Prior to the introduction of the 1894 Local Government Act, Fazeley’s residents had no direct say on the governance of Fazeley. Originally the lands of Fazeley were part of the manor of Drayton, but in Tudor times the parish had become the basic unit of civil as well as church government and Fazeley became a parish of Tamworth.
The 1894 Local Government Act introduced elected councils at parish level and in Fazeley, as in all parishes with a population of 300 or more; a parish council had to be elected.
The Act specified that the first elections for parish councils would be held on 17 December and the membership of the new Fazeley parish council was fixed by order of Staffordshire County Council at 9.
The 1894 Local Government Act also gave Fazeley Parish Council the following powers and duties:
Appointment of overseers of the poor
Maintaining and repairing closed churchyards
Holding or maintaining parish property (including village greens, allotments, recreation grounds) for the benefit of the inhabitants
Election of allotment managers
The power to adopt, following a poll of the parish electors:
The Lighting and Watching Act 1833 and the Baths and Washhouses Acts 1846 to 1882
The Burials Act 1852 to 1885
The Public Improvements Act 1860
The Public Libraries Act 1892
Acquisition of buildings for parish purposes
Acquisition of land for allotments, public walks and recreation grounds
The first meeting of the newly elected Fazeley Parish Council took place on Monday 31st December 1894 in the Church of England Schoolrooms next to St Paul’s Church. Local factory owner, Richard Tolson, was elected the first Chairman of the Parish, a position he held until his untimely death in 1919.
In 1975 Fazeley became a town and Parish Chairman Arthur Heathcote had the honour of being named the first Mayor of Fazeley.
Chairman
1894 – 1919 Richard Tolson
1919 – 1925 John Harling Jones
1925 – 1928 Eric Chute Tolson
1928 – 1931 Thomas Cox
1931 – 1934 George Donnison
1934 – 1937 Frederick George Allton
1937 – 1938 Rev Bernard Jones Hughes
1938 – 1940 John Edward Gardner
1940 – 1942 William Richardson
1942 – 1943 George Donnison
1943 – 1945 Mrs Margaret Mary Lupane
1945 – 1946 William Richardson
1946 – 1948 Alfred William Wheeler
1948 – 1952 Arthur Heathcote
1952 – 1953 Edward Bond
1953 – 1954 Alfred Dixon Kirkland
1954 – 1957 James Arthur Gilliver
1957 – 1958 Reginald Clifford Brewster
1958 – 1960 Mrs Leah Lillian Adie
1960 – 1963 Arthur Heathcote
1963 – 1964 Reginald Clifford Brewster
1964 – 1975 Arthur Heathcote
Town Mayor
1975 – 1978 Arthur Heathcote
1978 – 1980 Mrs Joan Jones
1980 – 1982 Wilfred Thomas Collins
1982 – 1983 Peter James Liggins
1983 – 1984 Mrs Dorothy Joan Helen Bennett
1984 – 1985 Neville John Fisher
1985 – 1987 James Godfrey Littlefield
1987 – 1988 John William Bird
1988 – 1990 John Arthur Allsop
1990 – 1992 John Anthony Brookes
1992 – 1993 Wilfred Thomas Collins
1994 – 1995 Francis Worrall
1995 – 1996 Wilfred Thomas Collins
1996 – 1997 James Godfrey Littlefield
1997 – 1998 Martin Machray
1998 – 1999 Mrs Nicola Awni
1999 – 2002 James Godfrey Littlefield
2002 – 2003 Jo Atkins
2003 – 2004 Mrs Maxine Machray
2004 – 2005 James Godfrey Littlefield
2005 – 2006 Ian Lewin
2006 – 2007 John Anthony Brookes
2007 – 2008 Lee Bates
2008 – 2009 Robert Pritchard
2009 – 2011 Andrew James
2011 – 2012 Ian Lewin
2012 – 2013 Rebecca James
2013 – 2014 Simon Clements
2014 – 2015 Debbie James
2015 – 2018 Brian Hoult
2018 – 2019 Debbie James
Leader of Fazeley Town Council
2011 – 2015 Andrew James
2015 – 2018 Debbie James
2018 – 2019 Brian Hoult
acknowledgements: the history of Fazeley, Fazeley Town Hall, Arthur Heathcote MBE, James Eadie and James Malson have been drawn from several sources, including the former Mayor of Fazeley Mrs Joan Jones, the relatives of Mr James Malson, The Bass Brewery Museum, A History of the Parish of Fazeley by Tony Brookes and Wikipedia
Fazeley Town Council 