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[[File:England County Boroughs 1974.png|thumb|County boroughs in England in 1973 (darker colours)]]'''County borough''' is a term introduced in 1889 in the [[United Kingdom]] (excluding [[Scotland]]), to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. 

When county councils were created in 1889, it was decided that to let them have authority over large towns or cities would be impractical, and so any large incorporated place would have the right to be a county borough, and thus independent from the administrative county it would otherwise come under. Some cities and towns were already independent counties corporate, and most were to become county boroughs.  Originally ten county boroughs were proposed; [[Bristol]], [[Hull]], [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] and [[Nottingham]], which were already counties, and [[Birmingham]], [[Bradford]], [[Leeds]], [[Liverpool]], [[Manchester]],  and [[Sheffield]], which were not. The Local Government Act 1888 as eventually passed required a population of over 50,000 except in the case of existing counties corporate.<ref>Local Government Act 1888, s.31</ref> This resulted in 61 county boroughs in England and two in Wales. Several exceptions were allowed, mainly for historic towns: [[Bath]], [[Dudley]] and [[Oxford]] were all under the 50,000 limit in the 1901 census. Some of the smaller counties corporate — [[Berwick upon Tweed]], [[Lichfield]], [[Lincoln]], [[Poole]], [[Carmarthen]] and [[Haverfordwest]] — did not become county boroughs, although [[Canterbury]], with a population under 25,000, did.

The equivalent 1889 act for Scotland did not use the term, but gave a similar status to the cities of [[Aberdeen]], [[Dundee]], [[Edinburgh]] and [[Glasgow]] as "counties of cities". There was an additional category of "large burgh" in the Scottish system, which were responsible for all services apart from police, education and fire.

County boroughs were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in [[England and Wales]], but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in local government districts in [[Wales]]. 

