109-747: Tenterden is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ashford in Kent , England. The 2021 census published the population of the parish to be 8,186. Tenterden is connected to Kent's county town of Maidstone by the A262 road and the A274 road , and Ashford , Rolvenden and Hastings by the A28 road . The town stands on the edge of the Weald , overlooking the valley of the River Rother . It
218-513: A London borough . (Since the new county was beforehand a mixture of metropolitan boroughs , municipal boroughs and urban districts, no extant parish councils were abolished.) In 1974, the Local Government Act 1972 retained rural parishes, but abolished most urban parishes, as well as the urban districts and boroughs which had administered them. Provision was made for smaller urban districts and boroughs to become successor parishes , with
327-515: A Special Expense, to residents of the unparished area to fund those activities. If the district council does not opt to make a Special Expenses charge, there is an element of double taxation of residents of parished areas, because services provided to residents of the unparished area are funded by council tax paid by residents of the whole district, rather than only by residents of the unparished area. Parish councils comprise volunteer councillors who are elected to serve for four years. Decisions of
436-576: A boundary coterminous with an existing urban district or borough or, if divided by a new district boundary, as much as was comprised in a single district. There were 300 such successor parishes established. In urban areas that were considered too large to be single parishes, the parishes were simply abolished, and they became unparished areas . The distinction between types of parish was no longer made; whether parishes continued by virtue of being retained rural parishes or were created as successor parishes, they were all simply termed parishes. The 1972 act allowed
545-472: A city council (though most cities are not parishes but principal areas, or in England specifically metropolitan boroughs or non-metropolitan districts ). The chairman of a town council will have the title "town mayor" and that of a parish council which is a city will usually have the title of mayor . When a city or town has been abolished as a borough, and it is considered desirable to maintain continuity of
654-456: A city council. According to the Department for Communities and Local Government , in England in 2011 there were 9,946 parishes. Since 1997 around 100 new civil parishes have been created, in some cases by splitting existing civil parishes, but mostly by creating new ones from unparished areas. Parish or town councils have very few statutory duties (things they are required to do by law) but have
763-548: A city was Hereford , whose city council was merged in 1998 to form a unitary Herefordshire . The area of the city of Hereford remained unparished until 2000 when a parish council was created for the city. As another example, the charter trustees for the City of Bath make up the majority of the councillors on Bath and North East Somerset Council. Civil parishes cover 35% of England's population, with one in Greater London and few in
872-440: A civil parish is usually an elected parish council (which can decide to call itself a town, village, community or neighbourhood council, or a city council if the parish has city status). Alternatively, in parishes with small populations (typically fewer than 150 electors) governance may be by a parish meeting which all electors may attend; alternatively, parishes with small populations may be grouped with one or more neighbours under
981-481: A civil parish which has no parish council, the parish meeting may levy a council tax precept for expenditure relating to specific functions, powers and rights which have been conferred on it by legislation. In places where there is no civil parish ( unparished areas ), the administration of the activities normally undertaken by the parish becomes the responsibility of the district or borough council. The district council may make an additional council tax charge, known as
1090-568: A common parish council. Wales was also divided into civil parishes until 1974, when they were replaced by communities , which are similar to English parishes in the way they operate. Civil parishes in Scotland were abolished for local government purposes by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 ; the Scottish equivalent of English civil parishes are the community council areas established by
1199-550: A fleet of ships for the Crown and protecting the south coast of England. The ships were also used for a lucrative cross-channel trade. A more specific Charter of 1229 numbered the ships to be separately provided by each of the Confederation's Ports and that of 1278 set out a magnificently designed Flag: the three fighting English Lionships. Rye was obligated for five ships in 1392 and provided these with help from Tenterden shipwrights. If
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#17328562017241308-621: A full time Town Clerk, Deputy Town Clerk with support staff and groundsmen. The council is responsible for community services through the raising an annual precept, which is collected via Ashford Borough Council through its council tax rates. The council's primary services are managing and provision for advertising banners (recreation ground & town hall balcony); benches; children's play areas; emergency planning; markets & fairs; millennium garden; parks & open spaces; pavilion; public conveniences (Tenterden and St. Michaels); tennis courts; tourism; town planning; and war memorial. The Town Council
1417-418: A function and is also licensed for ceremonies (up to 140 guests). Both of these venues are available for hire. The Town Council also has a statutory consultation role for a variety of matters related to Planning Applications and Public Rights of Way. The council's planning committee meets on a monthly basis to consider scrutinise each application on material merits and advise Ashford Council of its decision with
1526-490: A national reorganisation of local government meant that both Tenterden Borough and Tenterden Rural Councils ceased to exist; a new Town Council came under the administration of the newly formed Ashford Borough Council. The latter part of the Twentieth Century saw an expansion of the town through the building of a considerable number of housing developments which have resulted in a much enlarged population. Attractions such as
