Kendal Civic Society’s Patricia Hovey and Trevor Hughes  recall the freeman of Kendal

During 2011-2013, weekly articles under the title ‘Within Living Memory’ appeared in The Westmorland Gazette, illustrated by photographs from Percy Wood’s collection.

Two of the articles featured Dr Howard Somervell, in 1945 and Dr G. H. Edgecombe, in 1969, being made Freemen of Kendal.

Having seen these, Alan Thompson kindly supplied information and photographs concerning his father-in-law William Fulton Pennington, who was also made a Freeman of the Borough in 1963.

The ‘Freeman of Kendal’ goes back to medieval times when ancient towns such as Kendal were growing and expanding, and a class of citizens emerged who enjoyed important privileges in the government of the town and its corporate property, as against strangers and the rest of the inhabitants.

The Honorary Freedom of a Borough is the highest honour which any municipality can confer on one of its citizens.

Because of this, admissions are very few and only given to persons who have served their community in an exceptional way.

Kendal awarded its first in 1869, to Sir James Whitehead, then Lord Mayor of London.

In the years since, there have only been 15 more Freemen, the last being the late Percy Duff, so it is a rare and greatly valued honour.

Mr Pennington was given the Freedom of the Borough of Kendal at a splendid ceremony in the Town Hall in May 1963.

He was born in 1893 on Fellside, to a well-established Kendal family, the son of Robert Troughton Pennington (1858-1916), a builder who had a business in Stricklandgate, and the man who, in 1907, purchased the old House of Correction on Windermere Road for £1,000 and then proceeded to dismantle it and recycle the stone to build houses around the town.

Fulton was the grandson of Joby Pennington (1824-1897), whose name is immortalised on the chapel on Low Fellside, built as his memorial in 1899.

Young Fulton began his education in Kendal Green School, followed by Elmfield College, York, and the Liverpool School of Architecture.

He was later to take over control of the family firm of Pennington’s, lime-burners, quarrymen and builders and see it develop into the flourishing business it was for many years, one of the larger employers in the town by the mid 20th century.

He was a keen sportsman, playing cricket, hockey and rugby union to county level and holding positions as Presidents for many years.

He was a member of Kendal Borough Council from 1938 and was elected Mayor three times, in 1943, 1944 and 1951. In 1944 he was elected a member of Westmorland County Council and in 1954 he was honoured as an Alderman.

He was whole-heartedly supported by his wife, Mona Pennington, who herself became the first woman Mayor of Kendal in 1955.

During a long life of service to Kendal, Mr Pennington saw many changes, not least during the 1950-1960s when there were great clearances and demolition in the town. He saw that, while much of the clearance was necessary and unavoidable, care must be taken to preserve all that made Kendal the fine town it was.

As a token of gratitude to the people of Kendal, Mr and Mrs Pennington presented a silver bowl to be added to the town treasures, where it is still - in the Mayor’s Parlour in the Town Hall. He died in 1969.