1894 Record from the Parish of Houghton Regis Establishing the Houghton Regis Parish Council

A Record from the Parish of Houghton Regis December 4th 1894, It reads:

"I accordance with notice under the Local Government Act of 1894, duly published by the Overseers of the Parish, the first meeting of the Parochial Electors was held in the National School Room on December the Fourth 1894. It was decided that a poll of the Parish should take place on December 17th 1894. The Poll elected the first Parish Councillors. Their terms of office were only one year, so a poll was held annually.

Signed Alfred Spittel Chairman Parish Meeting March 26th 1895 and Arthur Cook."

Overseers of the Parish (or the Poor) looked after the running of workhouses. They were also chosen annually from "the better-off male inhabitants". The Local Government Act 1894 set out the Constitution of Parish Meetings and established Parish Councils. The original Act has been amended on several occasions since that time.

Interestingly section 3(2) of the Act says that "No person shall be disqualified by sex or marriage for being elected or being a member of a parish council."  However a husband and wife could not be elected from the same property. This was before the Suffrage Campaign. Also the annual meeting elected the Chairman "from their own body or from other persons qualified to be councillors of the parish ..." So at that time the Chairman did not have to be an elected councillor.

A copy of the Local Government Act 1894 can be downloaded by clicking here.

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