Boroughs incorporated in England and Wales 1882–1974

The following is a list of towns in England and Wales which were granted charters of incorporation conferring borough status under the Municipal Corporations Act 1882 or the Local Government Act 1933.

1882–89 Forty-four boroughs were incorporated in this period. Of this number, more than half (twenty-five) were unreformed boroughs listed in the schedule to the Municipal Corporations Act 1883. This act abolished all such boroughs unless they obtained a new charter by 1886. Among the remaining 20 boroughs most were industrial centres or resorts. Also incorporated was Chelmsford, county town of Essex, and two areas of suburban London, Croydon and West Ham.

Municipal BoroughCountyCreatedAbolishedSuccessor(s)Bacup MBLancashire18821974RossendaleKeighley MBYorkshire (1882–89), West Riding of Yorkshire (1889-1974)18821974BradfordWest Bromwich MBStaffordshire18821889West Bromwich CBBangor MB†Caernarfonshire18831974ArfonCroydon MB Surrey18831889Croydon CB Eastbourne MBSussex (1883–89), East Sussex (1889-1911)18831911Eastbourne CBHenley-on-Thames MBOxfordshire18831974South OxfordshireWorkington MBCumberland18831974AllerdaleHarrogate MBYorkshire (1884–89), West Riding of Yorkshire (1889-1974)18841974HarrogateLampeter MB† Cardiganshire18841974CeredigionRamsgate MBKent18841974ThanetAldeburgh MB† Suffolk (1884–89), East Suffolk (1889-1974)18841974Suffolk CoastalAppleby MB† Westmorland18851974EdenBishop's Castle MBShropshire18851967absorbed by Clun RD (Rural Borough)Kidwelly MB†Carmarthenshire18851974LlanelliLlanfyllin MB† Montgomeryshire18851974MontgomeryLostwithiel MB† Cornwall18851967absorbed by St Austell RD (Rural Borough)Lowestoft MBSuffolk (1885–89), East Suffolk (1889-1974)18851974WaveneyLydd MB† Kent18851974ShepwayMontgomery MB† Montgomeryshire18851974MontgomeryMorley MBYorkshire (1885–89), West Riding of Yorkshire (1889-1974)18851974LeedsMossley MBLancashire, Cheshire and Yorkshire (1885–89), Lancashire (1889-1974)18851974TamesideNew Romney MB†Kent18851974ShepwayOkehampton MB† Devon18851974West DevonQueenborough MB† Kent18851968Queenborough-in-Sheppey MBSaltash MB† Cornwall18851974CaradonSutton Coldfield MB (Royal Town)† Warwickshire18851974BirminghamWilton MB†Wiltshire18851974SalisburyWokingham MB† Berkshire18851974WokinghamBrackley MB†Northamptonshire18861974South NorthamptonshireChristchurch MB† Hampshire18861974ChristchurchHigham Ferrers MB†Northamptonshire18861974East NorthamptonshireMalmesbury MB† Wiltshire18861974North WiltshireMiddleton MBLancashire18861974RochdaleWareham MB† Dorset18861974PurbeckWednesbury MBStaffordshire18861966absorbed by Walsall CB and West Bromwich CBWest Ham MBEssex18861889West Ham CBWoodstock MB†Oxfordshire18861974West OxfordshireCowbridge MBGlamorganshire18871974Vale of GlamorganIlkeston MBDerbyshire18871974ErewashWest Hartlepool MB County Durham18871902West Hartlepool CB Chelmsford MBEssex18881974ChelmsfordLoughborough MBLeicestershire18881974CharnwoodTunbridge Wells MB (1889-1909), Royal Tunbridge Wells MB (1909-1974)In 1909 Edward VII allowed the prefix "Royal" in recognition of the town's connections with the royal family since the Stuart dynasty. Kent18891974Tunbridge Wells † Listed in the schedule of the Municipal Corporations Act 1883.

1890–99 Twenty-five boroughs were incorporated in 1890s.

