Women to join borough freemen in taking care of the pastures

The office of freeman in the borough has always been particularly important because they elect the custodians of its three areas of common land: Westwood, Swinemoor and Figham.

Rather than have the commons controlled by bureaucrats freemen living in Beverley town have traditionally appointed Pasture Masters to manage the common land.

Because pasture freemen have grazing rights on the commons the arrangement has been that the land is let to farmers and the freeman receive a token fee.

However, the tradition has been threatened by a restriction that the title of freeman can only be passed down through the male line – from father to son.

Daughters have always been excluded, leading to a dramatic decline in the number of those enjoying the freedom of the borough from 1,400 in the 19th century to fewer than 100.

The situation was made worse by the fact the Westwood Hospital no longer provides maternity services so the only children born in Beverley town are home-births.

Many residents also now live outside the former boundaries of Beverley in new housing developments in the parishes of Molescroft and Woodmansey.

The Pasture Masters had intended to seek changes in legislation to allow the freedom of boroughs to pass down the female line but were overtaken by a national body, Freemen of England and Wales (FEW), proposing similar changes.

That Bill has now become law while a second piece of legislation steered through Parliament by the Beverley Pasture Masters will extend the boundaries of those eligible – of both sexes – from the town to Molescroft and Woodmansey.

It means that many more women will be eligible to be sworn in as freeman and the Civic Office of East Riding of Yorkshire Council has already received nearly 60 applications from the daughters of freemen to receive the honour.

Swearing in ceremonies are planned to take place in March.

Beverley Freemen have no official duties, except to elect the 12 Pasture Masters, but having a larger number of freeman will put the custom of the community looking after its own common land on a much sounder footing.

One of the first to apply was Dr Susan Neave, of Wood Lane, Beverley, whose ancestor William Needham, a ship's carpenter, was granted the freedom in 1802.

The honour passed down through the male line to Dr Neave's father James in 1950. Living in Beverley, Dr Neave can become an active freeman with the power to elect the Pasture Masters and could stand for that office as well. Her elder sister Janet, who lives in Sheffield, and younger sisters Sally, from Hornsea, and Helen, from Tickton, near Beverley, can also become freeman, although without the voting powers. Dr Neave said: "It was normal in England for the freedom to descend through the male line because it was tied to a trade or craft and in those days it was men."

She had only been able to find one reference to a woman being granted the honour in Beverley - Alicia Wright in 1502, though it is not clear why.

"Allowing the women in at last puts the tradition on a firmer footing and provides a greater pool. There are a 1,000 acres of land in the common acres so the Pasture Masters have an important role."

Sally Fraser, Clerk to the Pasture Masters, said: "The Civic Office have been inundated with phone calls which is fantastic. It puts the numbers up and safeguards the future. We were down to 100 freemen or less."

An East Riding of Yorkshire Council spokesman said the council was arranging the swearing in because it was the successor to Beverley Borough Council.

Heirs to a lengthy tradition

No one know exactly how the tradition of Freedom started.

The custom traces its origin to the Freemen or Burgesses who were early local governors.

Becoming a Freeman was regarded as a path to success but it could also be nearly a full time job in the days they were vital to the workings of local government.

Freedom could pass from father to son or through a period of apprenticeship to a tradesman.

These routes remain open to aspiring candidates even now, but local customs vary.

In 1835 a huge shake-up in the way Britain was run meant elected councils were responsible for local government but Guilds of Freeman survived, often as charitable bodies.

In 1966 it was decided an organisation was needed to support to member Guilds and individual Freemen.

The Freemen of England and Wales represents guilds or similar bodies, and individual Freemen throughout England and Wales.

Its mission is to promote the history and legal custom of the boroughs of England and Wales, and the institution of the Freedom.

In more recent times, local town halls hit on the idea of giving VIPs freedom of the borough to mark their achievements but officials have underlined this has nothing to do with the tradition of inherited freedom.

Celebrity Freemen include Sir Jimmy Savile and Sir Alan Ayckbourn of Scarborough, and Bob Geldof – Newcastle upon Tyne.