Sir Hugo Brunner to be made Honorary Freeman of Abingdon
The Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Sir Hugo Brunner, is to be made an Honorary
Freeman of Abingdon.
The Freedom of the Town is the highest civic honour that the Town can confer and
Sir Hugo has been nominated for this role in recognition of his service to the
community and the Town of Abingdon particularly during his time as Lord Lieutenant
of Oxfordshire.
The Mayor of Abingdon, Councillor Patrick Lonergan, said: “We are delighted that Sir
Hugo has accepted this honour. The granting of the Freedom of the Town to Sir
Hugo recognises the support he has given to Abingdon and its community over the
years and in particular his role in the many visits to Abingdon made by members of
the Royal Family. Sir Hugo has always been hard working in his role as Lord
Lieutenant, a role which is an unpaid post and has demanded a huge commitment to
the County and its people, a commitment he has given wholeheartedly and loyally for
over 12 years.”
The Leader of the Town Council, Councillor Lesley Legge, said “Sir Hugo has been
an inspiration to the whole of Oxfordshire. He has a very visible role supporting
worthwhile projects and events around the whole County, but Abingdon Town
Council wish to show our particular appreciation on behalf of the town for all the
support he has given Abingdon in so many different ways. His interest in the heritage
of our town and the help with the history and the provenance of the Town’s treasures
has been invaluable.
“ Sir Hugo is held in high-esteem by all those who know him: he is unassuming,
tactful and always helpful. He has been ably supported in his work by his wife, Lady
Mary Rose, and we look forward to both of them continuing to be a part of the life of
Abingdon. “
Sir Hugo has been Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire since February 1996, and as Lord
Lieutenant he is the Queen’s permanent representative in Oxfordshire. He has also
had other public roles including being the Chairman of the Oxford Diocesan Advisory
Committee for the Care of Churches from 1985 to 1998.
He has been involved in the life of Abingdon in many ways and was involved in the
restoration of the painted ceiling at St Helen’s Church in the early 1990s.
He was brought up at Greys Court near Henley-on-Thames. He read History at
Trinity College, Oxford, and is an Honorary Fellow of the College. His career has
been in publishing, mainly with Oxford University Press and Chatto & Windus of
which he was Managing Director and Chairman. He was also a Director of Caithness
Glass Ltd from 1966 to 1996, and was Chairman from 1984 to 1991. He lives in
Oxford with his wife, Lady Mary Rose. He is Deputy Steward of the University of
Oxford. His recreations include hill-walking, church crawling and listening to music.
He was recently appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in the
Queen’s Birthday Honours