Honorary aldermen and freemen
The council can bestow honorary titles in recognition of distinguished contribution to civic life.
The council has conferred the title of honorary alderman upon past members of the council in recognition of their services to Cheltenham and the borough council.
From time to time the borough council may decide to bestow honorary freedom on an eminent individual or group. The honorary freedom is then conferred by the mayor at a special ceremony. Whilst it is the highest honour that the borough can give there are no particular entitlements attached to it and the honour cannot be passed on.
Honorary aldermen
- D J Banyard
- W V P Bullingham
- Mrs A Cassin
- B Cassin
- B A Chaplin
- R Garnham
- Ms D M A Griggs
- L G Godwin
- C R Lloyd
- L Surgenor
- R A Wilson
- Robert Garnham
- Brian Chaplin
- Mrs Jacky Fletcher
- John Rawson
- Lloyd Surgenor
- Mrs Anne Regan
- Mrs Barbara Driver
- Duncan Smith
- Colin Hay
- Christine Ryder
- Pat Thornton
- Christopher Coleman
- Malcolm Stennett
- Klara Sudbury
- Roger Whyborn
Honorary freemen
- 1896: The Rt Hon Sir James Tynte Agg-Gardner, PC, MP - Admitted 30 October
- 1900: The Baron De Ferrieres - Admitted 27 February
- 1901: Miss Dorothea Beale - Admitted 28 October
- 1908: The Rt Hon Sir John Edward Dorington, BT - Admitted 30 April
- 1922: William Frederick Hicks Beach Esq, JP - Admitted 7 July
- 1927: Alderman Charles Henry Margrett, CBE, JP - Admitted 30 June
- 1935: David Lewis Esq, JP - Admitted 31 October
- 1937: Robert Owen Seacome, Esq. - Admitted 23 July
- 1943: Alderman Clara Frances Winterbotham, MBE, JP - Admitted 6 September
- 1943: Councillor John Howell, CBE, FRCS - Admitted 6 September
- 1944: Field Marshall Sir John Greer Dill, GCB, CMG, DSO - Admitted 7 February
- 1951: Alderman Edward Lawrence Ward - Admitted 10 July
- 1951: General The Lord Ismay, GCB, CH, DSO - Admitted 22 September
- 1953: Alderman Daniel Leopold Lipson, MA - Admitted 27 September
- 1955: George H Dowty Esq., FRAES - Admitted 10 January
- 1958: Captain John Henry Trye, CBE, RN.(Retd), DL - 19 May 1958
- 1960: Walter Ansell Esq - Admitted 24 October
- 1960: Alderman Arthur James Bettridge - Admitted 24 October
- 1962: Central Flying School, Royal Air Force, Little Rissington - Admitted 2 May
- 1965: Arthur George Dye, OBE - Admitted 19 November
- 1965: Francis Desmond Littlewood, OBE - Admitted 19 November
- 1966: The Gloucestershire Regiment - Admitted 9 October
- 1967: Richard Board Esq, MBE - Admitted 21 September
- 1977: Councillor Charles Graham Irving MP - Admitted 23 May
- 1981: Sir Robert Hunt, C.B.E., DL, DSc. - Admitted 18 May 1981
- 1982: Honorary Alderman Kenneth John Fisher - Admitted 24 May
- 1982: Dr Frederick Alexander Hanna, MB, BCh, BAO, FRCR - Admitted 24 May
- 1984: Honorary Alderman Charles Walter Allen Foster, MBE - Admitted 21 May
- 1984: Bernard Philip Ward, Esq, JP - Admitted 21 May
- 1986: Royal Air Force Innsworth - Admitted 18 October 1986
- 1989: Honorary Alderman Aimbury Dodwell, MBE - Admitted 22 May
- 1994: Sir John Maundell, CBE - Admitted 16 May
- 1995: Honorary Alderman Miss M N P Dent, OBE - Admitted 22 May 1995
- 1999: Honorary Alderman J H Pennington - Admitted 24 May
- 2001: Air Vice-Marshal Professor R A Mason, CB, CBE, MA, DSc - Admitted 21 May
- 2002: Dame Janet Trotter, DBE, B.D, MA, MSc. - Admitted 20 May
- 2008: Edward Gillespie OBE, DL - Admitted 19 May
- 2019: GCHQ - Admitted 13 May