1635-469: A new code. In either case the code must comply with the Nolan Principles of Public Life . A parish can be granted city status by the Crown . As of 2020 , eight parishes in England have city status, each having a long-established Anglican cathedral: Chichester , Ely , Hereford , Lichfield , Ripon , Salisbury , Truro and Wells . The council of an ungrouped parish may pass a resolution giving
1744-431: A new smaller manor, there was a means of making a chapel which, if generating or endowed with enough funds, would generally justify foundation of a parish, with its own parish priest (and in latter centuries vestry ). This consistency was a result of canon law which prized the status quo in issues between local churches and so made boundary changes and sub-division difficult. The consistency of these boundaries until
1853-730: A parish (a "detached part") was in a different county . In other cases, counties surrounded a whole parish meaning it was in an unconnected, "alien" county. These anomalies resulted in a highly localised difference in applicable representatives on the national level , justices of the peace , sheriffs, bailiffs with inconvenience to the inhabitants. If a parish was split then churchwardens, highway wardens and constables would also spend more time or money travelling large distances. Some parishes straddled two or more counties, such as Todmorden in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Tenterden Town railway station Too Many Requests If you report this error to
1962-416: A parish council, and instead will only have a parish meeting : an example of direct democracy . Alternatively several small parishes can be grouped together and share a common parish council, or even a common parish meeting. A parish council may decide to call itself a town council, village council, community council, neighbourhood council, or if the parish has city status, the parish council may call itself
2071-503: A population of between 100 and 300 could request their county council to establish a parish council. Provision was also made for a grouped parish council to be established covering two or more rural parishes. In such groups, each parish retained its own parish meeting which could vote to leave the group, but otherwise the grouped parish council acted across the combined area of the parishes included. Urban civil parishes were not given their own parish councils, but were directly administered by
2180-1079: A range of discretionary powers which they may exercise voluntarily. These powers have been defined by various pieces of legislation. The role they play can vary significantly depending on the size, resources and ability of the council, but their activities can include any of the following: Parish councils have powers to provide and manage various local facilities; these can include allotments , cemeteries, parks, playgrounds, playing fields and village greens , village halls or community centres , bus shelters, street lighting, roadside verges, car parks, footpaths, litter bins and war memorials. Larger parish councils may also be involved in running markets , public toilets and public clocks, museums and leisure centres . Parish councils may spend money on various things they deem to be beneficial to their communities, such as providing grants to local community groups or local projects, or fund things such as public events, crime prevention measures, community transport schemes, traffic calming or tourism promotion. Parish councils have
2289-532: A relatively minor role in local government. As of September 2023 , there are 10,464 parishes in England, and in 2020 they covered approximately 40% of the English population. For historical reasons, civil parishes predominantly cover rural areas and smaller urban areas, with most larger urban areas being wholly or partly unparished ; but since 1997 it has been possible for civil parishes to be created within unparished areas if demanded by local residents . In 2007
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#17328562017242398-601: A rent of twelve horseshoes. A further seven shops were also required to pay a levy. Today numbers 28 to 40 in the High Street occupy this 'shambles' site, on the southern edge of the church. The first mention of a dwelling in the town dates from 1275 and occurs in a Hundred Roll of King Edward l, when a Thomas Pittlesden was recorded as living at the manor house. In subsequent years the Pittlesden family remained as core to Tenterden's development, with their arms still featuring on
2507-409: A role in the planning system; they have a statutory right to be consulted on any planning applications in their areas. They may also produce a neighbourhood plan to influence local development. The Localism Act 2011 allowed eligible parish councils to be granted a " general power of competence " which allows them within certain limits the freedom to do anything an individual can do provided it
2616-589: A set number of guardians for each parish, hence a final purpose of urban civil parishes. With the abolition of the Poor Law system in 1930, urban parishes became a geographical division only with no administrative power; that was exercised at the urban district or borough council level. In 1965 civil parishes in London were formally abolished when Greater London was created, as the legislative framework for Greater London did not make provision for any local government body below
2725-509: A simple and dignified chapel had been erected on the Ashford Road. Similarly, a Baptist Chapel in Bells Lane had been built, reflecting further the religious non-conformity of many of the local populace. During the 16th century the tidal waters at Smallhythe slowly receded and the port community declined. In 1600 Queen Elizabeth l granted the town a new Charter, in which an updated role of mayor
2834-938: A small village or town ward to a large tract of mostly uninhabited moorland in the Cheviots, Pennines or Dartmoor. The two largest as at December 2023 are Stanhope (County Durham) at 98.6 square miles (255 km ), and Dartmoor Forest (Devon) at 79.07 square miles (204.8 km ). The two smallest are parcels of shared rural land: Lands Common to Axminster and Kilmington (Devon) at 0.012 square miles (0.031 km ; 3.1 ha; 7.7 acres), and Lands Common to Brancepeth and Brandon and Byshottles (County Durham) at 0.0165 square miles (0.043 km ; 4.3 ha; 10.6 acres). The next two smallest are parishes in built up areas: Chester Castle (Cheshire) at 0.0168 square miles (0.044 km ; 4.4 ha; 10.8 acres) (no recorded population) and Hamilton Lea (Leicestershire) at 0.07 square miles (0.18 km ; 18 ha; 45 acres) (1,021 residents at
