Boroughs incorporated in England and Wales 1835–1882


The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 reformed 178 existing boroughs. It also allowed for further towns to submit petitions for the grant of a charter of incorporation as a municipal borough. There were 62 such incorporations before the 1835 act was repealed and replaced by the Municipal Corporations Act 1882.

1836 – The 178 reformed boroughs

1837-82

Up to 1851, eighteen boroughs were incorporated: sixteen towns that had been enfranchised by the Reform Act 1832 and two of the boroughs unreformed in 1835 were brought under the act.
In the following years a further six unreformed boroughs were incorporated and 38 other towns became municipalities. Most of the newly incorporated towns were rapidly growing industrial centres. A number of coastal resorts were created boroughs, reflecting the growth of seaside tourism, and in 1875 Leamington Spa became the first inland spa resort to gain incorporation.

Municipal Borough
County
Created
Abolished
Successor
Devonport MB†Devon18371889Devonport CB
Bolton MB†Lancashire18381889Bolton CB
Birmingham MB†Warwickshire18381889Birmingham CB
Manchester MB†Lancashire18381889Manchester CB
Sheffield MB†Yorkshire18431889Sheffield CB
Salford MB†Lancashire18441889Salford CB
Honiton MB‡Devon18461974East Devon
Ashton-under-Lyne MB†Lancashire18471974Tameside
Bradford MB†Yorkshire18471889Bradford CB
Warrington MB†Lancashire and Cheshire, Lancashire 18471900Warrington CB
Halifax MB†Yorkshire18481889Halifax CB
Wakefield MB†Yorkshire, West Riding of Yorkshire 18481915Wakefield CB
Wolverhampton MB†Staffordshire18481889Wolverhampton CB
Oldham MB†Lancashire18491889Oldham CB
Tynemouth MB†Northumberland18491904Tynemouth CB
Hartlepool MB‡County Durham18501967Hartlepool CB
South Shields MB†County Durham18501889South Shields CB
Blackburn MB†Lancashire18511889Blackburn CB
Middlesbrough MBYorkshire18531889Middlesbrough CB
Brighton MB†Sussex18541889Brighton CB
Yeovil MB‡Somerset18541974Yeovil
Rochdale MB†Lancashire18561889Rochdale CB
Hanley MBStaffordshire18571889Hanley CB
Margate MBKent18571974Thanet
Stalybridge MBCheshire and Lancashire, Cheshire 18571974Tameside
Wrexham MBDenbighshire18571974Wrexham Maelor
Hedon MB‡Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire 18611974Holderness
Aberavon MB‡Glamorganshire18611921Port Talbot MB
Burnley MBLancashire18611889Burnley CB
Dewsbury MBYorkshire, West Riding of Yorkshire 18621913Dewsbury CB
Reigate MB‡Surrey18631974Reigate and Banstead
Dunstable MB‡Bedfordshire18641974South Bedfordshire
Dudley MB†Worcestershire18651889Dudley CB
Longton MBStaffordshire18651910Stoke on Trent CB
Glossop MBDerbyshire18661974High Peak
Southport MBLancashire18661905Southport CB
Barrow-in-Furness MBLancashire18671889Barrow-in-Furness CB
Darlington MBCounty Durham18671915Darlington CB
Batley MBYorkshire, West Riding of Yorkshire 18681974Kirklees
Bootle cum Linacre MBLancashire18681889Bootle CB
Huddersfield MB†Yorkshire18681889Huddersfield CB
Ryde MBHampshire, Isle of Wight 18681974Medina
St Helens MBLancashire18681889St Helens CB
Barnsley MBYorkshire, West Riding of Yorkshire 18691913Barnsley CB
Rotherham MBYorkshire, West Riding of Yorkshire 18711902Rotherham CB
Peterborough MBNorthamptonshire and Huntingdonshire,
Soke of Peterborough, Huntingdon and Peterborough 		18741974Peterborough
St Ives MBHuntingdonshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough 18741974Huntingdon
Stoke upon Trent MB†Staffordshire18741910Stoke on Trent CB
Jarrow MBCounty Durham18751974South Tyneside
Royal Leamington Spa MBWarwickshire18751974Warwick
Blackpool MBLancashire18761904Blackpool CB
Bury MB†Lancashire18761889Bury CB
Cheltenham MB†Gloucestershire18761974Cheltenham
Luton MBBedfordshire18761964Luton CB
Birkenhead MBCheshire18771889Birkenhead CB
Crewe MBCheshire18771974Crewe and Nantwich
Accrington MBLancashire18781974Hyndburn
Burslem MBStaffordshire18781910Stoke on Trent CB
Burton upon Trent MBStaffordshire and Derbyshire, Staffordshire 18781901Burton upon Trent CB
Darwen MBLancashire18781974Blackburn
Chorley MBLancashire18811974Chorley
Heywood MBLancashire18811974Rochdale
Hyde MBCheshire18811974Tameside
Lewes MB‡Sussex, East Sussex 18811974Lewes

† Boroughs enfranchised 1832
‡ Borough unreformed in 1835