Municipal BoroughCountyCreatedAbolishedSuccessor(s)Bournemouth MBHampshire18901900Bournemouth CBChatham MBKent18901974Rochester-upon-MedwayNelson MBLancashire18901974PendleOssett MBWest Riding of Yorkshire18901974WakefieldRichmond MBSurrey18901965Richmond upon ThamesWorthing MBWest Sussex18901974WorthingHaslingden MBLancashire18911974RossendaleMansfield MBNottinghamshire18911974MansfieldRawtenstall MBLancashire18911974RossendaleEccles MBLancashire18921974SalfordSouthend-on-Sea MBEssex18921914Southend-on-Sea CBThornaby-on-Tees MBNorth Riding of Yorkshire18921968Teesside CBTorquay MBDevon18921967Torbay CBWidnes MBLancashire18921974HaltonBrighouse MBWest Riding of Yorkshire18931974CalderdaleWhitehaven MBCumberland18941974CopelandColne MBLancashire18951974PendleTodmorden MBWest Riding of Yorkshire18961974CalderdaleHemel Hempstead MBHertfordshire18981974DacorumHove MBEast Sussex18981974HoveAbergavenny MBMonmouthshire18991974MonmouthBridlington MBEast Riding of Yorkshire18991974North WoldsDukinfield MBCheshire18991974TamesideLeigh MBLancashire18991974WiganSmethwick MBStaffordshire18991907Smethwick CB

1900–09 There were 14 incorporations in the years 1900–1909. 1900 also saw the creation of 28 Metropolitan Boroughs in the County of London by the London Government Act 1899.

Municipal BoroughCountyCreatedAbolishedSuccessor(s)Pudsey MBWest Riding of Yorkshire19001974LeedsSwindon MBWiltshire19001974ThamesdownEaling MBMiddlesex19011965EalingWallsend MBNorthumberland19011974North TynesideBexhill MBEast Sussex19021974RotherMorecambe MB (1902–28), Morecambe and Heysham MB (1928-74)Lancashire19021974LancasterAston Manor MBWarwickshire19031911absorbed by Birmingham CBBromley MBKent19031965BromleyGillingham MBKent19031974GillinghamHornsey MBMiddlesex19031965HaringeyEast Ham MBEssex19041915East Ham CBMerthyr Tydfil MBGlamorganshire19051908Merthyr Tydfil CBWimbledon MBSurrey19051965MertonNuneaton MBWarwickshire19071974Nuneaton

1910–19 There were only seven incorporations in this period. In fact, the number of boroughs only increased by one, as six boroughs were abolished. Stoke-on-Trent was an amalgam of four boroughs: Burslem, Hanley, Longton and Stoke upon Trent (and two urban districts); Aston Manor was absorbed by Birmingham in 1911; and Devonport by Plymouth in 1914.

Municipal BoroughCountyCreatedAbolishedSuccessor(s)Wallasey MBCheshire19101913Wallasey CBFowey MBCornwall19131968St Austell with Fowey MBLlanelly MB (1913–66), Llanelli MB (1966-74)Carmarthenshire19131974LlanelliStourbridge MBWorcestershire19141974DudleyAylesbury MBBuckinghamshire19171974Aylesbury ValeBuxton MBDerbyshire19171974High Peak

1920–29 Eleven boroughs were incorporated in the 1920s. This only represented a net increase of ten, however as Port Talbot was formed from the merger of the borough of Aberavon and the urban district of Margam.

Municipal BoroughCountyCreatedAbolishedSuccessor(s)Acton MBMiddlesex19211965EalingPort Talbot MBGlamorganshire19211974AfanRedcar MBNorth Riding of Yorkshire19211968Teesside CBAldershot MBHampshire19221974 RushmoorBlyth MBNorthumberland19221974 Blyth ValleyGosport MBHampshire19221974 GosportLytham St Annes MBLancashire19221974 FyldeWatford MBHertfordshire19221974 WatfordIlford MBEssex19261965RedbridgeLeyton MBEssex19261965Waltham ForestTwickenham MBMiddlesex19261965Richmond upon ThamesWalthamstow MBEssex19291965Waltham Forest

1930–39 There were fifty-three incorporations of boroughs in this period.