2943-514: A spur to the creation of new parishes in some larger towns which were previously unparished, in order to retain a local tier of government; examples include Shrewsbury (2009), Salisbury (2009), Crewe (2013) and Weymouth (2019). In 2003 seven new parish councils were set up for Burton upon Trent , and in 2001 the Milton Keynes urban area became entirely parished, with ten new parishes being created. Parishes can also be abolished where there
3052-569: Is a member of the Cinque Ports Confederation , but due to seismic changes to the southern coast over the centuries, Tenterden is no longer by the sea. Kent was one of the seven kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England and the first to convert to Christianity. The earliest settlements had been made in the northern areas including Thanet. Uninhabited forest lands in the south, called Anderida or Andreasweald (known today as The Weald) provided glades and clearings for annual excursions, when people from
3161-615: Is also responsible for the Town's Public Buildings such as 'The Pebbles' (which is home to the retail store 'White Stuff'). In the Town Hall is the Mayor's Parlour, which is licensed for the conduct of wedding, civil partnership, renewal of vows and baby naming ceremonies, and can accommodate up to forty-four guests. The Town Hall is also home to the Assembly Room, which can accommodate up to 150 people at
3270-507: Is at present the only part of England where civil parishes cannot be created. If enough electors in the area of a proposed new parish (ranging from 50% in an area with less than 500 electors to 10% in one with more than 2,500) sign a petition demanding its creation, then the local district council or unitary authority must consider the proposal. Since the beginning of the 21st century, numerous parish councils have been created, including some relatively large urban ones. The main driver has been
3379-539: Is evidence that this is in response to "justified, clear and sustained local support" from the area's inhabitants. Examples are Birtley , which was abolished in 2006, and Southsea , abolished in 2010. Every civil parish has a parish meeting, which all the electors of the parish are entitled to attend. Generally a meeting is held once a year. A civil parish may have a parish council which exercises various local responsibilities prescribed by statute. Parishes with fewer than 200 electors are usually deemed too small to have
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3488-685: Is no mention of the town in the Domesday Book because Tenterden being a 'den', its listing was in the lands of the parent Abbey. Bishop Odo of Bayeux, the half-brother of William the Conqueror, having become the Second Earl of Kent, did own land in this area. From the mid-twelfth century the low lying land to the south of Tenterden, the Rother Levels and the Romney Marsh, were used for arable farming. With
3597-405: Is not prohibited by other legislation, as opposed to being limited to the powers explicitly granted to them by law. To be eligible for this, a parish council must meet certain conditions such as having a clerk with suitable qualifications. Parish councils receive funding by levying a " precept " on the council tax paid by the residents of the parish (or parishes) served by the parish council. In
3706-544: Is two-fold, deriving from the Old English Tenetwara (the Men of Thanet) and the word den (a clearing within a forest). The first known reference to Tenetwara is found in a Charter of 968; it records Heronden pastureland granted by a lady Aethelflaed to Aelfwold for the sum of 1450 pence. In Thanet abbey in the seventh century, Domne Æfa the royal abbess was succeeded by her daughter Mildred, whose life became legendary; she
3815-504: The 'Standards Board regime' with local monitoring by district, unitary or equivalent authorities. Under new regulations which came into effect in 2012 all parish councils in England are required to adopt a code of conduct with which parish councillors must comply, and to promote and maintain high standards. A new criminal offence of failing to comply with statutory requirements was introduced. More than one 'model code' has been published, and councils are free to modify an existing code or adopt
3924-742: The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 , which have fewer powers than their English and Welsh counterparts. There are no equivalent units in Northern Ireland . The parish system in Europe was established between the 8th and 12th centuries, and an early form was long established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest . These areas were originally based on the territory of manors , which, in some cases, derived their bounds from Roman or Iron Age estates; some large manors were sub-divided into several parishes. Initially, churches and their priests were
4033-1010: The Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) to become the smallest geographical area for local government in rural areas. The act abolished the civil (non-ecclesiastical) duties of vestries . Parishes which straddled county boundaries or sanitary districts had to be split so that the part in each urban or rural sanitary district became a separate parish (see List of county exclaves in England and Wales 1844–1974 ). The sanitary districts were then reconstituted as urban districts and rural districts , with parishes that fell within urban districts classed as urban parishes, and parishes that fell within rural districts were classed as rural parishes. The 1894 act established elected civil parish councils as to all rural parishes with more than 300 electors, and established annual parish meetings in all rural parishes. Civil parishes were grouped to form either rural or urban districts which are thereafter classified as either type. The parish meetings for parishes with
4142-472: The break with Rome , parishes managed ecclesiastical matters, while the manor was the principal unit of local administration and justice. Later, the church replaced the manor court as the rural administrative centre, and levied a local tax on produce known as a tithe . In the medieval period, responsibilities such as relief of the poor passed increasingly from the lord of the manor to the parish's rector , who in practice would delegate tasks among his vestry or
