Municipal Borough of Aylesbury

51°49′00″N 0°48′45″W / 51.8168°N 0.8124°W / 51.8168; -0.8124

Aylesbury
Local Board District (1849-1894)
Urban District (1894-1916)
Municipal borough (1917–1974)

Aylesbury Town Hall, council's headquarters 1901-1968
Area
 • 19113,288 acres (13.3 km2)
 • 19613,594 acres (14.5 km2)
Population
 • 19019,243
 • 1971[1]38,305
History
 • Created5 September 1849 (Local Board District)
31 December 1894 (Urban District)
1 January 1917 (Municipal Borough)
 • Abolished31 March 1974
 • Succeeded byAylesbury Vale
 • HQAylesbury

The town of Aylesbury formed a local government district in Buckinghamshire, England from 1849 to 1974. It was administered as a local board district from 1849 to 1894, as an urban district from 1894 to 1916, and as a municipal borough from 1917 until its abolition in 1974.

History edit

The parish of Aylesbury was declared to be a local board district on 5 September 1849, to be governed by a local board of health.[2] After elections, the Aylesbury Local Board of Health held its first meeting on 17 October 1849.[3]

Under the Local Government Act 1894, local board districts became urban districts with effect from 31 December 1894. Aylesbury Urban District Council held its first meeting on 3 January 1895 at County Hall in the Market Square in Aylesbury. Henry Wyatt was elected the first chairman of the council.[4]

On 1 January 1917 the town was granted municipal borough status under the Municipal Corporations Act 1882. The first mayor was Robert William Locke.[5][6]

Premises edit

In its early years, the Aylesbury Local Board met at an office on Walton Street.[7][8] Sometime between 1867 and 1880 the local board moved its offices to 1 Rickford's Hill, and by 1890 was also using 2 Rickford's Hill as a secondary office.[9][10]

When the urban district council was established to replace the local board in 1894 it initially continued to use the Rickford's Hill offices, but held its meetings at County Hall. In 1900 the council leased the corn exchange on Market Square, and moved its offices there.[11][12] The following year the council bought the building. At a meeting on 4 March 1901 the council voted to change the name of the building from Corn Exchange to Aylesbury Town Hall.[13]

The council remained based at Town Hall until 1968, when it moved to 4 Great Western Street, being part of the newly built Friars Square shopping centre on the western side of Market Square. The council would remain based there until its abolition in 1974.[14][15]

Abolition edit

Aylesbury Borough Council was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972, merging with neighbouring districts to become Aylesbury Vale district on 1 April 1974. No successor parish was established for the town, and so it became an unparished area, directly administered by Aylesbury Vale District Council. A civil parish of Aylesbury was re-established in 2001, with its council taking the name Aylesbury Town Council.[16]

References edit

  1. ^ "Aylesbury Urban District / Municipal Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  2. ^ "At the Court of Balmoral, the 5th day of September 1849". London Gazette (21020): 2853. 18 September 1849. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Aylesbury". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 20 October 1849. p. 5. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Aylesbury Urban District Council". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 5 January 1895. p. 6. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Borough of Aylesbury: First meeting of the town council". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 6 January 1917. p. 7. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  6. ^ "We hear that..." North Bucks Times. Bletchley. 9 January 1917. p. 5. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  7. ^ "The Local Board of Health". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 29 March 1856. p. 5. Retrieved 21 May 2022. Meeting at the Board Room, Walton Street
  8. ^ "Local Board of Health". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 21 September 1867. p. 5. Retrieved 21 May 2022. Meeting at the Board Room, Walton Street
  9. ^ "Public Health Act, 1848". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 6 March 1880. p. 1. Retrieved 21 May 2022. …at the Office of the said Local Board, at No. 1, Rickford's Hill, in Aylesbury…
  10. ^ "Aylesbury Local Board of Health". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 22 March 1890. p. 1. Retrieved 21 May 2022. ...Office of the Surveyor of the Board, No. 2, Rickford's Hill, Aylesbury... Offices of the Board, No. 1, Rickford's Hill, Aylesbury.
  11. ^ "The Council to purchase the Market Company's property". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 9 June 1900. p. 6. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Aylesbury Urban District Council". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. p. 1. Retrieved 21 May 2022. …at the Offices of the said Council, Corn Exchange, Aylesbury…
  13. ^ "Aylesbury Urban District Council: Aylesbury Town Hall". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 9 March 1901. p. 6. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Aylesbury Borough Council". London Gazette (44547): 3150. 15 March 1968. Retrieved 18 May 2022. Town Hall, Aylesbury
  15. ^ "Aylesbury Borough Council". London Gazette (44583): 5350. 10 May 1968. Retrieved 18 May 2022. Municipal Offices, Friars Square, Aylesbury
  16. ^ The Aylesbury Vale (Parishes) Order 2000 (Statutory Instrument 2000 No. 3095) (PDF). 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.