38 On the History of Chippenham. 
close to the town, you will allow me to say a few words about the 
Borough itself, promising to confine your attention only to such 
points in its history as are most likely to be novel. 
THe Baiirr. 
Chippenham is now ruled by a Mayor, Aldermen, and Councillors. 
Asa municipal power these officers are very young, not much above 
twenty years old, having been created under the Municipal Reform 
Act. Before that time the town was governed by a Bailiff and 
twelve Burgesses, who traced their title as a Corporation to a 
Charter granted by Queen Mary in the first year of her reign, 
dated 2nd May, 1554, just 300 years ago. It was confirmed by 
Letters Patent of Elizabeth, dated 29th January, 1560; and a 
new one was granted by King James II. five weeks after he came 
to the throne, dated 13th March, 1685. 
Concerning the government of the town before the charter of 
Queen Mary, nothing appears from the borough records, as they 
only begin in 1554, and throw no light upon more remote times. 
But from other sources the state of things seems to have been as 
follows. 
Whether he had, or had not, a council of discreet and honest 
Burgesses to assist him, I cannot say, but Chippenham was certainly 
under the authority of a chief officer called the Bailiff, for many 
hundred years before the charter of Mary. There are (as will be 
shown) notices of such an officer in the reign of King Edward L., 
300 years before Queen Mary; but I believe the fact to be that 
the town always had a Bailiff, ever since it was a royal demesne, 
which, as you have already heard, was a very long time ago. Every 
private estate of the Crown was under charge of some resident 
official. He was not always called Bailiff, but sometimes Steward, 
as was the case at Calne; or Portreeve, as at Great Bedwyn: but 
Bailiff was the title at Bromham, Corsham, and Melksham, all 
which places, like Chippenham, were royal demesne. The duty 
of this officer was to protect the king’s property, and to keep things 
right, if he could; and that the Bailiff of Chippenham was originally 
armed with formidable powers so to do, and was a person not to be 
trifled with, is clear from the fact that he had not only a pillory 