4251-425: The parish vestry . A civil parish can range in size from a sparsely populated rural area with fewer than a hundred inhabitants, to a large town with a population in excess of 100,000 . This scope is similar to that of municipalities in continental Europe, such as the communes of France . However, unlike their continental European counterparts, parish councils are not principal authorities , and in most cases have
4360-463: The (often well-endowed) monasteries. After the dissolution of the monasteries , the power to levy a rate to fund relief of the poor was conferred on the parish authorities by the Poor Relief Act 1601 . Both before and after this optional social change, local (vestry-administered) charities are well-documented. The parish authorities were known as vestries and consisted of all the ratepayers of
4469-564: The 19th century is useful to historians, and is also of cultural significance in terms of shaping local identities; reinforced by the use of grouped parish boundaries, often, by successive local authority areas; and in a very rough, operations-geared way by most postcode districts. There was (and is) wide disparity in parish size. Writtle , Essex traditionally measures 13,568 acres (21 sq mi) – two parishes neighbouring are Shellow Bowells at 469 acres (0.7 sq mi), and Chignall Smealy at 476 acres (0.7 sq mi) Until
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4578-584: The 2011 census, Newland with Woodhouse Moor and Beaumont Chase reported inhabitants, and there were no new deserted parishes recorded. Nearly all instances of detached parts of civil parishes (areas not contiguous with the main part of the parish) and of those straddling counties have been ended. 14 examples remain in England as at 2022, including Barnby Moor and Wallingwells , both in Nottinghamshire. Direct predecessors of civil parishes are most often known as "ancient parishes", although many date only from
4687-505: The 2021 census). The 2001 census recorded several parishes with no inhabitants. These were Chester Castle (in the middle of Chester city centre), Newland with Woodhouse Moor , Beaumont Chase , Martinsthorpe , Meering , Stanground North (subsequently abolished), Sturston , Tottington , and Tyneham (subsequently merged). The lands of the last three were taken over by the Armed Forces during World War II and remain deserted. In
4796-599: The Cinque Port Barons, by tradition, carried the canopy over the monarch as he or she walked to and from the coronation. Afterwards, the Barons normally gave a share of the canopy to Christ Church at Canterbury. Another tradition was for the Barons to sit on the immediate right hand of the King or Queen at the banquet that followed the ceremony. That was the cause of much of the brawling among those who wanted to be regarded as "first at
4905-532: The Cinque Ports Charter, Tenterden was legally separated from Kent and formally incorporated with Rye. To maintain the town's freedom, independent governors were appointed, i.e. a Bailiff, Jurats and Heraldic emblem of the Cinque Ports 13th Century Cinque Ports Ship Communalty. The first Bailiff (Mayor) was Thomas, a local member of the substantial Petlesden family; Jurats were councillors with legal powers in
5014-539: The Confessor had set out his requirement to the south coast Portsmen, which was to use 20 of their ships, each with a crew of 21, for 15 days of service annually. Under William the Conqueror, his Charter (written to them in old French), coined the term "Cinque Ports" (but pronounced 'sink' ports); stated his requirement was 57 ships for 15 days annually. The 1155 Charter from Henry III had the same obligations but expanded on their benefits. These ports worked together in providing
5123-439: The Crown used the ships and the crews for longer periods – then the costs and wages became at the Crown's expense instead. In addition to providing ships and crews for sea battles at home and abroad, Portsmen fought in the king's armies and there were other obligations. The last time a Cinque Ports fleet sailed into action was in 1596, in response to a threatened Spanish invasion. These Confederation ports continually guarded
5232-614: The First World War, the once stagnant population of the town began to increase. During the Battle of Britain from July to October 1940, planes of the Luftwaffe whilst escaping the RAF following raids over London, would lighten their loads over Tenterden and the surrounding countryside causing widespread destruction. These bombs were a mixture of incendiary and high explosive bombs. By 1944, before
5341-454: The Kent & East Sussex Railway, Chapel Down Vineyard and Tenterden High Street itself bring thousands of visitors annually into the town. Tenterden Town Hall, a historic landmark in the high street, is undergoing extensive renovation. The hall closed in early 2024, and the work is expected to take approximately two years. The Confederation of Cinque Ports have played an important part in defining
5450-597: The Napoleonic Wars meant that naval blockades around the country were ended; the price of wheat collapsed due to cheap imports from Ukraine and the USA. This resulted in especially hard times for Tenterden agricultural workers. In the 1840s a second significant phase of emigration occurred, with these families seeking destinations both in the USA and in Australia. A 'Soup Kitchen' was established to help poor and hungry families -
5559-634: The New World early in the seventeenth century. Several prominent Tenterden families set sail for New England. In 1634 Nathaniel Tilden, once Mayor of Tenterden who had been baptised in St Mildred's, sailed on The Hercules with his wife, children and servants and settled in Scituate, Massachusetts. A century later, after the English Civil War, a Unitarian congregation was established in the town and by 1746
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#17328562017245668-679: The Parlour of the Mayor of Ashford in the Civic Centre in Tannery Lane. After 48 years, on 31 October 2022, "The Executive Leader of Ashford Borough Council" and "Worshipful the Mayor of Ashford" returned the Tenterden Rural District Council Chairman's Badge of Office back to Tenterden Town Council. The ribbon carries 9ct. gold bars, each engraved with past chairmen. The Badge is made in 9ct. gold, hallmarked Birmingham 1959. On
