The Porteeve
Callington is unique in that the Chairman of it's Parish Council has the courtesy title of Portreeve. The office of Portreeve was, from early mediaeval times, that of the people leader, responsible to the Lord of the manor for the people's performance of their manorial duties and service.
When Callington was a parliamentary borough he was also the returning officer at the elections of the two burgesses to represent us in Parliament, playing a key, and often corrupt, role, as it was his decision which disallowed the votes of some voters who supported the "wrong" party!
He was elected at the annual Court Leet held after Michaelmas, by a jury of 24 townspeople - freeholders or, if there were not 24 freeholders present, by " the oldest and most discreet residents" under the direction of the Manor Steward.
He held no chain of office until 1909, when Earl Compton, the son of the Lord of the Manor the Marquis of Northampton, presented a chain to be worn by the Portreeve, James Venning, when he was to receive the Prince and Princess of Wales at Callington Railway Station (Kelly Bray) on their way to Stoke CIimsland.
The badge on it was adapted from the 16th Century mace, now held by the deputy Portreeve, part of this is believed to be that of the Ashton family, and below that. hangs the coat of arms of Lord Compton.
The office of Porteeve came to an end in Callington in 1919, when the manorial , estate was broken up by auction sale. 'he last Portreeve, John Huggins, kept the chain of office until 1926, when he presented it to the Callington Urban District Council, whose
Chairman that year was the 1909 Porteeve's son John Venning. When the U.D.C. was abolished in 1933 the chain continued to be used by the chairman of the successor Parish Council.
In 1955, during the Chairmanship of T.N. Coombe, Mr. D Trevanion suggested the revival of the title of Portreeve for the chief citizen. The following year Mr. W .R.Lovell was formally appointed Portreeve of the Parish Council. In this way the chain and the title came together again and ancient tradition was re-established in Callington.
In 1988 Callington was recognised as a Town Council and the Chairman now carries the title of Portreeve and Town Mayor.
PORTREEVES OF THE MANOR OF CALLINGTON
1572 Thomas Kendall
1573 John Crabbe
1689 Anthony Eliot
1754 Anthony Horndon
1756 Thomas Horndon
1771 David Horndon
1778 Hugh Mallett (deputy Portreeve)
1820 John Mallett
1829-32 D. W. H. J. Horndon
1833 Revd J. Kendall Fletcher
1834-41 John Haye
1842 J.D.Eliott
1843-53 George Haye
1854--60 John Moone
1861-63 Martin Body
1864--65 J.Kempthorne
1866 John Peter
1867-68 William Brown
1869-71 Edward Nicolls
1872-73 William Dingle
1874-75 H. S. Body
1876-77 Edward Nicolls
1878-79 J. Kempthorne
1880-82 Edward Nicolls
1883-84 A.Facey
1885 John Peter
1888-87 R. Serjeant
1888-90 W. W. Dymond
1891-92 Harry Davis
1893-94 John Brendon
1895-96 J. P. Blight CHAIRMEN OF CALLINGTON
1897-98 John Huggins URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL
1899-1900 Frederick Golding Created 1901, disbanded 1934
1901-03 E. L. Marsack 1901-06 Harry Davis JP
1904-05 Dr R. B. Mole
1906 W. W. Dymond
1907 Sidney Bond 1907-13 George Hawke
1908-09 James Venning
1910 E. L. Marsack
1911-19 John Huggins 1914 James Venning
The Manor was broken up by sale in 1919; the Court Leet. which elected the Portreeve and other manorial office-holders ceased to exist.
1915 Joseph Jenkin
1916 John Pearce
1917 Richard Roseveare
1918 George Ryder
1919 Charles S Skinner
1920 Cyril E Underhill
1921 William Symons
1922 C E Underhill
1923 William H Cornish
1924 William H Cornish
1925 Charles S Skinner
1926 John Vennng
1927 John Pearce
1928 George Ryder
1929 G Ryder
1930 C S Skinner
1931 W Maddern
1932 W F Harris
1933 E W Bloy
1934 Cllr. W. Symons
CHAIRMEN OF CALLINGTON
PARISH COUNCIL
1935 Cllr Brock
1936 Cllr C.E. Underhill
1937 Cllr. F. R Johns
1938 Cllr. Ryder
1939 Cllr. J. Harris
1940 Cllr. F. J. Cowling
1941 Cllr. R. J. Holloway
1942 Cllr. H. J. Cloke
1943 Cllr. H. Trewartha
1944 Cllr. T. N. Coombe
1945 Cllr. B. Butler
1946 Cllr. J. H. B. Harris
1947 Cllr. E. R. Underhill
1948 Cllr. J. H. Brock
1949 Cllr Miss F. Coombe
1950 Cllr. A. E. Lazenbury
1951 Cllr. E. R. Underhill
1952 Cllr S. J. Rickard
1953 Cllr S. J. Rickard
1954 Cllr H. F. D. Monk
1955 Cllr T. N. Coombe
In 1956 W.R.Lovell. chairman of Callington Parish Council. was named Portreeve in the revival of the ancient title.
PORTREEVE OF CALLINGTON
1956 Cllr R. Lovell
1957 Cllr J. M. Ryder
1958 Cllr Mrs. F. S. Brown
1959 Cllr J. Davy
1960 Cllr Rev. P. w. Webb
1961 Cllr Dr. G. E. Sharp
1962 Cllr Miss F. Coombe
1963 Cllr S. Lyle
1964 Cllr T. N. Coombe
1965 Cllr D. Trevanion
1966 Cllr C. Trevorrow
1967 Cllr Miss F. Coombe
1968 Cllr F. T. Searle
1969 Cllr C. G. Pengelly
1970 Cllr F. G. Pollard
1971 Cllr C. Trevorrow
1972 Cllr J. T. Batten
1973 Cllr P. J. E. Hambly
1974 Cllr Mrs. S. Tredinnick
1975 Cllr E. T. Waters
1976 Cllr C. G. Pengelly
1977 Cllr N. S. Philp
1978 Cllr P. J. E. Hambly
1979 Cllr R. J. Trevithick
1980 Cllr A. C. Collins
1981 Cllr A. E. Burley
1982 Cllr W. H. Wills
1983 Cllr M. Mewton
1984 Cllr M. Mewton
1985 Cllr P.J.E. Hambly
1986 Cllr J. Gist
1987 Cllr R Screech
1988 Cllr R. Screech
1989 Cllr M. W. Jacob
1990 Cllr Mrs. B.E.J. Paton
1991 Cllr P.J.E. Hambly
1992 Cllr J. Gist
1993 Cllr Mrs. K. Pascoe
1994 Cllr Mrs. M. J. Black
1995 Cllr Tony Nettle
1996 Cllr Tony Nettle
1997 Cllr Peter Hambly
1998 Cllr Joyce Paton
1999 Cllr Peter Hambly
2000 Cllr Kath Pascoe
2001 Cllr Jane Black
2002 Cllr Kath Pascoe
2003 Cllr Larry Horton
2004 Cllr Jeremy Gist
2005 Cllr Denise Winfindale
2006 Cllr Andrew Long
2007 Cllr Denise Winfindale
2008 Cllr Rick Lumley
Lynda Small 23.07.2008
Sources. List provided by Cllr Gist and Council minutes
1995.035.014 at CHC as ascertained in documents by Ann Eade
1995.003.038 Vennings Historical Notices 1934