Unreformed boroughs in England and Wales 1835–1886


Unreformed boroughs were those corporate towns in England and Wales which had not been reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. A handful of these obtained new charters under the 1835 Act. A royal commission was established in 1876 to inquire into these boroughs, and legislation passed in 1883 finally forced the reform or dissolution of these corporations by 1886.

Boroughs reformed 1835–1881

Only eight unreformed boroughs obtained new charters under the 1835 Act:
BoroughYear
Honiton, Devon1846
Hartlepool, County Durham1850
Yeovil, Somerset1854
Aberavon, Glamorgan1861
Hedon, Yorkshire1861
Reigate, Surrey1863
Dunstable, Bedfordshire1864
Lewes, Sussex1881

Three other towns incorporated in this period are sometimes listed as unreformed boroughs. The first of these was Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, incorporated in 1847. Although it may have had an existence as a municipality, it had ceased to exist by the nineteenth century. Peterborough, in Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire, was incorporated in 1874. The town was governed by officials of the dean and diocese of Peterborough. Taunton, in Somerset, whose charter had been nullified in 1792 due to a failure to fill vacancies in the corporation, continued as a parliamentary borough and the town was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1877.

The Royal Commission of 1876

A royal commission was appointed in 1876 which investigated the unreformed boroughs and made recommendations on which towns might be brought under the Municipal Corporations Act. The commissioners identified 75 towns with corporations still functioning, and recommended that 26 of them should be reformed, the others being abolished. They also named a further 32 towns in which the corporation had become extinct, although the boroughs still had a legal existence. Of these, 10 had ceased to operate since 1835.
The commissioners’ report was not acted upon for seven years. In the meantime, one of the towns they considered suitable for municipal government, Lewes was reformed, and the 1835 legislation was replaced by the Municipal Corporations Act 1882.

Municipal Corporations Act 1883

The Municipal Corporations Act 1883 provided for the abolition of unreformed borough corporations, unless they obtained a new charter under the 1882 legislation.
Section 3 stated that “The place shall not be a corporate town or borough, and any municipal or other corporation thereof existing shall be dissolved” if a new charter had not been obtained by 29 September 1886.
The first and second schedules listed the corporations investigated by the 1876 commission:

