Gabrielle Davis
Encyclopedia
Gabrielle Davis, Sheriff of Canterbury
2009–2010, is a Conservative
councillor for Canterbury City Council
. She is notable for volunteering to head the "defence of our heritage" movement against a vote by Canterbury City Council
Executive Committee on 21 January 2010 to close Herne Bay Museum and Gallery
and other repositories of local heritage
for the sake of saving £112,600 per year.
and lived in Herne Bay
, attending La Sainte Union Convent School which was run by the Sisters of La Sainte Union des Sacrés-Coeurs, and is now closed. She was later a journalist writing features in London
. She is a resident of Reculver
, writes the Beltinge
column for Herne Bay Gazette
and supports causes concerning pets and wildlife. She was fund-raising officer for six years at Cats Protection
in Canterbury, and is now Trustee for Animals Worldwide.
in May 2009 and is a ward
member for Reculver. Until May 2010 she was the latest in the line of Sheriffs of Canterbury which goes back to 1461 CE
. In past centuries the post involved tax-collecting
and police work, but since 1974 the Sheriff has been relieved of those duties and now represents the City
at functions and other civic duties. The postholder is elected at the annual Council
meeting in May, for one year. In May 2010 she was succeeded as Sheriff of Canterbury by Councillor Sally Pickersgill.
said it had to save £3.5m for budgeting purposes.
The Executive Committee made its final recommendation to close the museum on 21 January 2010; the final vote to be taken on 18 February 2010. Councillor Davis is a founder-member of Herne Bay Improvement and Conservation Trust, and some of her colleagues on the Trust are members of Herne Bay Historical Society, which has charge of most of the collections at Herne Bay Museum. In response to the Council vote to close the museum, she volunteered to "head defence of our heritage", in spite of the fact that the vote for closure was made by her Conservative colleagues on the Council.
Sheriff of Canterbury
The Sheriff of Canterbury is a shrievalty in the city of Canterbury, England. The office was first held in 1461 by Richard Carpenter, when a charter of king Edward IV granted the city the perpetual status of a county independent of Kent itself...
2009–2010, is a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
councillor for Canterbury City Council
City of Canterbury
The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. The main settlement in the district is Canterbury, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.-History:...
. She is notable for volunteering to head the "defence of our heritage" movement against a vote by Canterbury City Council
City of Canterbury
The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. The main settlement in the district is Canterbury, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.-History:...
Executive Committee on 21 January 2010 to close Herne Bay Museum and Gallery
Herne Bay Museum and Gallery
Herne Bay Museum and Gallery is a local museum in Herne Bay, Kent, England. It was established in 1932 and is notable for being a seaside tourist attraction featuring local archaeological and social history, for featuring the history of the town as a tourist resort, for its local art exhibitions,...
and other repositories of local heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
for the sake of saving £112,600 per year.
Background
She was born in CanterburyCanterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
and lived in Herne Bay
Herne Bay, Kent
Herne Bay is a seaside town in Kent, South East England, with a population of 35,188. On the south coast of the Thames Estuary, it is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury local government district...
, attending La Sainte Union Convent School which was run by the Sisters of La Sainte Union des Sacrés-Coeurs, and is now closed. She was later a journalist writing features in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. She is a resident of Reculver
Reculver
Reculver is a hamlet and coastal resort situated about east of Herne Bay in southeast England. It is a ward of the City of Canterbury district in the county of Kent. Reculver once occupied a strategic location at the western end of the Wantsum Channel, between the Isle of Thanet and the Kent...
, writes the Beltinge
Beltinge
Beltinge is a suburb of Herne Bay in Kent, England. It is at the eastern part of the town, just west of the ancient village of Reculver.In Beltinge, you can find:*ABC Pre-Schools*Londis Beltinge is a suburb of Herne Bay in Kent, England. It is at the eastern part of the town, just west of the...
column for Herne Bay Gazette
KM Group
The KM Group, formerly known as the Kent Messenger Group until 2008, is a multimedia company based in the county of Kent in South East England...
and supports causes concerning pets and wildlife. She was fund-raising officer for six years at Cats Protection
Cats Protection
Cats Protection, formerly The Cats Protection League, is a UK charity dedicated to rescuing and rehoming stray, unwanted or homeless cats and educating people about cats and cat welfare. The organisation was founded as The Cats Protection League on May 16, 1927 at a meeting in Caxton Hall, London...
in Canterbury, and is now Trustee for Animals Worldwide.
Duties
She was elected as Sheriff of CanterburySheriff of Canterbury
The Sheriff of Canterbury is a shrievalty in the city of Canterbury, England. The office was first held in 1461 by Richard Carpenter, when a charter of king Edward IV granted the city the perpetual status of a county independent of Kent itself...
in May 2009 and is a ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
member for Reculver. Until May 2010 she was the latest in the line of Sheriffs of Canterbury which goes back to 1461 CE
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
. In past centuries the post involved tax-collecting
Tax collector
A tax collector is a person who collects unpaid taxes from other people or corporations. Tax collectors are often portrayed in fiction as being evil, and in the modern world share a somewhat similar stereotype to that of lawyers....
and police work, but since 1974 the Sheriff has been relieved of those duties and now represents the City
City of Canterbury
The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. The main settlement in the district is Canterbury, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.-History:...
at functions and other civic duties. The postholder is elected at the annual Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
meeting in May, for one year. In May 2010 she was succeeded as Sheriff of Canterbury by Councillor Sally Pickersgill.
Defence of our heritage
In October 2009 Canterbury City CouncilCity of Canterbury
The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. The main settlement in the district is Canterbury, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.-History:...
said it had to save £3.5m for budgeting purposes.
The Executive Committee made its final recommendation to close the museum on 21 January 2010; the final vote to be taken on 18 February 2010. Councillor Davis is a founder-member of Herne Bay Improvement and Conservation Trust, and some of her colleagues on the Trust are members of Herne Bay Historical Society, which has charge of most of the collections at Herne Bay Museum. In response to the Council vote to close the museum, she volunteered to "head defence of our heritage", in spite of the fact that the vote for closure was made by her Conservative colleagues on the Council.
External links
- Canterbury City Council Online: Gabrielle Davis page
- Canterbury City Council Online: The office of sheriff
- Canterbury City Council Online: Agenda for Exec Committee 21 Jan 2010 (includes link to audio recording of meeting)