A Civic Society for Romsey, Hampshire UK and surrounding villages

7. Roles of the Councillors / The Romsey Bench

The charter outlined the role of a town clerk. He had to be an ‘upright and prudent man’ versed in the law. The office should be held
during the pleasure of the Mayor and the greater part of the Aldermen and the Chief Burgesses of the aforesaid town for the time being, the corporal oath having first been professed in the form aforesaid.
By 1888, the greater responsibilities of the town council led to an enlarged staff.

The charter also made provision for the borough to have a Court of Record with a legally qualified man as Court Recorder. The court was to be held on Thursdays and could deal with civil matters and infringement of the town’s bye-laws

Mayoral chain of office together with official hat

There were three justices of the peace for dealing with criminal matters within the area covered by the borough. These justices were to be the Recorder, the mayor and the previous mayor. The King declared that they were responsible for keeping our peace, … within the aforesaid town, the liberties and precincts of the same, and also for keeping, amending and preserving the Statute of Craftsmen and Labourers5, the weights and the measures within the suburbs, liberties and precincts of the same - and making such to be amended or preserved;

They also had:
full power and authority for inquiring about whatsoever lesser offences, defects and articles - made, moved or perpetrated within the town aforesaid, the liberties and precincts of the same - which guardians and justices of the peace in any other county of our kingdom of England may be able and ought, as Justices of the Peace, to inquire thus by means of the laws and statutes of this our same kingdom of England.

However they were not able to proceed with a coroner’s inquest or an examination of murder or of felony or of any other thing or matter touching loss of life or limb, nor should any or any one of them so proceed.
In this they had less power than the abbess who had permission to erect a gallows and hang malefactors

The Romsey Bench

The Romsey bench lasted until the abolition of the borough in 1974, and for the last 80 years of its life, its proceedings were faithfully reported by The Romsey Advertiser.

Examples of early court cases illustrate enforcement of bye-laws already mentioned. They include the indictment of two butchers, Alexander Gasse and his son, Alexander for killing flesh in Lent, and Richard Cuffe, a victualler, forbidden to dress or suffer any flesh to be used or eaten in his house in Lent time. In 1685 thirteen persons were presented by the grand jury for absenting themselves from church on the 20 September last. Twelve pence each to be levied upon them unless they give sufficient reason for their absence to the court. Perhaps related to this, several alehouses and innkeepers were bound in £10 to keep peace and good order and suffer no tippling during Divine service.

Several people were fined for swearing and on another occasion Will Gunson the younger paid a fine of five shillings for being a common drunkard.

A couple of rather unusual cases come from the 1650s. In 1655 we hear of ‘John Coxe of Romsey saddler bound to his Highness the Lord Protector in £20 for to appear etc. to answer for rescuing of Hancocke out of the stocks being there committed for being drunk upon the oath of Henry Richmond.’ And two years later ‘Richard Amerby and John Duke to appear … for ringing the bells in Romsey 30 September 1657 being a day of fasting and humiliation

The charter of 1607 provided for two Sergeants-at-Mace, whose functions seem to have ,em>overlapped with those of the existing role of town constable. The charter allowed:
two officers who shall be and shall be named Sergeants-at-Mace for supporting in the court of the same town, and for making and executing from time to time, at the pleasure of the Mayor, Aldermen and Chief Burgesses of the aforesaid town, processes, distraints, attachments, arrests, sworn panels [of juries], inquests, executions of justice, orders, warrants and other businesses whatsoever - within the same town, the limits, bounds and precincts of the same.

In the 18th century the senior serjeant was also keeper of the town gaol. The records show the care of the maces as well as the duties of the serjeants. A new mace was acquired in 1749 being a gift of the first Lord Palmerston.

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