The Freemen of Brightlingsea met on the traditional first Monday in December to choose a new Deputy of the Cinque Port Liberty of Brightlingsea.
Iain Werngren was sworn in on Choosing Day to the ancient role – which dates back to 1525 – for the next year. The Deputy’s role is now purely ceremonial and involves much charitable work, but would once have seen him responsible for tax collecting, keeping the peace and jailing offenders in the town.
The Cinque Ports were originally the most important channel ports, contracted to provide ships and men “for the service of the monarch” and Brightlingsea is a limb of the port of Sandwich – the only one not in Kent or Sussex.
A former offshore oil industry worker, Iain has lived in Brightlingsea since 2010. He first came to the town more than 40 years ago as a result of his wife Oonagh’s family having a holiday home in New Street. The couple (seen below), who met at university in London, married in 1983 and have two sons. They will be known to many for opening their garden during the town’s Open Gardens weekend, and Iain can often be seen performing with shanty group The Motley Crew.
Summing up his year, past Deputy Steve Archer said: “It soon became apparent that this isn’t about promoting the Deputy but promoting the town of Brightlingsea.” He awarded a medal of merit to Doug Stone in recognition of his charity work in the town.”
Among guests at the ceremony in All Saints’ Church, which was conducted by the chaplain to the Liberty, Rev. Caroline Beckett, were: Paul Carter, the Mayor of Sandwich; Charles Anderson, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Essex; Barney Riggs, the Mayor and Deputy of Fordwich, and John Carr, Mayor of Brightlingsea. Local feline celebrity Max raised a smile from the congregation as he sauntered in for a snooze in a side aisle. After the service, the traditional Liberty Lunch was held in Brightlingsea Community Centre.
Ten new Freemen – who must have lived in the town for a year and a day – were ‘recognised’. Those “who had the good sense to have married a Brightlingsea girl” are given their freedom without payment. “Foreigners” are fined eleven old pennies for the privilege.
To find out more about the history of the Liberty, click here.
