The original document of the first meeting of the Parish Council is held at the Dorset County Record Office, Dorchester to whom we are grateful for permission to publish this transcription. The Fontmell Magna Village Archive Society holds a photocopy of the original manuscript.
At the first Parish Meeting of Parochial Electors for this Parish under the Local Government Act 1894 duly convened by the Overseers and held at the Boys School room on Tuesday the fourth day of December 1894 there were present about 50 electors.
At 7.20 pm Mr G. C. Day was unanimously elected Chairman on the proposition of Mr Wake, seconded by the Rev. F. W. Glyn.
The Chairman then requested that nomination papers be handed in for the office of Parish Councillor when the following were duly nominated:
| Name of Candidate | Proposer | Seconder |
| Barnes, James | W S Wake | W Pickford |
| Glyn, Frederick Wane | Henry Gladdis | Tom Still |
| Hart, Henry | George Edwards | Tom Still |
| Hart, James | Tom Still | Tom Caldicott |
| Hart, Stephen | George Hart | Arthur Stainer |
| Hooper, James | E W Slade | Walter Reeves |
| Lawrence, Tom | F W Glyn | Tom Still |
| Moody, Richard John | James Barnes | W S Wake |
| Polden, Edgar | C R Tuffin | Henry Tuffin |
| Rose, Tom | G C Day | William Jesse |
| Wake, William Sage | G C Day | James Barnes |
Mr Wake thereupon demanded a poll and the meeting was forthwith closed with a vote of thanks to the Chairman and Tellers.The Chairman having read over the list of Candidates requested a show of hands on behalf of each when the seven following names were at the head of the poll namely: F W Glyn, Henry Hart, James Hart, Stephen Hart, James Hooper and R J Moody.
Election of Parish Councillors 1894
A poll having been demanded at the Parish meeting held on the fourth day of December, it took place at the School room on December 17th 1894, the result being that W S Wake, H Hart, J Hart, F W Glyn, J Barnes, S Hart and R J Moody were duly elected. Mr J H Rutter was the Deputy Returning Officer.
First Council Meeting
At the first Meeting of the Parish Council held in the Parish School-Room on Monday the 31st of December 1894, after being convened by the Chairman of the Parish Meeting in the way prescribed, Mr GC Day was at first asked to take the Chair. There were present the seven members who were duly elected at the Poll held on the 17th of December 1894, viz. James Barnes, Frederick Wane Glyn, Henry Hart, James Hart, Stephen Hart, Richard John Moody and Walter Sage Wake.
The members duly signed the declarations on Acceptance of Office.
The Rev FW Glyn was unanimously chosen as Chairman of the council on the proposition of Mr Wake and seconding of Mr Moody.
Mr WS Wake was on the motion of Mr Moody and seconded by Mr J Hart unanimously elected to the office of Vice Chairman.
Proposed by Mr J Hart and seconded by Mr S Hart, that Mr J Barnes be appointed Clerk in the Council, carried unanimously.
It was proposed by Mr Wake and seconded by Mr H Hart that Mr De Behr, Manager of the Wilts and Dorset Bank, Shaftesbury, be appointed Treasurer to the Council, carried unanimously.
After discussion as to how the expenses of the council were to be met, it was proposed by Mr Wake and seconded by Mr Moody that the meeting be adjourned for a fortnight till January 14th 1895 at 7pm.
The adjourned meeting of the council was held at the school on Monday evening Jan. 14 1895 at 7pm. All members of the council were present.
It was proposed by Mr Barnes and seconded by Mr H Hart and unanimously agreed to that the following resolution be forwarded to Lord Wolverton: That the members of the Fontmell Magna Parish Council desire to express to Lord Wolverton their appreciation of his kindness in inviting them to the dinner at Iwerne on Jan. 8th and to convey to him their warmest wishes for the future happiness of himself and Lady Wolverton.
It was proposed by the Chairman and seconded by Mr Wake that the books and forms necessary for the work of the council be obtained by the Clerk and this was carried unanimously.
After some discussion as to the past and future expenses of the council, it was proposed by Mr H Hart and seconded by Mr J Hart that a precept be issued the overseers of Fontmell Magna for a rate of 1 ½ d in the £ on the rateable value of the Parish and that the money be paid into the account of the Parish Council at the Wilts & Dorset Bank, Shaftesbury. This was unanimously agreed to.
The question of the lighting of the village was then brought forward but on account of the advanced state of the winter and the necessity that would arise for the calling of an especial Parish Meeting to adopt the Lighting Act, it was decided unanimously on the motion of Mr Wake, seconded by Mt J Hart, to leave the matter for the season in the hands of the old committee.
Mr J Hart then brought the question of allotments before the council and the matter was carefully discussed by the members that they might deal in the best manner with the apparently large demand for additional allotment which had been placed before them; it was finally unanimously decided to send the following resolution which was proposed by Mr J Hart and seconded by Mr S Hart to Sir Richard Glyn: That the Clerk to the Council be instructed to write to Sir Richard Glyn and lay before him the expressed wishes of the Tradesmen & Labourers of Fontmell as regards allotments and respectfully to ask him to grant such land for this purpose as may be needed to meet the case.
The clerk was instructed to add that the council had been approached by 20 persons and that the amount of land asked for amounted to some 29 acres.
Author: Ian Lawrence