Corporation or reputed corporation
County
Commissioners’ report
Fate of corporation
Successor
AldeburghSuffolkRecommended reformReformed 1885Aldeburgh MB
AlnwickNorthumberlandRecommended reformAbolished 1886Alnwick LGD
AlresfordEssexRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Tendring RSD
AltrinchamCheshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886Altrincham LGD
ApplebyWestmorlandRecommended reformReformed 1885Appleby MB
AxbridgeSomersetRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Axbridge RSD
BalaMerionethshireLong extinctAbolished 1886Bala LGD
BangorCaernarfonshireLong extinctReformed 1883Bangor MB
BerkeleyGloucestershireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Thornbury RSD
Bishops CastleShropshireRecommended reformReformed 1885Bishop's Castle MB
BossineyCornwallExtinct since 1835Abolished 1886absorbed by Camelford RSD
Bovey TraceyDevonRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Newton Abbot RSD
BrackleyNorthamptonshireRecommended abolitionReformed 1886Brackley MB
BradingHampshire Recommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Isle of Wight RSD
BradninchDevonRecommended reformAbolished 1886absorbed by Tiverton RSD
BridlingtonYorkshireLong extinctAbolished 1886Bridlington LGD
CaerwysFlintshireExtinct since 1835Abolished 1886absorbed by Holywell RSD
CamelfordCornwallRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Camelford RSD
Castle RisingNorfolkExtinct since 1835Abolished 1886absorbed by Freebridge Lynn RSD
Chipping CampdenGloucestershireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Shipston on Stour RSD
Chipping SodburyGloucestershireLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Chipping Sodbury RSD
ChristchurchHampshireRecommended reformReformed 1886Christchurch MB
ClunShropshireExtinct since 1835Abolished 1886absorbed by Clun RSD
Corfe CastleDorsetRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Wareham & Purbeck RSD
CowbridgeGlamorganshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Bridgend & Cowbridge RSD
CricciethCaernarfonshireLong extinctAbolished 1886Criccieth ICD
CrickhowellBrecknockshireLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Crickhowell RSD
Dinas MawddwyMerionethshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Dolgelley RSD
DunwichSuffolkRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Blything RSD
DursleyGloucestershireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Dursley RSD
East LooeCornwallRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Liskeard RSD
FarnhamSurreyLong extinctAbolished 1886Farnham LGD
FishguardPembrokeshireLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Haverfordwest RSD
FordwichKentRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Bridge RSD
GarstangLancashireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Garstang RSD
GrampoundCornwallLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by St Austell RSD
Great DunmowEssexRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Dunmow RSD
HarlechMerionethshireLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Ffestiniog RSD
HartonDevonRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Bideford RSD
HayHerefordshireLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Hay RSD
Havering-atte-BowerEssexRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Romford RSD
Henley-on-ThamesOxfordshireRecommended reformReformed 1883Henley-on-Thames MB
Higham FerrersNorthamptonshireRecommended abolitionReformed 1886Higham Ferrers MB
HoltDenbighshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Wrexham RSD
IlchesterSomersetRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Yeovil RSD
KenfigGlamorganshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Bridgend & Cowbridge RSD
KidwellyCarmarthenshireRecommended reformReformed 1885Kidwelly MB
KilgerranPembrokeshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Cardigan RSD
LampeterCardiganshireRecommended abolitionReformed 1884Lampeter MB
Langport EastoverSomersetRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Langport RSD
LaugharneCarmarthenshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Carmarthen RSD
LlanellyCarmarthenshireExtinct since 1835Abolished 1886Llanelly LGD
LlanfyllinMontgomeryshireRecommended reformReformed 1885Llanfyllin MB
LlantrisantGlamorganshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Pontypridd RSD
LostwithielCornwallRecommended reformReformed 1885Lostwithiel MB
LoughorGlamorganshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Llanelly RSD
LyddKentRecommended reformReformed 1885Lydd MB
MachynllethMontgomeryshireLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Machynlleth RSD
MalmesburyWiltshireRecommended reformReformed 1886Malmesbury MB
MarazionCornwallRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Penzance RSD
MidhurstSussexLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Midhurst RSD
MontgomeryMontgomeryshireRecommended reformReformed 1885Montgomery MB
NevinCaernarfonshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Pwllheli RSD
New RomneyKentRecommended reformReformed 1885New Romney MB
NewboroughAngleseyLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Carnarvon RSD
NewportShropshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886Newport LGD
NewportPembrokeshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Cardigan RSD
NewtonLancashireLong extinctAbolished 1886Newton in Makerfield LGD
NewtownHampshire Extinct since 1835Abolished 1886absorbed by Isle of Wight RSD
OkehamptonDevonRecommended reformReformed 1885Okehampton MB
OrfordSuffolkRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Plomesgate RSD
OverCheshireRecommended reformAbolished 1886Winsford LGD
OvertonFlintshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Ellesmere RSD
PetersfieldHampshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Petersfield RSD
PevenseySussexRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Eastbourne RSD
Plympton EarleDevonExtinct since 1835Abolished 1886absorbed by Plympton St Mary RSD
PresteigneRadnorshireLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Knighton RSD
RhuddlanFlintshireExtinct since 1835Abolished 1886absorbed by St Asaph RSD
QueenboroughKentRecommended reformReformed 1885Queenborough MB
RadnorRadnorshireRecommended reformAbolished 1886absorbed by Kington RSD
Romney MarshKentRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Romney Marsh RSD
RuytonShropshireLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Oswestry RSD
St ClearsCarmarthenshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Carmarthen RSD
St David'sPembrokeshireLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Haverfordwest RSD
SaltashCornwallRecommended reformReformed 1885Saltash MB
SeafordSussexRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886Seaford LGD
Sutton ColdfieldWarwickshireRecommended reformReformed 1885Sutton Coldfield MB
TavistockDevonLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Tavistock RSD
ThornburyGloucestershireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Thornbury RSD
TregonyCornwallExtinct since 1835Abolished 1886absorbed by Truro RSD
UskMonmouthshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886Usk LGD
WarehamDorsetRecommended reformReformed 1886Wareham MB
WeobleyHerefordshireLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Weobley RSD
WestburyWiltshireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Westbury & Whorwellsdown RSD
West LooeCornwallExtinct since 1835Abolished 1886absorbed by Liskeard RSD
WickwarGloucestershireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Chipping Sodbury RSD
WiltonWiltshireRecommended reformReformed 1885Wilton MB
WinchcombGloucestershireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Winchcomb RSD
WinchelseaSussexRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Rye RSD
WistonPembrokeshireLong extinctAbolished 1886absorbed by Haverfordwest RSD
WokinghamBerkshireRecommended reformReformed 1883Wokingham MB
WoodstockOxfordshireRecommended reformReformed 1886Woodstock MB
Wootton BassettWiltshireRecommended reformAbolished 1886absorbed by Cricklade & Wootton Bassett RSD
Wotton-under-EdgeGloucestershireRecommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Dursley RSD
YarmouthHampshire Recommended abolitionAbolished 1886absorbed by Isle of Wight RSD

A number of the boroughs abolished in 1886 subsequently regained borough status, the earliest being Cowbridge in 1887. When such boroughs were created, however, they were entirely new creations with no claim to the former property of the abolished boroughs.

Other provisions

The 1886 Act also dealt with a number of other corporations with a status similar to boroughs: