| Point to a thumbnail to view a large picture Mayor and Town Crier, Commonwealth Day 2020 |
The role of the Town Mayor
The Mayor is expected to attend all Council and Committee meetings. The Town Mayor automatically becomes a trustee of Okehampton United Charities, Okehampton Educational Foundation, Simmons Homes, and The Charities of Holditch & Others. On appointment the Mayor becomes the President of Cancer Research (Okehampton Branch) and President of the Okehampton Friendly Circle. The Mayor is an honorary member of the Okehampton Rotary Club during his/her term of office.
For those wishing to have the attendance of the Mayor at any function then please contact the Town Hall.
Councillor Julie Yelland, Mayor of Okehampton 2019 - 2020
It is a real honour to have been selected to represent Okehampton as the Town Mayor. I am married with two grown up children. I have lived in Okehampton since I got married to a local builder in 1981 and, prior to that, was brought up on a farm near Belstone so am very local. I worked for a firm of local solicitors until my eldest child was born and then took part time casual work as and when I could fit it in around school hours (there was no child care available back then!)
More recently, I spent several years working for Citizens Advice and still volunteer one day a week. I am the Chairman of Okehampton Street Pastors - a charity that cares, helps and listens to people who are out late at night in the town.
Okehampton is a rurally isolated town with a fantastic community full of dedicated volunteers who give up endless hours of their time for the benefit of the people of the Town and Hamlets. It is a delight to be able to live in a place where people are friendly and say 'hello' as you walk down the street.
This ancient town of ours, set on the northern edge of Dartmoor, has developed and grown over the years reflecting the rise and fall of the fortunes of the people who dwell within it. There has been a route through this area since prehistoric times where people have come together to hunt for food on the moor, herd livestock and establish farming settlements on the slopes and ridges that surround the area from which the town has evolved.
Only last year, Okehampton came to national attention with the archaeological discovery of what is believed to be the most south-westerly Roman town in Britain. This has been a significant discovery and included the foundation trenches and post holes of about 25 buildings set either side of a well-preserved Roman road which extends from a military fort.
I, along with others, have been working hard to secure the re-instatement of a regular passenger train service between Okehampton and Exeter. There is an enormous amount of support for this and, once up and running, will certainly reduce traffic going in and out of the town and provide opportunities for efficient travel for work, leisure and education. We are living in times where climate emergencies are being declared and, as a town, we need to be pro-active in playing our part in looking at how we can reduce carbon emissions and protect and preserve our way of life for future generations.
Okehampton might not be particularly large, but it is thriving. We have lots of lovely independent shops; a newly opened primary school; a beautiful park set beneath the wild and dramatic backdrop of Dartmoor, plenty of places to eat and drink and we welcome visitors. There are lots of different events taking place throughout the year - far too many to list here! If you are new to the area, then there will always be a coffee morning going on either in the Charter Hall, the Church Hall or Fairplace Church so do pop down and introduce yourself. You will be made very welcome.
My chosen charity for the Mayoral Year is Okehampton PADS. This is a newly registered charity which was set up in 2017. It installs community defibrillators in Okehampton and provides free training in CPR and the use of the equipment. They have already done a tremendous amount of work promoting the use of this life saving equipment and are an organisation that I should like to support. My Chaplain is Cllr Rev Mike Davies.