5777-520: The Ports to attend a coronation and is solely honorary in nature. Since 1960, Tenterden Town Council has bestowed on a number of its citizens the honorary title of Freeman (Freewoman). The Freedom itself carries no privilege and is purely an honour, reflecting the eminence of the person on whom it is conferred or in recognition of significant and valuable services rendered to the community by that person. The list of Freemen and Freewomen is: In 1449 by means of
5886-525: The Tenterden Cinque Port Mayor was granted for the first time to attend the Coronation as Baron. This recognition went to Cllr Joseph Robert Dingle for King Edward VII's Coronation on 9 August 1902. Since then, there have been four other Coronation Barons. These were: In the 21st century the title Baron of the Cinque Ports is reserved for Freemen elected by the Mayor, Jurats and Common Council of
5995-724: The administration of the poor laws was the main civil function of parishes, the Poor Law Amendment Act 1866 , which received royal assent on 10 August 1866, declared all areas that levied a separate rate or had their own overseer of the poor to be parishes. This included the Church of England parishes (until then simply known as "parishes"), extra-parochial areas , townships and chapelries . To have collected rates this means these beforehand had their own vestries, boards or equivalent bodies. Parishes using this definition subsequently became known as "civil parishes" to distinguish them from
6104-513: The annual supply of holy oil to the church. By 1178/9 we have the first recorded use of the town's name as "Tentwardene" appearing in a Pipe Roll of Henry II . The earliest reference to a church in Tenterden is from the same date. After 1027 the Thanet Minster estates were acquired by St. Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, which had also received from Minster the famed relics of St Mildred. There
6213-447: The area and implores him for leniency. In the mid-fourteenth century King Edward III, in attempts to control smuggling, prohibited both the export of unwashed wool and the import of finished cloth. Consequently, Flemish weavers settled in the Weald. Tenterden and some of its neighbours became important centres of the broadcloth manufacturing industry, expanding and producing triple the amount of cloth as previously. The 15th century
6322-590: The arrival of the Black Death and loss of population, the collapse of labour intensive farming was matched by a growth in sheep farming on the rich marshy pastures. The production of raw wool brought prosperity to the town. From the time of the Jutes, Kent had been divided into areas of land known as Lathes, which in turn were subdivided into Hundreds. The first mention of Tenterden is within the Lathe of Scary, which covered part of
6431-483: The authority if required to inflict the death penalty on offenders. New gallows had been set up in 1705 outside the town at Gallows Green, with the last recorded hanging taking place in 1785 before a crowd of some 1000 spectators. 1790 saw the building of a new Town Hall – since the fire of 1661, town meetings had taken place in the Woolpack Inn. At this time the town could show continuing improvements which include
6540-442: The banquet." The last time the canopies were borne by the Cinque Port Barons, was at the coronation of George IV where they apparently asked the king for the state treasury to pay for the colourful robes they wore. That request was swiftly rejected. William IV, who reigned for only seven years, did not invite them nor did his successor Queen Victoria in 1837 who was not amused. Despite losing their privileges and not attending
6649-492: The benefit of gas street lighting introduced in 1840, the trees being planted in 1871 to line the High Street and clean piped water delivered by the Cranbrook Water Company towards the end of the century. In 1890 the traditional May Day Fair, which had been an annual event in the High Street, was moved to the new Recreation Ground. However not all in Tenterden shared the nineteenth century prosperity. Britain's victory in
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#17328562017246758-566: The building survives today in Jackson's Lane behind the High Street, with its inscribed date of 1875. In 1903, Tenterden Town railway station was opened, but later closed in 1954, but half of it reopened in 1974 as the Kent and East Sussex Railway . The route starts at Tenterden Town Station and finishes at Bodiam station , near Bodiam Castle . The main line track is planned to be extended to Robertsbridge (near Hastings ) in East Sussex . After
6867-399: The charter, the charter may be transferred to a parish council for its area. Where there is no such parish council, the district council may appoint charter trustees to whom the charter and the arms of the former borough will belong. The charter trustees (who consist of the councillor or councillors for the area of the former borough) maintain traditions such as mayoralty . An example of such
6976-406: The continuing good fortunes of Tenterden from its wool trade. In 1449, King Henry VI, pressed Tenterden to join the Confederation as a limb of Rye, thereby providing Rye with much needed revenue as well as access to the shipbuilding facilities at Smallhythe. In return for Tenterden's support of Rye, the King granted Tenterden a Royal Charter which effectively gave the town self-government. In return,
7085-400: The coronations of William IV and Victoria, the barons fought to keep their right to attend and in 1901 this was granted. The Cinque Ports sent representatives to the coronation of Edward VII but no longer carried the canopy. Barons, including Tenterden's Mayor have been invited to all subsequent coronations since 1902, with the last coronation being for King Charles III on 6 May 2023. In 1902
7194-529: The council are carried out by a paid officer, typically known as a parish clerk. Councils may employ additional people (including bodies corporate, provided where necessary, by tender) to carry out specific tasks dictated by the council. Some councils have chosen to pay their elected members an allowance, as permitted under part 5 of the Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003. The number of councillors varies roughly in proportion to
7303-464: The council of the urban district or borough in which they were contained. Many urban parishes were coterminous (geographically identical) with the urban district or municipal borough in which they lay. Towns which included multiple urban parishes often consolidated the urban parishes into one. The urban parishes continued to be used as an electoral area for electing guardians to the poor law unions . The unions took in areas in multiple parishes and had
7412-466: The council will an election be held. However, sometimes there are fewer candidates than seats. When this happens, the vacant seats have to be filled by co-option by the council. If a vacancy arises for a seat mid-term, an election is only held if a certain number (usually ten) of parish residents request an election. Otherwise the council will co-opt someone to be the replacement councillor. The Localism Act 2011 introduced new arrangements which replaced
7521-453: The creation of town and parish councils is encouraged in unparished areas . The Local Government and Rating Act 1997 created a procedure which gave residents in unparished areas the right to demand that a new parish and parish council be created. This right was extended to London boroughs by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 – with this, the City of London
7630-463: The desire to have a more local tier of government when new larger authorities have been created, which are felt to be remote from local concerns and identity. A number of parishes have been created in places which used to have their own borough or district council; examples include Daventry (2003), Folkestone (2004), Kidderminster (2015) and Sutton Coldfield (2016). The trend towards the creation of geographically large unitary authorities has been
7739-439: The ecclesiastical parishes. The Church of England parishes, which cover more than 99% of England, have become officially (and to avoid ambiguity) termed ecclesiastical parishes . The limits of many of these have diverged; most greatly through changes in population and church attendance (these factors can cause churches to be opened or closed). Since 1921, each has been the responsibility of its own parochial church council . In
7848-521: The established English Church, which for a few years after Henry VIII alternated between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England , before settling on the latter on the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558. By the 18th century, religious membership was becoming more fractured in some places, due in part to the progress of Methodism . The legitimacy of the parish vestry came into question, and
7957-459: The front in the centre, are a collection of nine parish emblems. From the top in clockwise direction the emblems are: Today, Tenterden Town Council is still based in the 18th century Tenterden Town Hall (on the High Street) and has continued to be very active council providing numerous services. The Council consists of 16 councillors representing four wards across the parish. They are supported by
8066-638: The gift and continued patronage (benefaction) of the lord of the manor , but not all were willing and able to provide, so residents would be expected to attend the church of the nearest manor with a church. Later, the churches and priests became to a greater extent the responsibility of the Catholic Church thus this was formalised; the grouping of manors into one parish was recorded, as was a manor-parish existing in its own right. Boundaries changed little, and for centuries after 1180 'froze', despite changes to manors' extents. However, by subinfeudation , making
8175-455: The government at the time of the Local Government Act 1972 discouraged their creation for large towns or their suburbs, but there is generally nothing to stop their establishment. For example, Birmingham has two parishes ( New Frankley and Sutton Coldfield ), Oxford has four, and the Milton Keynes urban area has 24. Parishes could not however be established in London until the law was changed in 2007. A civil parish can range in area from
8284-520: The hamlet of Southern Tenterden was the thriving port with quays and a tidal dock surrounded by plentiful timber and iron supplies. It was one of the country's leading shipbuilding centre for much of the 15th and 16th centuries, constructing vessels for wars against the French. Repairs in the yard, and the breaking up of old ships were an important part of the work, as well as building small vessels for local merchants and fishing families. Another useful small port
8393-483: The invasion of France, troops from Canada, US, Australia, plus the Welsh Fusiliers were stationed in Tenterden with all their weapons and munitions. Such was their importance that Field marshal Bernard Montgomery addressed these troops on Tenterden's Recreation Ground. After D-Day, the town and local villages were hit by multiple V1 rockets, commonly referred to as Doodlebugs, which wrought considerable damage. In 1974
8502-471: The late 19th century, most of the "ancient" (a legal term equivalent to time immemorial ) irregularities inherited by the civil parish system were cleaned up, and the majority of exclaves were abolished. The census of 1911 noted that 8,322 (58%) of "parishes" in England and Wales were not geographically identical when comparing the civil to the ecclesiastical form. In 1894, civil parishes were reformed by
8611-753: The local inn. Claimants included one Thomas Caxton, brother to the renowned printer William Caxton – reputedly born in Tenterden. The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports remains the "Keeper of the Coast" and notable holders of the post have included the William Pitt the Younger, Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The Lord Warden is appointed by the sovereign, and since 1267 has also been Constable of Dover Castle. In 1728, Lord Warden Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset, made Walmer Castle built in 1540 his official residence (at one stage Walmer
8720-468: The members together had to fulfil all the duties needed to maintain a fighting, merchant navy. Tenterden's official "Seal" showed a masted ship bearing the arms of the Cinque Ports and the Petlesdens. In 1066, Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror defeated King Harold on Senlac Hill, seven miles from Hastings. At the end of the bloody, all-day battle, Harold was killed with an arrow shot in the eye. William
8829-465: The mid 19th century. Using a longer historical lens the better terms are "pre-separation (civil and ecclesiastical) parish", "original medieval parishes" and "new parishes". The Victoria County History , a landmark collaborative work mostly written in the 20th century (although incomplete), summarises the history of each English "parish", roughly meaning late medieval parish. A minority of these had exclaves , which could be: In some cases an exclave of
