The Hoxton Chronicle. 131 The Mayoress.

In September 1969, Mrs M.E.Howells was appointed Mayoress of Carmarthen.

Her appointment was a reward for the many years of support she had given her husband, D.J. Howells, in his service to the people of Carmarthen as a much-respected town councillor. He had risen in the Town administration to become an Alderman and was now to serve for one year as Mayor and Admiral of the Port of Carmarthen with his wife as Mayoress.

The office has existed in Carmarthen since at least 1300, when Walter Malenphant was Mayor. The duties and powers of the office have been modified over the centuries by Royal charter, Acts of Parliament and government reorganisation. DJ Howels was the 468th holder of this ancient local government office.

It was a particularly prestigious year to take on the honour as it coincided with the Investiture of Prince Charles, the future King Charles III, as Prince of Wales. All Wales celebrated the occasion at a large gathering of civic dignitaries at the investiture ceremony held in Caernarfon Castle. The staging and ceremony were given a modern makeover by the photographer Lord Snowdon. Subsequently, the Prince toured Wales, hosted in every town of his new principality by local Mayors.

Mr and Mrs DJ Howels were my grandfather and grandmother, my mother’s parents. I recall the excitement our family felt about the new duties of grandad and grandma. The chains of office and formal costumes were objects of wonder to our childhood eyes. We were particularly thrilled to discover that in parades and on other formal occasions, the Mayor would be preceded by a bearer carrying the Carmarthen State Sword, a rare privilege granted to the town in a royal charter issued by Henry VIII in 1546.

For grandma and grandad, it was a highlight of their lives. Grandad would make light of his role with his gentle Carmarthen wit, finding the pomp and rituals hilarious while performing all his duties with great seriousness and dignity. He asked my brother and me what he should feed the Prince during his visit to Carmarthen. We could think of nothing more delicious than faggots and peas with plenty of bread thickly spread with good Welsh butter, and perhaps one of Grandma’s sponge cakes with jam. Grandad loved the suggestion. I have no idea whether the prince was served this meal of childhood delights, but at the time, Grandad convinced us he would be. Grandma turned her considerable tailoring skills to ensuring that her wardrobe matched the formal demands of her role. In addition, she ensured that an ample selection of hats to complement every outfit and occasion was available. In the weeks leading up to the encounter with His Royal Highness, she practised shaking hands and curtseying until her movements were perfectly coordinated and just so.

Grandma kept a handwritten diary of her appointments with short notes about her duties as Mayoress. It is a remarkable record of the dozens of formal gatherings that she attended during the year. It vividly describes the intensity of activity generated by just 15,000 people living in the town at that time, and the large number of religious, charitable, educational, business, and social organisations that were the lifeblood of Carmarthen’s civic life. In addition to events of many kinds, overseas visitors to Carmarthen were frequently received by the Mayor and Mayoress in the Mayor’s Parlour, with their names and dates formally recorded in a visitors’ book.

The diary describes a world before the distractions of mass communication, when civic and political life was entirely a face-to-face activity. It was in the clubs and societies of the town that the fascinating engagement with human diversity, strangeness, outrage and comedy was to be found. The diary is a window into a town vibrantly alive with activity, fizzing with conversation and gossip. It was a world of modest formality and simple dignity. It was already as old as time by then and probably no longer exists.

Carmarthen is a small town at the end of the line in quiet West Wales. At that time, and for the Mayor and Mayoress, it was a compelling and complete world.

To read past Hoxton Chronicle posts, please subscribe to the free Substack Application and search for The Hoxton Chronicle.