Admission to the Freelage
Swearing in of new Freemen
In Newcastle upon Tyne freedom is acquired by patrimony or apprenticeship and until 1835 occasionally by gift. Freemen elsewhere may have different procedures depending upon the individual custom of their particular town or city. Any son or apprentice of a Freeman on reaching the age of 20 and in the case of an apprentice, having completed his apprenticeship, is entitled to become a Freeman on complying with the proper formalities.
As a first step the applicant should apply to the Stewards of the Company through which his father or master hails. The Stewards, having satisfied themselves of the validity of the claim, pass the application to the Lord Mayor's Office to be called at the next Court of Guild. In the case of patrimony the name is called once, in the case of an apprentice three times. This system gives the Freemen the opportunity to object and call a stop to the proceedings if they are not satisfied that all is in order. (Occasionally advice on application is sought from the office of the Stewards Committee or application is made directly to the Lord Mayor's Office.) Following the calling of his Guilds the applicant must be sworn in before the Lord Mayor. Whilst taking the Freemen's Oath, now converted into a Declaration, the applicant holds an antique firearm symbolising the part of the Oath which reads "stands charged with a musket for the defence thereof", thus still, in theory at least, undertaking to defend the City.
Freedom by apprenticeship (for a long period the commonest method) was subject to compliance with old customs designed to restrict entry. These became so onerous that it probably became self defeating. Today this method is only open to very few companies as a matter of practicality.
If an applicant's father is or was a member of one of the Freemen's Companies or he has served his apprenticeship to a Freeman carrying on the craft of his company, he is entitled, after having taken up the freedom of the City, to join the Company through which he hails. Some Freemen are not members of Companies because an ancestor failed to join the Company during his lifetime. Fortunately most Companies do not enforce this long outdated rule. Every Freeman, whether a Company member or not, is entitled to make application for charitable relief. This also applies to his widow or daughter, and is payable under the rules of the Town Moor Money Charity. Today only a relatively small proportion of the population of the City are Freemen but they certainly represent a wide cross section. There is a general Gild of Freemen for social purposes.
Hereditary Freemen Family Research Guide
A Roll of Freemen from 1820 is held at Moor Bank Lodge, this is a purely a register of the date a Freeman was sworn in.
The Company of Freemen through which the individual hails may hold further information. (See list of Senior Stewards for contact details.)
Honorary Freelage is not the same as hereditary freelage, therefore we hold no records. This is granted by the City Council and has been bestowed on individuals and regiments.
If you are trying to find details of a current or former Freeman, please try to provide:
The Name of the Incorporated Company of Freemen Surname Forename(s) Father's forename Date of birth ... and send them to the following address:
Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne Moor Bank Lodge Claremont Road Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4NL United Kingdom Other valuable sources of information include:
Tyne & Wear Archive Service
Tyne & Wear Archive Service Blandford House Blandford Square Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4JA Search Room Direct Dial: 0191 2772248 Email: twas@gateshead.gov.uk Lord Mayor's Chamber
Mr Ian Humphries Lord Mayor's Principal Secretary Lord Mayor's Chamber Civic Centre Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8QA Telephone: 0191 2115051 Email: ian.humphries@newcastle.gov.uk Freemen of Trinity House (Master Mariners)
Trinity House Broad Chare Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3DQ Telephone: 0191 2328226 http://www.trinityhousenewcastle.org.uk
