Melford Rural District was a rural district in the county of West Suffolk, England. It was created in 1894, under the Local Government Act 1894 from that part of the Sudbury rural sanitary district in West Suffolk (the rest becoming Belchamp Rural District in Essex). It was named after Long Melford and administered from Sudbury. Shortly after its creation, in 1896, the parish of Glemsford was made a separate urban district.
On 1 April 1935 it lost the parishes of Cavendish and Hawkedon to the Clare Rural District. At the same time the Glemsford Urban District was abolished and restored to the district.
Since 1 April 1974 it has formed part of the District of Babergh.
Parishes At the time of its dissolution it consisted of the following 21 civil parishes.
Acton Alpheton Assington Boxted Bures St. Mary Chilton Glemsford Great Cornard Great Waldingfield Hartest Lawshall Leavenheath Little Cornard Little Waldingfield Long Melford Nayland-with-Wissington Newton Shimpling Somerton Stanstead Stoke-by-Nayland
Statistics Year Area Population Density(pop/ha) acres ha1911 49,850 20,174 12,791 0.631921 12,189 0.601931 11,618 0.581951 47,398 19,181 12,957 0.681961 47,397 13,317 0.69
References