| Before the Municipal Corporations Act (1835) Freemen existed
in many Boroughs as a constituent part of the Corporation.
Freemen enjoyed special rights, dependent on local customs,
such as rights of pasturage on corporate land and exemptions
from certain tolls and dues. Since the Act, Borough
Councils have continued to be given the power to appoint
Freemen but the law has gradually reduced the privileges
associated with that office. |
Borough Councils can admit to be Honorary Freemen of the Borough
persons of distinction, and persons who have rendered eminent
services to the Borough. This is usually carried out at a
specially convened meeting of the whole Council, with all
due ceremony, and an illuminated scroll is usually presented
to the recipient.
When a military unit is admitted as a Freeman, for much
the same reasons as an individual may be selected, tradition
also allows the unit the right to march through the town
with "Swords drawn, drums beating, bands playing,
and bayonets fixed."
"The Freedom" is the highest tribute that a Borough
can bestow, and although in modern times it is an honour only
and confers no legal rights, Honorary Freemen are invariably
invited to take part in all important ceremonial occasions
in the Borough.
|
21 Engineer Regiment being granted the
Freedom of Nienburg, West Germany 1980 |
| A list of "The Freedoms" bestowed on the Corps and
its units are given below: |
| Date |
Civic Authority |
Type |
Present Unit/Holder |
Original Unit/Holder |
| 1949 |
Ripon City |
Corps |
38 Engineer Regiment |
|
| 1950 |
Beckenham Borough |
Unit |
211 Field Squadron (V) |
|
| 1953 |
Gillingham Borough |
Corps |
Royal Engineers Headquarters Mess |
|
| 1953 |
Monmouth |
Unit |
Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (M) |
|
| 1954 |
Rochester City |
Corps |
Royal Engineers Headquarters Mess |
|
| 1955 |
Rowley Regis Borough |
Unit |
215 Company |
|
| 1958 |
Smethwick |
Unit |
225 Field Squadron (V) |
127 Construction Regiment |
| 1959 |
Seaford |
Unit |
210 Field Squadron (TA) |
210 Field Squadron (TA) |
| 1959 |
Stratford upon Avon |
Corps |
|
|
| 195? |
Osnabruck Stadt |
Corps |
21 Engineer Regiment |
38 Corps Engineer Regiment |
| 1960 |
Wallasey Borough |
Unit |
|
624 Crane Op Squadron (TA) |
| 1960 |
Chelsea |
Unit |
101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment (EOD) (V) |
101 Field Engineer Regiment (TA) |
| 1960 |
Birkenhead |
Unit |
107 Field Squadron (V) |
113 Army Engineer Regiment (V) |
| 1961 |
Rochester City |
Unit |
221 Field Squadron (EOD) (V) |
590 EOD Squadron (V) |
| 1961 |
Bethnal Green |
Unit |
217 Field Squadron (V) |
114 Engineer Regiment (AER) |
| 1962 |
Chatham Borough |
Corps |
Royal Engineers Headquarters Mess |
|
| 1965 |
Stafford Borough |
Unit |
|
|
| 1965 |
Aldershot Borough |
Corps |
Royal School of Military Engineering (Minley) |
11 Engineer Group |
| 1965 |
Maidstone Borough |
Corps |
36 Engineer Regiment |
|
| 1966 |
St Helens Borough |
Unit |
107 Field Squadron (V) |
252 Field Squadron (TA) |
| 1968 |
Edinburugh City |
|
|
|
| 1968 |
Strood RDC Adoption |
Corps |
Royal Engineers Headquarters Mess |
|
| 1969 |
Wallsend |
Unit |
103 Field Squadron (V) |
506 Field Squadron (V) |
| 1969 |
Bradford |
Unit |
|
|
| 1969 |
Christchurch |
Unit |
|
MEXE Christchurch |
| 196? |
Paderborn Stadt |
Corps |
35 Engineer Regiment |
4 Division Engineers |
| 1971 |
Rochester City Adoption |
Unit |
590 STRE (EOD) (V) |
|
| 1972 |
Gibraltar |
Corps |
|
1st Fortress STRE |
| 1973 |
Willich Stadt |
Corps |
Headquarters Engineer Resources |
40 Army Engineer Support Group |
| 1975 |
Airdrie Borough |
Unit |
124 Field Squadron (V) |
|
| 1977 |
Hameln Stadt |
Corps |
28 Engineer Regiment |
28 Engineer Regiment |
| 1977 |
Medway Borough |
Corps |
Headquaters Royal School of Military Engineering |
|
| 1977 |
Swansea |
Unit |
108 Field Squadron (M) |
53 Division Engineers (V) |
| 1979 |
Tiergarden Borough |
Corps |
|
38 (Berlin) Field Squadron |
| 1980 |
Nienburg Stadt |
Corps |
21 Engineer Regiment |
|
| 1981 |
Rushmoor Borough |
Corps |
Royal School of Military Engineering (Minley) |
|
| 1982 |
Barnet Borough |
Corps |
Postal & Courier Depot RLC |
Postal & Courier Depot RE |
| 1982 |
Test Valley Borough |
Corps |
22 Engineer Regiment |
RE Branch LE (A) |
| 1983 |
Harrow Borough |
Unit |
131 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers (V) |
|
| 1984 |
Weymouth and Portland |
Corps |
Royal Engineers Headquarters Mess |
|
| 1986 |
Rochester Upon Medway |
Unit |
69 Gurkha Field Squadron |
|
| 1987 |
Iserlohn Stadt |
Corps |
Royal Engineers Headquarters Mess |
26 Engineer Regiment |
| 1988 |
Spandau |
Corps |
|
38 (Berlin) Field Squadron |
| 1989 |
Lion-Sur-Mer-Ville |
Corps |
32 Engineer Regiment |
32 Armoured Engineer Regiment |
| 1990 |
Kentville Town (NS) |
Unit |
69 Gurkha Field Squadron |
69 Gurkha Field Squadron |
| 1991 |
Stafford Borough |
Unit |
|
|
| 1995 |
Jersey (Priviledge) |
Unit |
Jersey Field Squadron (M) |
|
| 1999 |
Oldham |
Unit |
75 Engineer Regiment (V) |
|
| 1999 |
Newbury |
Corps |
42 Survey Engineer Group |
|
| 1999 |
Epsom and Ewell |
Unit |
135 Independent Topo Squadron (V) |
|
| ? |
Lewes |
Unit |
127 Field Squadron (V) |
|
| ? |
Sherwood Borough |
Unit |
575 Field Squadron (V) |
|
