~ CANTERBURY WARDS ~
CANTERBURY
"From a Survey drawn up in 1166 it can be shown that the eastern and northern part of the city of Canterbury had been divided into the wards of Northgate, Burgate and Newingate. The wards of Ridingate, Worthgate and Westgate were in existence at the end of the twelfth century, and it is reasonable to assume that the city was divided into the six wards at one and the same time. Dr. William Urry suggests that the ward may have had its origin in the Assize of Clarendon, 1166."
The six wards above were divided into twelve parishes:
All Saints
St. Alphage
St. Andrew
St. George
St. Mary Bredin
St. Mary Bredman
St. Mary Magdalen Burgate
St. Mary Northgate
St. Mildred
St. Margaret
Holy Cross Westgate
St. Peter
"The city is divided, for the civil government of it, into six wards, each named from one of the six pricipal gates above mentioned. The whole city, as appears by the survey of Domesday, as mentioned before, being in the Conqueror's time esteemed but as one hundred, called the hundred of Canterbury. Each of these wards had an alderman, who presided over it, and kept within his ward, a court, holden every three weeks, called a wardmote. Their office, from their name, was called an aldermanry, which seems was not, as now, elective, but held by persons in fee, as an inheritance, and descended by will as to the next heir at law; some of htem continuing in one name and family for several generations; as that of Burgate, in the Chiche's; of Northgate, in the same family, and in the Polres and Pollers; of Ridingate, in the Handloe's of Newingate, in teh Diggs's of Worthgate, in the Cokyn's and afterwards in the Tierne's and of Westgate in the Browne's. In the 2d year of king John, Baldwin de Warewal had a charer for this aldermany of Westgate, but it appears by the pleas of the crown, before the justices itinerant, in teh 21st year of king Edward I. anno 1293, in relation to the sergeantrys in this city, that William de Lynsted, rector of the church of Stureye, then held the aldermany of Westgate of the king in capite, by the sergeantry of one Sore Sparhawk, and that it was worth ten marcs; and in like manner John, son of John Handlo, held the aldermanry of Redingate of king in capite, which was worth yearly two shillings, performing nothing further to the king yearly from thence; and in like manner Edmund de Tyerne held the aldermany of Worthgate, worth yearly two shillings, of the king in capite, performing nothing furhter yearly to the king from thence; and in like manner Thomas Chicch held the aldermanry of Burgate, which was worth forty pence yearly; and Stephen Chicch held the aldermany of Northgate which was worth two shillings yearly, and John de Holt held the aldermanry of Newingate, which was worth two shillings yearly, performing nothing further to the king from thence yearly; but by what right each of them held the same, was not known; upon which, on writs of quo warranto, the said Stephen Chicch, and the others except master William de Lynstede, pleaded, that the aforesaid aldermanrys were belonging and annexed to the ferme of the city, viz. sixty pounds, which they paid to the king for the city yearly; all which was accordingly found by the jury; and the aforesaid master William de Lynstede pleaded, that he held the aforesaid sergeantry of one William de Godstede, paying to him from thence yearly one hundred shillings, which William last mentioned pleaded that he held the said sergeantry of the commonaltie of the city, paying from thence forty pence to the ferme of the city, and this from time which was beyond the memory of man.
1837
The city is divided into three wards, Westgate, Dane John, and Northgate, containing 14 Parishes, subdivided into 22 streets, 56 lanes, and numerous alleys; contains somewhere about 2700 houses, and upwards of 13,000 inhabitants, exclusive of St. Dunstan's and Holy Cross, Westgate. It is called under the Municipal Corporations Act, the "City and Borough of Canterbury," and is governed by a Mayor, six Alderman, and eighteen Councillors. There are a Recorder, Sheriff, Town Clerk and Coroner, and four Sergeants at Mace. An efficient police has recently been established to supersede the constables (who were formerly appointed at Wardmote) and the nightly watch.
WESTGATE
NORTHGATE
By the Municipal Reform Act in 1835, all the previous charters were abrogated, and the city is now divided into three wards, and incorporated under the title of "The Mayor and Commonalty of the City of Canterbury," and consists of a mayor, six alderman, eighteen common councilmen, a recorder, a sheriff, a cornoner, a treasurer, town clerk, with other officers. The Wards into which the city is divided are, Dane John Ward, returning three aldermen and six councillors; Northgate Ward, returning one alderman and six councillors; Westgate Ward, returning two aldermen and six councillors. 1838 directory