8938-465: The new district councils (outside London) to review their parishes, and many areas left unparished in 1972 have since been made parishes, either in whole or part. For example, Hinckley , whilst entirely unparished in 1974, now has four civil parishes, which together cover part of its area, whilst the central part of the town remains unparished. Some parishes were sub-divided into smaller territories known as hamlets , tithings or townships . Nowadays
9047-458: The north grazed their pigs on the abundant acorns and nuts. In an early charter of 724 AD Æthelberht (son of King Wihtred of Kent) granted land in the wooded area around Romney Marsh and present-day Tenterden to Mildrith (Mildred) the Abbess of Thanet. With tidal waters nearby, the salted winter meat supplies could be returned up the coast via an easy sea journey. Thus, the origin of the town's name
9156-488: The other conurbations. Civil parishes vary greatly in population: some have populations below 100 and have no settlement larger than a hamlet , while others cover towns with populations of tens of thousands. Weston-super-Mare , with a population of 71,758, is the most populous civil parish. In many cases small settlements, today popularly termed villages , localities or suburbs, are in a single parish which originally had one church. Large urban areas are mostly unparished, as
9265-410: The parish of Ebony and Reading Street: this appeared in 1241 when the town was recorded as one of the seven Hundreds located in the Weald. In 1279 several illicitly erected butchers' shops near to the church (probably temporary structures or shammels) were recorded as causing an encroachment on to the King's Highway. Having been cleared by a jury, the shopkeepers were permitted to stay on annual payment of
9374-401: The parish the status of a town, at which point the council becomes a town council . Around 400 parish councils are called town councils. Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 , a civil parish may be given one of the following alternative styles: As a result, a parish council can be called a town council, a community council, a village council or occasionally
9483-404: The parish. As the number of ratepayers of some parishes grew, it became increasingly difficult to convene meetings as an open vestry. In some, mostly built-up, areas the select vestry took over responsibility from the entire body of ratepayers. This innovation improved efficiency, but allowed governance by a self-perpetuating elite. The administration of the parish system relied on the monopoly of
9592-562: The parish; the church rate ceased to be levied in many parishes and became voluntary from 1868. During the 17th century it was found that the 1601 Poor Law did not work well for very large parishes, which were particularly common in northern England. Such parishes were typically subdivided into multiple townships , which levied their rates separately. The Poor Relief Act 1662 therefore directed that for poor law purposes 'parish' meant any place which maintained its own poor, thereby converting many townships into separate 'poor law parishes'. As
9701-499: The perceived inefficiency and corruption inherent in the system became a source for concern in some places. For this reason, during the early 19th century the parish progressively lost its powers to ad hoc boards and other organisations, such as the boards of guardians given responsibility for poor relief through the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 . Sanitary districts covered England in 1875 and Ireland three years later. The replacement boards were each entitled to levy their own rate in
9810-411: The population of the parish. Most rural parish councillors are elected to represent the entire parish, though in parishes with larger populations or those that cover larger areas, the parish can be divided into wards. Each of these wards then returns councillors to the parish council (the numbers depending on their population). Only if there are more candidates standing for election than there are seats on
9919-404: The principal unit of secular and religious administration in most of England and Wales. Civil and religious parishes were formally split into two types in the 19th century and are now entirely separate. Civil parishes in their modern form came into being through the Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73), which established elected parish councils to take on the secular functions of
10028-443: The reasons why. Ashford Borough Council, have the power to make the final decision according to the current planning laws passed by parliament. Civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government . It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes , which for centuries were
10137-523: The responsibility of Kent County Council. At midnight on 31 March 1974, both the Tenterden Borough and Tenterden Rural District Councils had their last meetings before the new Ashford Borough Council took over administration for both areas. The ceremonial Badge of Office of Tenterden Rural District Council was handed over to the newly formed Ashford Borough Council for safe keeping and it has remained on display, along with other historical artefacts, in
10246-438: The right to create civil parishes was extended to London boroughs , although only one, Queen's Park , has so far been created. Eight parishes also have city status (a status granted by the monarch ). A civil parish may be equally known as and confirmed as a town, village, neighbourhood or community by resolution of its parish council, a right not conferred on other units of English local government. The governing body of
10355-518: The same area. Following the outbreak of Corn Riots in 1768 in the town and nearby Woodchurch, the Secretary at War ordered a detachment of soldiers to march to the aid of the magistrates if required. At the end of the century in 1798 with the threat of invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte, barracks were erected at Reading Street on high ground close to Barrack Farm. Since 1449 the Bailiff and Jurats of Tenterden had
