The Charter of Incorporation

After considerable public dissatisfaction with the Town Commissioners, a petition was signed by 108 of the principal householders, and presented to Mr. John Hartley, the Head Constable, asking him to call a public meeting to consider the possibility of petitioning Parliament and the Queen to ask for the granting a Charter of Incorporation for the town.

The application was made, and in August 1847 the Privy Council instructed Captain Warberton to hold an inquiry about the petition. The official inquiry was held in the assembly rooms in Queen Street, now a public house. The inquiry lasted for two days, and as it came to an end it was apparent that the desire of the people for an elected council had won the day.

The Wolverhampton Charter of Incorporation became law on the 18th of March, 1848. The Charter describes the powers of the proposed Incorporation, under the provisions of the Act. The town was divided into eight wards: St. Peter's, St. Mary's, St. James's, St. Matthew's, St. George's, St. John's, St. Paul's, and St. Mark's. There were to be thirty six elected Councillors and twelve Aldermen. Edward Bagnall Dimmack, Ironmaster, was to act as Returning Officer for the first Election, which was held on 12th, May, 1848.

Polling Booths were generally empty shops or houses, and each candidate supplied the electors with voting papers, with his own name and the names of those candidates for whom he wished the elector to vote. The elector was instructed to cross out any name he did not vote for, sign the voting paper, and personally hand it in to the person appointed by the Returning Officer, who inquired if the voter was the same person whose name was on the list of voters. If so, the paper was kept, and the vote recorded in the poll book.

The election results were declared in the Queen Street assembly rooms, and were as follows:

The first Council meeting was held in the Queen Street assembly rooms on 22nd May, 1848. All the new councillors were present, and George Robinson presided. The following Aldermen were elected: George Robinson, John Barker, Thomas Randle Andrews, Henry Walker, John Neve, Joseph Walker, Joseph Underhill, Thomas Gatis, Sidney Cartwright, Jeremiah Wynn, William Warner, and Henry Crane.

Finally the following additional councillors were elected:
Mr. Joseph Farmer, iron merchant; Mr. George H. Perry, Japanner; Mr. Thomas Bolton, solicitor;
Mr. William Corns, coffee mill maker; Mr. T. F. Meyrick, architect; Mr. R. Walton, builder;
Mr. Thomas Cherrington, gentleman; Mr. Stephen Evans, miller; Mr. Joseph Waltho, factor;
Mr. Charles Corser, solicitor; Mr. John Hartley, ironmaster; and Mr. William Fleeming, chemist.

Mr. G. B. Thorneycroft of Shrubbery Ironworks was elected as the town’s first Mayor at a council meeting on 22nd May, 1848.

Moving forward to 1948 and the commemoration of the Charter

Events included a Centenary Luncheon at the Civic Hall on Thursday 20th May, 1948, and the Wolverhampton Centenary Pageant, also held at the Civic Hall. The three hour-long pageant telling the story of Wolverhampton’s history ran from Saturday 22nd May, until Saturday 5th June. What follows is taken from the pageant souvenir programme.