Past Mayors from 1890
1890 John Dunning Prickman
1891 William Bird German
1892 George Longdon Fulford
1893 George Longdon Fulford
1894 Simon Peter Brendon Newcombe
1895 Simon Peter Brendon Newcombe
1896 Simon Peter Brendon Newcombe
1897 Thomas Jessop
1898 Thomas Folly Wood
1899 Robert Brealy
1900 Henry Geen
1901 Henry Geen
1902 William Rowse
1903 William Rowse
1904 William Bird German
1905 William Bird German
1906 William Bird German
1907 William Nettleship Hunt
1908 William Nettleship Hunt
1909 John Cornish
1910 John Cornish
1911 William Rowse
1912 William Rowse
1913 Edmund Hunt Holley
1914 Edmund Hunt Holley
1915 Edmund Hunt Holley
1916 Edmund Hunt Holley
1917 Edmund Hunt Holley
1918 William Brown Chamings
1919 William Bird German
1920 Brendon Ball Newcombe
1921 Brendon Ball Newcombe
1922 James Fugler
1923 George Kerslake Blatchford
1924 George Kerslake Blatchford
1925 George Kerslake Blatchford
1926 Percy William Edgcumbe
1927 Percy William Edgcumbe
1928 Albert William Coles
1929 William Brown Chamings
1930 William John Avery
1931 George Underhill Fulford
1932 William Brown Chamings
1933 William Brown Chamings
1934 William Brown Chamings
1935 Samuel James Rich
1936 Samuel James Rich
1937 Samuel James Rich (died 20/08/38)
Norah Elizabeth Rich (elected 19/09/38)
1938 William Brown Chamings
1939 William Brown Chamings
1940 Harold Nicholas Brooking
1941 George Henry Gratton
1942 George Henry Gratton
1943 George Henry Gratton
1944 George Henry Gratton
1945 William Brown Chamings
1946 Walter Henry Passmore
1947 Walter Henry Passmore
1948 Walter Henry Passmore
1949 Walter Henry Passmore
1950 Walter Henry Passmore
1951 Harold Nicholas Brooking
1952 Charles Gwynda Jones
1953 Charles Gwynda Jones
1954 William Francis Brock
1955 Walter Henry Passmore
1956 Frederick Edward Compton
1957 Harry Reginald Horne
1958 Albert William Richmond
1959 Albert William Richmond
1960 Walter William John Cornish
1961 Walter John Passmore
1962 Clement Edward Whittaker White
1963 Clement Edward Whittaker White
1964 Clement Edward Whittaker White
1965 James Frederick Hayhurst
1966 James Frederick Hayhurst
1967 Ronald Ralph Taylor
1968 Ronald Ralph Taylor
1969 Clement Edward Whittaker White
1970 Clement Edward Whittaker White
1971 Henry Reginald Horne
1972 Walter John Passmore
1973 Walter John Passmore
1974 Clement Edward Whittaker White
1975 Margaret Ann Nash
1976 Martin Jeffers Cunliffe
1977 Peter David Woodgate
1978 Walter John Passmore
1979 Walter John Passmore
1980 Brenda Margaret Phyllis Savage
1981 Brenda Margaret Phyllis Savage
1982 Grace Irene White
1983 Edmund Victor Savage
1984 Edmund Victor Savage
1985 Joan Evelyn Pauley
1986 John Mallett Hughes
1987 John Mallett Hughes
1988 Walter John Passmore MBE
1989 Sylvia Westlake
1990 Sylvia Westlake
1991 Mary Alice Vick
1992 Sylvia Westlake
1993 Sylvia Westlake
1994 Sylvia Westlake
1995 Joan Evelyn Pauley
1996 Ebenezer Raymond Vallance
1997 Ebenezer Raymond Vallance
1998 Leonard James Hayward (died 01/04/99)
Christine Marie Marsh (elected 14/04/99)
1999 Christine Marie Marsh
2000 Christine Marie Marsh
2001 Christine Marie Marsh
2002 Christine Marie Marsh
2003 Christine Marie Marsh
2004 Antony Leech
2005 Antony Leech
2006 Frances Margaret Luxton
2007 Antony Frank Leech
2008 Kay Dawn Bickley
2009 David Arnold Weekes
2010 Michael Edward Morse
2011 Maureen Patricia McDonald
2012 Michael Bryn Davies
2013 Michael Bryn Davies
2014 Paul Richard Vachon
2015 Paul Richard Vachon
2016 Janet Goffey
2017 Janet Goffey
2018 Janet Carpenter
2019 Julie Yelland
2020 Julie Yelland