Winslow History | Election to the Board of Guardians, 1872

Vestry, 1872

Centre for Bucks Studies, PR237/8/1

At a Vestry held in the Vestry Room in the Church on Thursday the 4th April 1872.

Present Revd A.M. Preston Chairman, Messrs Monk, Willis, Neal, Hathaway, R.W. Jones, Grant King,
Jas King, Cowley, Geo. Jennings, J. Jennings & J. Grace.

Proposed by Mr Jas King seconded by Mr Grant King & carried that the Churchwardens’ Accounts be passed.

The Revd A.M. Preston appointed Mr R.W. Jones to be his Churchwarden for the ensuing year.

Mr Hathaway was unanimously appointed Churchwarden for the Parish for the year ensuing.

Proposed by Mr R.W. Jones seconded by Mr Grant King that a Voluntary rate at ½d in the pound be made to repair & paint the Church Yard Fence.

Resolved unanimously that Mr J. Sirrett’s tender for repairing the Fence for £12 be accepted and that Mr J. Tofield’s tender for cleaning & painting the Fence for £7–10/- be also accepted.

Mr Neal produced his Account for winding the Clock and Chimes and the same was passed.

It was also resolved that W. Jennings should in future collect the subscriptions for ringing the daily Bells and Winding the Clock and Chimes.

Alfred M. Preston [signature] Ch:

Election to the Board of Guardians, 1872

Winslow was the only place in the Winslow Union where there was a contested election for the posts of Guardians of the Poor in 1872, following a previous contest in 1870 when John Ingram unsuccessfully challenged Henry Monk and John Grace. There must have been a lively election campaign but none of the local newspapers published a report. The electoral system gave votes only to ratepayers, and they were weighted in favour of the wealthy. For the first time someone representing the Congregationalist / Nonconformist interest (George Wigley) defeated an Anglican (John Grace). After winning by one vote, Wigley seems to have resigned in August, but he was replaced by R.W. Jones of Blake House, another Congregationalists and according to his obituary "a decided Liberal".

Bucks Herald, 20 April

ELECTION OF GUARDIANS.- The election of guardians for the Winslow Union took place on the 10th inst. There was no opposition in any of the parishes of the Union save this parish, and the seats were hotly contested. The candidates were Messrs. Henry Monk, John Grace, John Ingram, and G. D. E. Wigley, and at the close of the poll the numbers stood as follows:- Monk, 177; Grace, 158; Ingram, 130; Wigley, 159; Messrs. H. Monk and G. D. E. Wigley were therefore duly elected.

Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News, 20 April

To the Ratepayers Inhabitants of Winslow.
HAVING been RE-ELECTED by you to fill the Office of GUARDIAN, I beg to offer you my best thanks. Representing as I do the largest interest of the Ratepayers, as shown by the Votes, it will always be my endeavour to do my duty to the best of my ability. Having been Guardian for more than twenty years without any charge being made against me by the Ratepayers or the Poor, I felt that I could well afford to treat with contempt the scurrilous addresses of my opponents, so unjust, and so void of truth.
To those of you who interested yourselves on my behalf I also tender my most hearty thanks; and if, in the heat of excitement, I have said anything to hurt the feelings of any one, I am truly sorry, and feel confident I cannot be blamed for the unnecessary and unhappy contentions that have lately existed in the town of Winslow.
Faithfully yours,
April 13th, 1872. HENRY MONK.

Bicester Herald, 30 Aug

WINSLOW BOARD OF GUARDIANS.- There is a vacancy for a Guardian of the poor for the parish of Winslow. Nominations are to be sent by September 3, to the clerk of the Board or to the Relieving Officer.

Bicester Herald, 13 Sep

Mr. Robert Willett [=Williatt] Jones of Great Horn-street, Winslow, was the only person nominated to fill the vacancy on the Board of Guardians for the parish of Winslow.