After King Johns' Charter

Now that the King’s reeve was no longer with them, the burgesses elected from among their own a number of four provosts or bailiffs to govern them, as their royal chartered had ordained. The town was then divided into four districts. Each bailiff looked after his own particular ward, and it was he who was responsible for public behaviour and the maintenance of the watch. By 1269, the fifty-third year of the reign of Henry III, the system was beginning to be over stretched, and the bailiffs were complaining of being overworked. King Henry, in response agreed that the town should appoint a further twenty-four burgesses called jurats to help the bailiffs.

So the town was governed for over hundred years until 1386, when 24 citizens were elected to form a common council and assisted the 24 jurats and the four bailiffs to administer the town. However over time the number bailiffs halved and a little later it was recorded that the 24 aldermen represented the burgesses and the 48 councillors the common people. This was to be the first sign of decay in the true democratic spirit in Yarmouth, and gradually a few wealthy families prospered and began to take control of the town.

Acts from the Monarchy and Parliament came and went with each one restricting the rights of the townsfolk and giving massive benefits to the few with voting rights and freemen. Aldermen and councillors alike feathered their own nests and those of their friends. Lucrative posts within the Corporation were given to blood relatives and so corruption was happening left, right and centre. In 1834 to make there position secure Aldermen and Councillors saw to it that they were elected for life!

But this was not to last forever and in 1835 after many year of protesting being heard throughout the length and breadth of the country, Parliament created the Municipal Corporations Act. This piece of legislation gave voting powers to all ratepayers and it was they, and not a privileged few, who elected their councillors for a term of three years. The councillors elected the aldermen, who were expected to serve for six years, and these two sections, together with a mayor to control meetings, formed the town council, and apart from one or two changes still works in much the same way today.