The High Steward of Banbury is a ceremonial title bestowed by Banbury Town Council in

Banbury Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshire ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

, England. The

stewardship Stewardship is an ethical value that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. The concepts of stewardship can be applied to the environment and nature, economics, health, property, information, theology, cultural resources e ...

was established by

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...

in 1554, during the reign of

Mary I Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, and as "Bloody Mary" by her Protestant opponents, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain from January 1556 until her death in 1558. Sh ...

. By the same charter,

became a

parliamentary borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

, which the seat remained until 1885. The High Steward was a major figure within the corporation, and the role was closely associated with the town's Parliamentary representation. In today’s civic hierarchy the High Steward, who is usually a peer and has to be at least a knight of the realm, is an ‘officer of dignity and influence’ but with few specific duties and no monetary rewards. For several hundred years the title was held by members of the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

Fiennes Fiennes or Ffiennes may refer to: Places * Fiennes, a commune of the Pas-de-Calais ''département'' in northern France. People A toponymic surname pronounced and borne by a prominent English family, descendant from Eustace I Fiennes, a nobleman i ...

families, the major landowners in north Oxfordshire. In 1818 the title is recorded as having been "hereditary" for the

Earls of Guilford Earl of Guilford is a title that has been created three times in history. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1660 (as Countess of Guilford) for Elizabeth Boyle, Countess of Guilford, Elizabeth Boyle. She wa ...

, although this recording appears to be erroneous. The role fell dormant following the death of the 20th

Baron Saye and Sele Baron Saye and Sele is a title in the Peerage of England held by the Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes family. The title dates to 1447 but it was recreated in 1603. Confusion over the details of the 15th-century title has led to conflicting order for ti ...

in 1968; it was revived in February 2016 for Sir Tony Baldry.

High Stewards of Banbury

William Knollys, 1st Earl of Banbury William Knollys, 1st Earl of Banbury, KG, PC (1544 – 25 May 1632) was an English nobleman at the court of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. Biography He was the son of Sir Francis Knollys, of Greys Court in Oxfordshire, and of Reading ...

(until 1632) *

William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele (28 June 158214 April 1662) was an English nobleman and politician, known also for his involvement in several companies for setting up overseas colonies. Early life He was born at the family home of B ...

(1632–1662) *

Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin, (3 September 1678 – 17 January 1766), styled Viscount Rialton from 1706 to 1712, was an English courtier and politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1695 and 1712, wh ...

(1718–1776) *

Francis North, 1st Earl of Guilford Francis North, 1st Earl of Guilford (13 April 1704 – 4 August 1790), of Wroxton Abbey, Oxfordshire, styled as Lord Guilford between 1729 and 1752, was a British Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1727 until 1729 at which point ...

(1752–1790) *

Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford (13 April 17325 August 1792), better known by his courtesy title Lord North, which he used from 1752 to 1790, was 12th Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most ...

(1790–1792) *

George North, 3rd Earl of Guilford George Augustus North, 3rd Earl of Guilford, FRS (11 September 1757 – 20 April 1802), known as The Honourable George North until 1790 and as Lord North from 1790 to 1792, was a British politician. Early life Guilford was the eldest son of ...

(1792–1802) *

Francis North, 4th Earl of Guilford Francis North, 4th Earl of Guilford (25 December 1761 – 11 January 1817), styled The Honourable Francis North until 1802, was a British peer, Army officer, and playwright. North was the second son of Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford. On 8 ...

(1802–1817) *

John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute, KT, FRS (10 August 1793 – 18 March 1848), styled Lord Mount Stuart between 1794 and 1814, was a wealthy aristocrat and industrialist in Georgian and early Victorian Britain. He developed the coal ...

(1817–1848) *

Frederick Fiennes, 16th Baron Saye and Sele The Venerable Frederick Fiennes, 16th Baron Saye and Sele, MA (1799–1887) was Archdeacon of Hereford from 1863 to 1887. Life Fiennes was born Frederick Benjamin Twisleton on 4 July 1799, a son of Thomas James Twisleton. He was educated at W ...

(1849–1887) *William North, 11th

Baron North Baron North, of Kirtling Tower in the County of Cambridge, is an abeyant title in the Peerage of England. Its most famous holder was Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, 8th Baron North, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 177 ...

(1887–1932) * Ivo Murray Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 20th Baron Saye and Sele (1932–1968; after which the role fell into dormancy) * Sir Tony Baldry (since 2016)

References

{{Reflist Civic high stewards Local government in Oxfordshire Politics of Oxfordshire