Master’s Speech -
High Sheriff, Past masters, fellow Drapers
It is a great joy to be able to welcome The Hon Mrs Selina Graham the High Sheriff to this ceremony and lunch – not least because she is here to give us money!
It was Henry II who in the middle of the 12th century decreed that each year the High Sheriff was to give to the Hospital of St. Giles a fine of 30/-, plus a handful of 2 hands of every sack of corn and a handful of one hand of every sack of wheat from all sacks sold at Shrewsbury market – they wouldn’t come away with much today! These stipulations were ratified after Henry’s death by King John and later augmented by Henry III to include provision of large quantities of wood for fires in the hospital. Given today’s utility prices we may shortly be coming to you and demanding that as well!
It was indeed fortunate for the poor and needy of St. Giles that they were provided for in this way by a king taking time out from murdering archbishops of Canterbury.
What has any of this to do with Shrewsbury Drapers the High Sheriff may well ask? Am I here under false pretences? In the late 1960’s The Drapers Company agreed to accept the trusteeship of the small almshouse charity – The Hospital of St. Giles - hence we are glad now to administer the 30/- being donated. It is a good job for successive High Sheriff’s that over the years the trustees didn’t adopt the current trade union policy of requiring that wages paid should keep pace with inflation. Had that been so, we would today be receiving something in excess of £4,000.
The Shrewsbury Drapers take very seriously their responsibilities for providing cost-effective housing in our 51 almshouses, including the four still situated at the St. Giles site. This in addition to our other activities of maintaining this beautiful Guild Hall to hand on to future generations, and staging the annual Textile Design Competition and Exhibition which High Sheriff you witnessed for yourself back in November.
Over many centuries, Drapers and other burghers of this county have looked to the High Sheriff to ensure that law and order and justice should prevail. Gone are the days when Drapers on their way to do wool business in Oswestry were forbidden to venture alone beyond The Old Three Pigeons public house in Nesscliffe. The road from Nesscliffe to Oswestry was regarded as too dangerous -some might say the A5 still is! Groups of our forebears would meet at the Welsh Bridge and arm themselves before setting forth. No longer do we need to do this. We can now with confidence look to the High Sheriff, in tandem withofficers of the law and of the justice system to keep us and all the inhabitants of the county safe from harm.
Over the centuries Freemen of the Shrewsbury Drapers’ Company have been appointed to the position of High Sheriff of Shropshire. Most recently in 2016/17 Christine Holmes JP, present here today held that position and as you know well Mandy Thorn will succeed you later this year, thus perpetuating that close relationship.
Madam High Sheriff, I recall from an earlier conversation that one of the key features of your year in office is the encouragement of volunteers and volunteering. The aforementioned activities of the Shrewsbury Drapers Company require many thousands of hours of voluntary work every year by Freemen and other supporters. We are very proud that this effort was recognised by her late Majesty the Queen with her award for Voluntary Service in 2021.
Shrewsbury Drapers have over the centuries, and as we still do today, supported the High Sheriff as the focus of ensuring the rule for Law and Order and a peaceable life for all the residents of this noble county. So before demanding from you the 30/- fine in accordance with royal decree I would ask the assembled company to join me in drinking a toast to the King’s Peace.
Over many centuries, Drapers and other burghers of this county have looked to the High Sheriff to ensure that law and order and justice should prevail. Gone are the days when Drapers on their way to do wool business in Oswestry were forbidden to venture alone beyond The Old Three Pigeons public house in Nesscliffe. The road from Nesscliffe to Oswestry was regarded as too dangerous -some might say the A5 still is! Groups of our forebears would meet at the Welsh Bridge and arm themselves before setting forth. No longer do we need to do this. We can now with confidence look to the High Sheriff, in tandem withofficers of the law and of the justice system to keep us and all the inhabitants of the county safe from harm.
Over the centuries Freemen of the Shrewsbury Drapers’ Company have been appointed to the position of High Sheriff of Shropshire. Most recently in 2016/17 Christine Holmes JP, present here today held that position and as you know well Mandy Thorn will succeed you later this year, thus perpetuating that close relationship.
Madam High Sheriff, I recall from an earlier conversation that one of the key features of your year in office is the encouragement of volunteers and volunteering. The aforementioned activities of the Shrewsbury Drapers Company require many thousands of hours of voluntary work every year by Freemen and other supporters. We are very proud that this effort was recognised by her late Majesty the Queen with her award for Voluntary Service in 2021.
Shrewsbury Drapers have over the centuries, and as we still do today, supported the High Sheriff as the focus of ensuring the rule for Law and Order and a peaceable life for all the residents of this noble county. So before demanding from you the 30/- fine in accordance with royal decree I would ask the assembled company to join me in drinking a toast to the King’s Peace.
High Sheriff’s speech -
Well I am here today standing before you with a very varied set of emotions!
As you have heard, the origins of this ceremony date back to a Royal Charter established by Henry II in 1154 when he commanded the High Sheriff of Shropshire to make an annual payment of 30 shillings for the benefit of the Hospital of St Giles.
I have feelings of nervousness – being commanded to do anything by ones King is enough to strike fear into the hearts of any man – or woman so it behoves me to get this right and to hand over what is expected, in the way it is expected – nervously hoping that a token of 30 shillings is sufficient rather than its value today of nearer £4,000!
Feelings of relief – that I have not been asked to bring with me today two hands from every sack of corn sent for sale at Shrewsbury market, a handful of every sack of wheat or a horse -load of dead wood (which, of course, were further grants made by King Henry and later King John).
Feelings of the extraordinary Historic import/moment of all of this, of this occasion – almost 1,000 years ago. It is the first time I have worn my uniform this year and not felt slightly dated! It is extraordinary to think that in 1154 High Sheriffs had been around for several hundred years, the Abbey was home to Benedictine monks going about their daily work – and had been for 70 years, It is only the comparatively modern Drapers - first mentioned in Shrewsbury in 1204, who weren’t quite on the scene yet!
A time when Sheriffs could legally use thumbscrews, when animals were occasionally tried in courts of law for killing people or committing smaller crimes, just before football was banned (by Edward II because of the bad behaviour it caused) and when leprosy that awful disease was rife. It may not have escaped the historians among you, that of course the time of Henry II, Richard and John was also the time of one of the High Sheriff’s most famous predecessors – that PR disaster we wish we could forget - the Sheriff of Nottingham. What a long way we have come
More feelings I have – of concern – that if these coins really are put away until needed by the poor and deserving of Shrewsbury, they are going to have a nasty shock if they are relying on them for significant help!
I have to confess to a small degree of confusion! As, although when I took on this role, I was aware that the only remaining duty for which High Sheriff’s are entitled to be paid is attendance at public executions, it was my firm impression that historically High Sheriffs were considerably more likely to be collecting in debts and fines than paying them!
And finally, feelings of admiration and of gratitude for the service that has wound up so many years later being provided by the Drapers. Possibly the greatest, privilege – and indeed pleasure of the High Sheriff’s role is to seek out, admire, encourage and celebrate the great work that so many people do in our County for little or no financial reward - I chose volunteering as the theme of my year so it is particularly great to be here among such an ancient company of volunteers – to recognise a group of people – or their successors - who have been running almshouses continuously in the town since 1444, giving homes to members of our ever aging population where they can be supported in a caring community.
So now, without dwelling on the feeling of eager anticipation I have for lunch, I would like to take the opportunity of saying thank you and to ask you all to now to raise your glasses – for a toast to the Shrewsbury Drapers Company
Master Brian Newman and High Sheriff Selina Graham
