History of local government districts in Buckinghamshire


The History of local government districts in Buckinghamshire began in 1835 with the formation of poor law unions. This was followed by the creation of various forms of local government body. In 1894 the existing arrangements were replaced with a system of municipal boroughs, urban and rural districts, which remained in place until 1974.

Poor law unions

The parishes of the county were grouped under the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 to form unions. Each union was administered by a board of guardians elected by the parish ratepayers. The boundaries of the unions would later be used to define rural sanitary districts in 1875 and rural districts in 1894. Poor law unions were abolished in 1930 by the Local Government Act 1929.
NameNotesArea covered
Amersham PLUAmersham, Ashley Green, Beaconsfield, Chalfont St Giles, Chalfont St Peter, Chartridge, Chenies, Chesham, Chesham Bois, Coleshill, Latimer, The Lee, Great Missenden, Little Missenden, Penn, Seer Green
Aylesbury PLUAshendon, Aston Abbots, Aston Clinton, Aston Sandford, Aylesbury, Bierton with Broughton, Buckland, Chearsley, Cholesbury, Creslow, Cublington, Cuddington, Dinton with Ford and Upton, Drayton Beauchamp, Fleet Marston, Grendon Underwood, Haddenham, Halton, Hardwick, Hartwell, Hawridge, Hulcott, Kingswood, Ludgershall, Oving, Pitchcott, Quainton, Quarrendon, Shipton Lee, Stoke Mandeville, Stone, Waddesdon, Lower Winchendon, Upper Winchendon, Weedon, Westcott, Weston Turville, Whitchurch, Wingrave with Rowsham, Woodham, Wotton Underwood
Berkhampstead PLUMostly in HertfordshireMarsworth, Nettleden, Pitstone
Bicester PLUMostly in OxfordshireBoarstall
Brackley PLUBiddlesden, Turweston, Westbury
Buckingham PLUAddington, Adstock, Akeley, Barton Hartshorn, Beachampton, Buckingham, Charndon, Chetwode, Edgcott, Foscott, Hillesden, Leckhampstead, Lillingstone Dayrell, Lillingstone Lovell, Luffield Abbey, Maids Moreton, Marsh Gibbon, Middle Claydon, Padbury, Poundon, Preston Bissett, Radclive-cum-Chackmore, Shalstone, Steeple Claydon, Stowe, Thornborough, Thornton, Tingewick, Twyford, Water Stratford
Eton PLUBoveney, Burnham, Datchet, Denham, Dorney, Eton, Eton Wick, Farnham Royal, Fulmer, Gerrard's Cross, Hedgerley, Hedgerley Dean, Hitcham, Horton, Iver, Langley Marish, Slough, Stoke in Slough, Stoke Poges, Taplow, Upton-cum-Chalvey, Wexham, Wyrardisbury
Henley PLUMostly in OxfordshireFawley, Hambleden, Medmenham
Leighton Buzzard PLUMostly in BedfordshireCheddington, Edlesborough, Grove, Ivinghoe, Linslade, Mentmore, Pitstone, Slapton, Soulbury, Stoke Hammond, Wing
Newport Pagnell PLUAstwood, Bletchley, Bow Brickhill, Bradwell, Bradwell Abbey, Broughton, Castlethorpe, Chicheley, Clifton Reynes, Cold Brayfield, Emberton, Fenny Stratford, Gayhurst, Great Brickhill, Great Linford, Great Woolstone, Hanslope, Hardmead, Haversham, Lathbury, Lavendon, Little Brickhill, Little Linford, Little Woolstone, Loughton, Milton Keynes, Moulsoe, New Bradwell, Newport Pagnell, Newton Blossomville, Newton Longville, North Crawley, Olney, Olney Park Farm, Petsoe Manor, Ravenstone, Shenley Church End, Sherington, Simpson, Stantonbury, Stoke Goldington, Tyringham and Filgrave, Walton, Warrington, Water Eaton, Wavendon, Weston Underwood, Willen, Woburn Sands, Woughton on the Green
Potterspury PLUMostly in NorthamptonshireCalverton, Stony Stratford East, Stony Stratford West, Wolverton
Thame PLUMostly in OxfordshireBrill, Chilton, Dorton, Ickford, Kingsey, Long Crendon, Oakley, Shabbington, Worminghall
Winslow PLUDrayton Parslow, Dunton, East Claydon, Granborough, Great Horwood, Hoggeston, Hogshaw, Little Horwood, Mursley, Nash, North Marston, Shenley Brook End, Stewkley, Swanbourne, Tattenhoe, Whaddon, Winslow
Wycombe PLUBledlow, Bradenham, Chepping Wycombe, Chepping Wycombe Rural, Chepping Wycombe Urban, Ellesborough, Fingest and Lane End, Great and Little Hampden, Great Hampden, Great Kimble, Great and Little Kimble, Great Marlow, Hedsor, High Wycombe, Horsenden, Hughenden, Ibstone, Ilmer, Lewknor Uphill, Little Hampden, Little Kimble, Little Marlow, Little Missenden, Marlow Urban, Medmenham, Monks Risborough, Princes Risborough, Radnage, Saunderton, Stoke Mandeville, Stokenchurch, Turville, Wendover, Wycombe, West Wycombe, Wooburn

Local boards of health and sanitary districts

Following the enactment of the Public Health Act 1848, boards of health could be formed on petition of the inhabitants or where there was excess mortality. The Local Government Act 1858 simplified the process of creating local councils: ratepayers of a parish or area could adopt the Act by resolution, whereupon it would become a Local Government District, governed by a Local Board.
The system was rationalised by the Public Health Act 1875, which designated all municipal boroughs, local board districts, local government districts and improvement commissioners districts in England and Wales as urban sanitary districts. The existing local authority became an urban sanitary authority, without change of title. In Buckinghamshire this applied to Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Buckingham, Chesham, Eton, Slough and Chepping Wycombe. Also created were rural sanitary districts, which were identical in area to poor law unions, less any urban sanitary district. The poor law guardians for the parishes in the district became the rural sanitary authority.

List of districts 1835–1894

Municipal boroughs, local boards and urban sanitary districts 1835–1894

Municipal Boroughs were created by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, Local Board Districts were created by the Public Health Act 1848 and governed by a local board of health, Local Government Districts were created by the Local Government Act 1858 and governed by a local board. These all became urban sanitary authorities in 1875.
NameFormedArea covered
Aylesbury LBD1849Parish of Aylesbury
Beaconsfield LBD1850Parish of Beaconsfield
Buckingham MB1835Parish of Buckingham
Chepping Wycombe MB1835Parish of Wycombe and part of Chepping Wycombe
Chesham LGD1884Parish of Chesham
Eton LBD1849Part of the parish of Eton
Slough LGD1863Parts of the parishes of Stoke Poges and Upton cum Chalvey

Rural sanitary districts 1875–1894

County districts 1894–1974

The Local Government Act 1894 reconstituted rural sanitary districts as rural districts and urban sanitary districts as urban districts. Rural sanitary districts were split into multiple rural districts if they crossed county lines. Where a parish was partly in an urban sanitary district and partly in a rural sanitary district, it was split into two civil parishes. All districts were abolished in 1974.