Blything Rural District was a rural district within the administrative county of East Suffolk between 1894 and 1934.
Evolution The district had its origins in the Blything Hundred Incorporation, set up in 1764 to administer the poor laws in the hundred of Blything. A workhouse to serve the area was built at Bulcamp in the parish of Blythburgh, opening in 1766. Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, the old incorporation was dissolved and replaced by the Blything Poor Law Union in 1835. In 1872, sanitary districts were established, with responsibility for public health and local government given to the boards of guardians of poor law unions for areas without urban authorities. The Blything Rural Sanitary District therefore covered the area of the Blything Poor Law Union except for the parish of Southwold, which was a municipal borough and so formed its own urban sanitary district.
Under the Local Government Act 1894, rural sanitary districts became rural districts on 28 December 1894. Blything Rural District Council held its first meeting on 31 December 1894 at the Blything Union Workhouse at Bulcamp, Blythburgh. Thomas Lomax of Grove Park, Yoxford, was appointed the first chairman of the council; he had previously been chairman of the Blything Board of Guardians. The council continued to be based at the workhouse at Bulcamp throughout its existence.
Two urban districts were subsequently created out of parishes within Blything: Leiston cum Sizewell in 1895 and Halesworth in 1900.
In 1934, under a county review order, Blything Rural District was abolished. The largest part of its territory passed to the new but similarly named Blyth Rural District; apart from small adjustments the rest went to Lothingland and Wainford rural districts.
Statistics Year Area Population Density(pop/ha) acres ha1911 87,438 35,385 18,190 0.511921 17,896 0.511931 16,614 0.47
Parishes Parish To NotesAldringham cum Thorpe 1934 Detached. To Blyth RDBenacre 1934 To Lothingland RDBlyford 1934 To Wainford RDBlythburgh 1934 To Blyth RDBramfield 1934 To Blyth RDBrampton 1934 To Wainford RDChediston 1934 To Blyth RDCookley 1934 To Blyth RDCovehithe 1934 To Lothingland RDCratfield 1934 To Blyth RDDarsham 1934 To Blyth RDDunwich 1934 To Blyth RD (part to Southwold MB)Easton Bavents 1934 To Lothingland RD (part to Southwold MB)Frostenden 1934 To Lothingland RDHalesworth 1900 To Halesworth UDHenham 1934 To Lothingland RDHenstead 1934 To Lothingland RDHeveningham 1934 To Blyth RDHolton 1934 To Wainford RD (part to Halesworth UD)Huntingfield 1934 To Blyth RDKelsale cum Carlton 1934 To Blyth RDKnodishall 1934 To Blyth RDLeiston 1895 To Leiston cum Sizewell UDLinstead Magna 1934 To Blyth RDLinstead Parva 1934 To Blyth RDMiddleton 1934 To Blyth RDPeasenhall 1934 To Blyth RDReydon 1934 To Lothingland RDRumburgh 1934 To Wainford RDSibton 1934 To Blyth RDSotherton 1934 To Wainford RDSouth Cove 1934 To Lothingland RDSpexhall 1934 To Wainford RDStoven 1934 To Wainford RDTheberton 1934 To Blyth RD (part to Leiston-cum-Sizewell UD)Thorington 1934 To Blyth RDUbbeston 1934 To Blyth RDUggeshall 1934 To Lothingland RDWalberswick 1934 To Blyth RD (part to Southwold MB)Walpole 1934 To Blyth RDWangford 1934 To Lothingland RDWenhaston 1934 To Blyth RDWesthall 1934 To Wainford RDWestleton 1934 To Blyth RDWissett 1934 To Wainford RD (part to Halesworth UD)Wrentham 1934 To Lothingland RDYoxford 1934 To Blyth RD
References