Municipal BoroughCountyCreatedAbolishedSuccessor(s)Barking MBEssex19311965Barking, NewhamWorksop MBNottinghamshire19311974BassetlawBarnes MBSurrey19321965Richmond upon ThamesBrentford and Chiswick MBMiddlesex19321965HounslowHendon MBMiddlesex19321965BarnetHeston and Isleworth MBMiddlesex19321965HounslowRugby MBWarwickshire19321974RugbyBilston MBStaffordshire19331966absorbed by Walsall CB, West Bromwich CB and Wolverhampton CBDartford MBKent19331974DartfordFinchley MBMiddlesex19331965BarnetFleetwood MBLancashire19331974WyreGoole MBWest Riding of Yorkshire19331974BoothferryRowley Regis MBStaffordshire19331966absorbed by Dudley CB, Halesowen MB, Warley CB and West Bromwich CBSouthgate MBMiddlesex19331965EnfieldStretford MBLancashire19331974TraffordWillesden MBMiddlesex19331965BrentWood Green MBMiddlesex19331965HaringeyColwyn Bay MBDenbighshire19341974ColwynMitcham MBSurrey19341965MertonSutton and Cheam MBSurrey19341965SuttonSwinton and Pendlebury MBLancashire19341974SalfordTottenham MBMiddlesex19341965HaringeyBeckenham MBKent19351965BromleyOldbury MBWorcestershire19351966absorbed by Halesowen MB, Warley CB and West Bromwich CBRadcliffe MBLancashire19351974BurySale MBCheshire19351974TraffordCleethorpes MBLincolnshire, Parts of Lindsey19361974CleethorpesEastleigh MBHampshire19361974EastleighHalesowen MBWorcestershire19361974DudleyMalden and Coombe MBSurrey19361965Kingston upon ThamesScunthorpe MBLincolnshire, Parts of Lindsey19361974ScunthorpeSouthall MBMiddlesex19361965EalingSurbiton MBSurrey19361965Kingston upon ThamesAltrincham MBCheshire19371974TraffordBebington MBCheshire19371974WirralBeddington and Wallington MBSurrey19371965SuttonBexley MBKent19371965BexleyCrosby MBLancashire19371974SeftonEdmonton MBMiddlesex19371965EnfieldEpsom and Ewell MBSurrey19371974Epsom and EwellRomford MBEssex19371965HaveringWanstead and Woodford MBEssex19371965RedbridgeWembley MBMiddlesex19371965BrentWeston-super-Mare MBSomerset19371974WoodspringChingford MBEssex19381965Waltham ForestDagenham MBEssex19381965Barking, RedbridgeErith MBKent19381965BexleyKettering MBNorthamptonshire19381974KetteringSlough MBBuckinghamshire19381974SloughTipton MBStaffordshire19381966absorbed by Dudley CB, Warley CB and West Bromwich CBBarry MBGlamorganshire19381974Vale of GlamorganFarnworth MBLancashire19391974BoltonPrestwich MBLancashire19391974Bury

1939–54: a halt to incorporations

The incorporations of Farnworth and Prestwich in 1939 were to be the last for fifteen years.

Initially a halt was put to the creation of new boroughs for the duration of the 1939–1945 war. The Local Elections and Register of Electors (Temporary Provisions) Act 1939, a piece of emergency war time legislation, provided that no changes could be made to the status or boundaries of local government areas. The legislation was renewed on an annual basis until 1945.

With the ending of hostilities a Local Government Boundary Commission was appointed in October 1945 to review the entire structure of local administration. While the review was being held, no petitions for incorporation were made.

The commission was abolished without completing its work in 1949, and following a change of government in 1951, new applications for incorporation were again accepted.

1954–55 Nine towns were incorporated in the years 1954 and 1955.

Municipal BoroughCountyCreatedAbolishedSuccessor(s)Harrow MBMiddlesex19541965HarrowSolihull MBWarwickshire19541964Solihull CBWhitley Bay MBNorthumberland19541974North Tyneside, Blyth ValleyCastleford MBWest Riding of Yorkshire19551974WakefieldEllesmere Port MBCheshire19551974Ellesmere PortEnfield MBMiddlesex19551965EnfieldRhondda MBGlamorganshire19551974RhonddaSpenborough MBWest Riding of Yorkshire19551974KirkleesUxbridge MBMiddlesex19551965Hillingdon

1956–74

The only new municipal boroughs were created by amalgamation of existing corporations in this period. In fact there was a decrease in the number of municipalities as various local government changes were made. In 1961 the boroughs of Huntingdon and Godmanchester were merged. In 1965 forty-two boroughs (including three county boroughs) were abolished when they were constituted part of Greater London. These were: Acton, Barking, Barnes, Beckenham, Beddington and Wallington, Bexley, Brentford and Chiswick, Bromley, Chingford, Croydon CB, Dagenham, Ealing, East Ham CB, Edmonton, Enfield, Erith, Finchley, Harrow, Hendon, Heston and Isleworth, Hornsey, Ilford, Kingston upon Thames, Leyton, Malden and Coombe, Mitcham, Richmond (Surrey), Romford, Southall, Southgate, Surbiton, Sutton and Cheam, Tottenham, Twickenham, Uxbridge, Walthamstow, Wanstead and Woodford, Wembley, West Ham CB, Willesden, Wimbledon and Wood Green. In 1966 six boroughs in the Black Country were abolished: Bilston, Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury, while the new county borough of Warley was created.