 In the early 1300s during the reign of
Edward II Garstang was granted its first royal market charter and seal.
Little detail exists of this period other than that the abbot of
Cockersands abbey granted Garstang the right to become a constablewick
whose administrative powers stretched from Lancaster to the north, and
the Amounderness to the south.Under the direction of Charles
II in 1679, the Garstang Corporation was formed; this body was the
earliest known institution of local government within the town. Its
administration was run by 7 burgesses and an elected bailiff or freeman.
In Garstang these officials were popularly referred to as the Mayor and
corporation and operated much like a parochial council. The burgesses
were elected for a lifetime, although it is not clear how they were
initially appointed. The office was passed down from father to son.
People governed by the corporation had little or no say although it was
felt at the time that well-respected tradesman should be chosen.
 The
following persons were Garstang’s town burgesses up to 1870.
Inset J Hartley, Standing rear- T Walmsley, J Crozier, J Noble, J
Storey
Seated- W Fowler, Doctor Chapman (Bailiff), I Smith
These burgesses were replaced in the same year by John Storey
(Bailiff), William Chapman, Thomas Smith, William Fowler and John
Hartley. This was short-lived and they were informed that their
positions were to be abolished. No photographs of the latter exist.
Her majesty Queen Victoria, commanded the charity commissioners to
create in their place, a new charity to be named the Garstang Town
trust. This was to comprise of 2 ex-officio trustees, 5 representative
trustees and 4 cooptative trustees.
Since those early days the Town Trust, which meets monthly, has run
the Thursday street market in line with the charity commissioner’s
requirements. The tolls gathered by the market superintendent/clerk are
banked weekly; this includes the tolls from the stallholders and the
market hall. The premier use of this income is the maintenance of the
Town Trust’s properties- the Town hall, the Market Hall, the Arts Centre
and the Market Cross. Any amounts surplus to these requirements is made
available in the form of grants to various organisations that seek help
but on the proviso, with notable exceptions, that they should be
operating within the parish boundaries of Garstang. Some
 recent examples
of organisations to benefit include Garstang High School (to help with
Technology College status) Garstang Gym Club (to help with expansion),
First Responders, local Scouts and Guides, St Johns Ambulance (to help
with the purchase of a vehicle) and most recently a grant to the Sports
and Social Club to allow them to buy back land from Wyre Borough Council
for the continuing provision of outdoor sports facilities in Garstang.
The seal on the royal market charter has remained unaltered over the
centuries and is the property of the Town Trust albeit that it appears
on other organisations documents. The current trustees are Lady Dulcie
Atkins (Chair), David Carr (vice-chair), Tom Balmain, Tessa Ferguson,
Anne Humphries, Tom Ibison, Sam Lang, Eddie Livesey, Lyn Nickson, Brian
Pinder and Ian Simpson. The clerk, William Chippendale, can be contacted
on 01253 790078. |