10464-555: The southern coast which included defending English fishing rights, and monarchs had to be ferried back and forth across the Channel on an interesting variety of missions. Further costs were incurred for maintaining the trappings of the Confederation, which Tenterden was always ready to dispute its annual share of Rye's costs. There were ways to redress these costs; the town's officials made the most of their 'expense accounts' payable by Rye: typically ferry fares, fish meals, with ale and wine from
10573-505: The term "Cinque Ports" as at that time there were only five recognised ports. In return, William's requirement was for the annual provision of 57 ships for 15 days. Cinque Port Mayors were first invited as Barons to coronations by King Richard I (known as the Lionheart) Coronation on 3 September 1189 as King of England. Richard's coronation ceremony was remarkable as it was the start of contemporary accounts being recorded. From then,
10682-518: The town Court; the Communalty included the privileged classes of merchants and freemen only. The town also enjoyed many privileges such as administering justice and it erected a set of gallows for the execution of criminals. This gruesome but popular event took place at Gallows Green with a main viewing platform for the general public. The last execution was in 1785. In 1894, The Local Government Act set up Rural District Councils in England, and Tenterden
10791-565: The town became more widely known. A visit by William Cobbett in 1823, led him to record Tenterden, with a population of around 2000 and flourishing cattle markets, as "a small market town and a singularly bright spot". In 1756, Oliver Goldsmith the playwright, performed in 'Romeo and Juliet' in a theatre housed probably in Bell's Lane to "tolerable houses" (audiences), remarking that he would never think of Tenterden, "without tears of gratitude and respect". By 1794 another theatre would be established in
10900-507: The town's Coat of Arms. In 1305, Edward I happened to be staying at Sissinghurst; he had banned from the Court his son Prince Edward (the future Edward II) for poor behaviour. The Prince brought his beloved (and notorious) companion Piers Gaveston with him to stay nearby in Pittlesden Manor. From here some of Edward's letters survive, in which he both complains to his father of boredom in
11009-407: The traditions of England's history and the town of Tenterden. The origin of the Confederation can be traced back to Saxon Times, when certain fishing ports in the south-east were given special privileges in return for ship service to the King. The Normans extended this practice to the ports of Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich, alongside two ancient towns, Winchelsea and Rye. In 1041, Edward
11118-609: Was Tenterden District merging with the various Ashford districts and came under the control of Ashford Borough Council . At this time Tenterden Borough Council resolved to continue as a Town Council and continue to have a Mayor who is also the chair of the council. Ashford Borough Council as the district authority, became responsible for waste collection & recycling, street cleaning, licensing, planning, housing, environmental issues, cemeteries, parking, tourism and tax collection. Essential services such as education, highways, transportation, social services and public safety then become
11227-515: Was a Cinque port limb of Sandwich). He modernised and extended the castle accommodation previously used by the humble captain of the castle. The poor old captain was booted out. The Duke also enclosed what had previously been the captain's garden, and developed it. Originally, the castle was one of Henry VIII's so-called 'device forts', a network of artillery strongholds built to protect England against possible French invasion. From 1300 – 1550 up to two hundred people lived at Smallhythe,
11336-566: Was a golden age for Tenterden. The town was wealthy, prosperous, and strategically important. However, this was a time of religious turmoil. Following Henry Vlll's break in 1534 from the Catholic Church, the incidence of non-conformity grew significantly in the Tenterden area and indeed may have been substantial in earlier times. The town is considered one of the best English towns for a study of heterodox religion during this period. A desire for more freedom of worship saw great migrations to
11445-410: Was beloved throughout Kent and beyond, and sanctified. Today Tenterden's Anglican church of St. Mildred's is a Grade I heritage listed building standing majestically on high ground. It's likely that an early wooden Jutish church dedicated to her was situated on the same high spot. During the pre-Conquest period the records for St. Augustine's Abbey show Tenterden and other local villages paying the fee for
11554-462: Was determined to be seen as the legitimate King of England. He set his sights on being crowned in the new Abbey Church that Edward the Confessor had built beside his Palace at Westminster. For almost a thousand years, Westminster Abbey, with the Shrine of St Edward, King and Confessor, at its heart, has remained the place of coronation for our monarchs. William's Charter (written then in old French), coined
11663-474: Was installed to replace that of the medieval bailiff. Sadly In 1661 the medieval Court House (next to the present day White Lion) burnt down and many of the town's early official documents, including the original 1449 Cinque Ports Charter from Henry Vl, were destroyed. During this century a number of wealthy landowners built large houses both in the town and on its outskirts including Kench Hill, and Homewood, which today houses Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre;
11772-558: Was situated at Reading Street. A ferry was needed to get across to Wittersham on the Isle of Oxney. By the 14th century some grand ships built at Tenterden were helping the people of Rye to fulfil their duties for the Cinque Ports. Unfortunately, Rye suffered a series of catastrophic events: the Black Death, raids by marauding French forces, the changing course of the River Rother and the harbour no longer being navigable. From Rye's tragedies grew
11881-437: Was transitioned into a District. It became responsible for roadworks, general maintenance and housing for nine parishes. The Mayor's extra duty was as an ex officio " justice of the peace " until 1968 when the role was abolished. After 525 years of Tenterden's local powers which helped shape the town's and surrounding villages' destiny, on 1 April 1974, Local Government Act of 1972 was implemented for England and Wales. The result
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