What is a Guild Burgess?

A burgess is a registered member of the Guild Merchant whose history goes back to 1179.

Originally anybody who wanted to trade in Preston, whether as a merchant, a craftsman, a market stall holder or in any other capacity, was required to be a member of the Guild Merchant. A Guild Court was held to admit people to this Guild. Once they were in the Guild, burgesses could reap important benefits and these could be passed on to sons and grandsons without question. The borough council probably evolved from the Guild and by the seventeenth century the two bodies were inextricably linked. To be a member of Preston Guild Merchant was indeed an honour!

Over the centuries the nature of the membership changed. New members could be admitted in a number of ways - by serving an apprenticeship in a trade, by being rewarded for services to the Guild or as a special honour. By paying a substantial fee, people living outside of the town could become “out burgesses”. However, as membership was hereditary and there was no restriction on where later generations of burgesses lived, the distinction between ‘in’ or ‘out’ burgesses soon became blurred although the current Guild roll still lists them separately.

To refresh and renew the Guild and to ensure the rights could be passed down to the next generation, a Guild Court was held. In 1542 it was agreed that this would take place every 20 years – a tradition still in place today. Only the Second World War has interrupted Preston Guild, when it was postponed to 1952.

In 1992 history was made as daughters of existing burgesses were admitted to the Guild for the first time, numbering 274 out of a total of 808. In 2012 all sons and daughters of the 1992 burgesses will be entitled to be admitted making the task of tracing all eligible people back to the original family name quite a challenge!

In addition to the hereditary burgesses, new burgesses are admitted at the gift of the Guild Mayor. These are traditionally people who have been of service to the Guild and to Preston, such as past Mayors and, in 1992 for example, Tom Finney. In 2012 this tradition will be widened to allow more people, nominated by the community, to become burgesses. In 2032, their sons and daughters will also become burgesses, so renewing and strengthening the Guild.