ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS

BCC/A

ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS

English

Bristol was originally a royal manor but by the beginning of the 13th century, the burgesses had arrived at communal government, headed by a mayor and two bailiffs, who farmed the town in place of the older manorial rule. From an entry in the Little Red Book it appears that in 1344 Stephen le Spicer, the mayor, requested that "48 of the more influential and discreet men of the town" should be elected by common assent as his advisers and assessors. By royal charter of 1373 a Common Council was sanctioned when the mayor and sheriff with the assent of the Commonalty were to elect "forty of the better and more honest men of the town" to help them ordain and establish reasonable remedies against any deficiencies or defects and levy taxes on rents and merchandise to be expended for the common good". By this charter the election of the first sheriff was confirmed.

By Royal Letters Patent of 1499, six aldermen who were also justices of the peace for the town were added to the Common Council. This was not the first appointment of aldermen, as qualifications for holding the office were laid down in ordinances of 1344. The number of aldermen was increased to twelve by Royal Letters Patent of 1581. The Common Council then consisted of forty-three members, that is, the mayor, twelve aldermen, of whom the Recorder was one, and thirty councillors. This constitution continued until 1835 when the Municipal Corporations Act reformed the Council. A new city council, no longer self-elected, chosen by the rate-payers was established and held its first meeting on the 1st January 1836. It consisted of forty-eight councillors who elected sixteen aldermen, one mayor and one sheriff.

Under the Public Health Act of 1848, Council was appointed to act as the Local Board of Health and in this capacity functioned as a separate body. For its records see Local Board of Health.

On the passing of the Public Health Act of 1872, Council became the Bristol Urban Sanitary Authority. For its records see Bristol Urban Sanitary Authority.

By the mid-20th century the Corporation of Bristol had become known as the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the City of Bristol and consisted of the Lord Mayor, 28 aldermen and 84 councillors.

In 2004 the body is titled the City Council of Bristol and is managed by a Leader, a cabinet together with 70 elected councillors. The Lord Mayor is the First Citizen but is now only a ceremonial post.