Caleb Tutt, 24, Gains 680-Year-Old Llantrisant Grazing Rights as 20 New Freemen Join
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 18
Caleb Tutt, 24, Gains 680-Year-Old Llantrisant Grazing Rights as 20 New Freemen Join
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 18
Summary
Caleb Tutt, a 24-year-old Londoner, formally became a freeman of Llantrisant at a guildhall ceremony, gaining inherited rights to graze livestock on common land in south Wales.
The title came through his grandmother's Welsh mining family, linking him to a tradition rooted in a 1346 charter and older local privileges that now mainly preserve grazing rights and community ties.
About 20 new freemen signed an 18th-century ledger, named the freeman they descend from and received a handshake plus a ceremonial tie or scarf; the original 1346 book was lost in a fire.
Llantrisant's freemen still own 246 acres of common land, and the group now numbers about 1,200 worldwide, giving the largely symbolic title sentimental weight despite few material benefits.
Tutt said the experience deepened his connection to his Welsh ancestry and showed how an eccentric local tradition can survive by being passed down through families.