.