History of Witney Town Council
Witney Town Council was
created in 1974 following the reorganisation of local
government and the disbanding of Witney Urban District
Council, and is the largest town within West Oxfordshire.
The Witney Urban District Council was created in 1895
following the Local Government Act of 1894. James Marriot
was the first Chairman of the council in 1895 and his name
lives on in Marriot's Close and the new major development of
retail, leisure and residential properties on Welch Way.
Witney Town Council is comprised of 17 Councillors covering 5
wards each elected for a term of four years. Each year the Council elects
from amongst its Members the Town Mayor and Deputy Town
Mayor.
The current political composition of the Council is 14
Conservatives, 1 Liberal Democrat, 1 Co-opted member and 1
Independent following the last elections in 2007.
Witney Town Council - Coat of Arms
 The interpretation of the description of the Coat of Arms as
supplied by the College of Arms is as follows:-
“The Arms, i.e. the shield, displays in chief on a green
background or field (which colour has been chosen as
appropriately representing the wool growing region from
which the wealth and renown of Witney is derived) emblems in
allusion to the primary and secondary industries of blanket
and glove making respectively. The river Windrush is
heraldically depicted by the horizontal white and blue wavy
lines, whilst in base is included a representation in gold
of the Ancient Buttercross.
The Crest embodies the Paschal Lamb, the crescent and the
star irradiated as borne for so many centuries on the
Council Seal, but the two latter emblems to conform to the
tenets of Heraldry have been lowered so that they rest upon
the wreath.
The motto which is suggested “By skill we flourish” could be
rendered into Latin and so depicted if desired as "Ingenio Floremus”.
Witney Town Council - Chain of Office The
inscription on the back of the chain reads: "Presented
to the Urban District Council in the year 1956 by the
blanket manufacturers of Witney,
Charles Early & Co Ltd
Marriot & Sons Ltd
W. Smith & Co Ltd
and
J & N. Philips (Witney) Ltd
James
Walker & Sons Ltd."
 |
