Newcastle upon Tyne Freemen

1) Sons of free burgesses inherited the freedom from their fathers and ere said to hold the franchise by patrimony. If a father possessed of right of franchise died before his admission (the payment of fees and the acceptance of a formal oath) then his sons were forfeit of their rights to become freemen. No illegitimate sons could inherit the franchise.

2) Freedom was also gained by servitude. Apprentices having served their seven years with their master gained the right to enter the appropriate trade guild. This in turn gave the right to seek admission as a Freemen. Men with a right to claim the franchise paid less in admission fees if they married a Freemans daughter.

Widows took their husbands franchise and could exercise his right to apprentice although this was lost on re-marriage. Membership of the general body was known as Freedom of the Town. Membership gained via a particular company was known as Freedom of a Trade. A person who enjoyed both was said to be Free of Town and Trade.

Until the Reform Bill of 1832, the Freemen were the only people with the right to vote for their representatives in Parliament. Each Freeman had two votes and as a body they returned two members for the Borough of Newcastle upon Tyne. The Mayor and Alderman of the town were elected by the freemen from amongst their own number and they along with the 24 members of the Common Council effectively ran the affairs of the City. Usage of Town Moor land was largely in the control of the freemen as each freemen had the right to pasture 2 cows on the moor and was said to have 2 stints. The freemen were also exempt from the payment of tolls, quay and river dues.

The main series of records in this collection relate to admission of individuals to the franchise. It is still possible to become a Freeman of the City of Newcastle by way of an apprenticeship or through patrimony. The Freemen, under the Stewardship of the Stewards Committee of Freemen manage Newcastle Town Moor, and its intakes, which covers 1200 acres. The position of Hereditary Freeman is quite different from that of Honorary Freeman. The latter has no status and is entirely different to being a Hereditary Freeman