==England ==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!County borough
!From
!Associated county 
!Abolished
!colspan=2|Succeeded by
|-
|[[Barnsley|Barnsley]]
|1913
|[[West Riding of Yorkshire]]
|1974
|[[Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley]]
|[[South Yorkshire]]
|-
|[[Barrow-in-Furness]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Barrow-in-Furness]]
|[[Cumbria]]
|-
|[[Bath]]
|1889
|[[Somerset]]
|1974
|[[Bath]]
|[[Avon]]
|-
|[[Birkenhead]]
|1889
|[[Cheshire]]
|1974
|[[Wirral]]
|[[Merseyside]]
|-
|[[Birmingham]]
|1889
|[[Warwickshire]]
|1974
|[[Birmingham]]
|[[West Midlands]]
|-
|[[Blackburn]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Blackburn with Darwen]]
|[[Lancashire]]
|-
|[[Blackpool]]
|1904
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Blackpool]]
|[[Lancashire]]
|-
|[[Bolton]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Bolton]]
|[[Greater Manchester]]
|-
|[[Bootle]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton]]
|[[Merseyside]]
|-
|[[Bournemouth]]
|1900
|[[Hampshire]]
|1974
|[[Bournemouth]]
|[[Dorset]]
|-
|[[Bradford]]
|1889
|[[West Riding]]
|1974
|[[City of Bradford]]
|[[West Yorkshire]]
|-
|[[Brighton|Brighton]]
|1889
|[[Sussex]]
|1974
|[[Brighton]]
|[[East Sussex]]
|-
|[[Bristol]]
|1889
|[[Gloucestershire]]
|1974
|[[Bristol]]
|[[Avon]]
|-
|[[Burnley]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Burnley]]
|[[Lancashire]]
|-
|[[Burton upon Trent]]
|1901
|[[Staffordshire]]
|1974
|[[East Staffordshire]]
|[[Staffordshire]]
|-
|[[Bury]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Bury]]
|[[Greater Manchester]]
|-
|[[Canterbury]]
|1889
|[[Kent]]
|1974
|[[Canterbury]]
|[[Kent]]
|-
|[[Carlisle]]
|1915
|[[Cumberland]]
|1974
|[[City of Carlisle]]
|[[Cumbria]]
|-
|[[Chester]]
|1889
|[[Cheshire]]
|1974
|[[Chester]]
|[[Cheshire]]
|-
|[[Coventry]]
|1889
|[[Warwickshire]]
|1974
|[[Coventry]]
|[[West Midlands]]
|-
|[[Croydon]]
|1889
|[[Surrey]]
|1965
|[[London Borough of Croydon]]
|[[Greater London]]
|-
|[[Darlington]]
|1915
|[[County Durham]]
|1974
|[[Darlington]]
|[[County Durham]]
|-
|[[Derby]]
|1889
|[[Derbyshire]]
|1974
|[[Derby]]
|[[Derbyshire]]
|-
|[[Devonport]]
|1889
|[[Devon]]
|1914
|[[County Borough of Plymouth]]
|[[Devon]]
|-
|[[Dewsbury]]
|1913
|[[West Riding]]
|1974
|[[Kirklees]]
|[[West Yorkshire]]
|-
|[[Doncaster]]
|1927
|[[West Riding]]
|1974
|[[Doncaster]]
|[[South Yorkshire]]
|-
|[[Dudley]]
|1889
|[[Worcestershire]] to 1966<br />then [[Staffordshire]]
|1974
|[[Dudley]]
|[[West Midlands]]
|-
|[[Eastbourne]]
|1911
|[[Sussex]]
|1974
|[[Eastbourne]]
|[[East Sussex]]
|-
|[[East Ham]]
|1915
|[[Essex]]
|1965
|[[London Borough of Newham]]
|[[Greater London]] 
|-
|[[Exeter]]
|1889
|[[Devon]]
|1974
|[[Exeter]]
|[[Devon]]
|-
|[[Gateshead]]
|1889
|[[County Durham]]
|1974
|[[Gateshead]]
|[[Tyne and Wear]]
|-
|[[Gloucester]]
|1889
|[[Gloucestershire]] 
|1974
|[[Gloucester]]
|[[Gloucestershire]] 
|-
|[[Great Yarmouth]]
|1889
|[[Norfolk]]
|1974
|[[Great Yarmouth]]
|[[Norfolk]]
|-
|[[Grimsby]]
|1891
|[[Lincolnshire]]
|1974
|[[Grimsby]]
|[[Humberside]]
|-
|[[Halifax]]
|1889
|[[West Riding]]
|1974
|[[Calderdale]]
|[[West Yorkshire]]
|-
|[[Hanley]]
|1889
|[[Staffordshire]]
|1910
|[[County Borough of Stoke-on-Trent]]
|[[Staffordshire]]
|-
|[[Hartlepool]]
|1967
|[[County Durham]]
|1974
|[[Hartlepool]]
|[[Cleveland]]
|-
|[[Hastings]]
|1889
|[[Sussex]]
|1974
|[[Hastings]]
|[[East Sussex]]
|-
|[[Huddersfield]]
|1889
|[[West Riding]]
|1974
|[[Kirklees]]
|[[West Yorkshire]]
|-
|[[Ipswich]]
|1889
|[[Suffolk]]
|1974
|[[Ipswich]]
|[[Suffolk]]
|-
|[[Kingston upon Hull]]
|1889
|[[East Riding]]
|1974
|[[Kingston upon Hull]]
|[[Humberside]]
|-
|[[Leeds]]
|1889
|[[West Riding]]
|1974
|[[City of Leeds]]
|[[West Yorkshire]]
|-
|[[Leicester]]
|1889
|[[Leicestershire]]
|1974
|[[Leicester]]
|[[Leicestershire]]
|-
|[[Lincoln]]
|1889
|[[Lincolnshire]]
|1974
|[[Lincoln]]
|[[Lincolnshire]]
|-
|[[Liverpool]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Liverpool]]
|[[Merseyside]]
|-
|[[Luton]]
|1964
|[[Bedfordshire]]
|1974
|[[Luton]]
|[[Bedfordshire]]
|-
|[[Manchester]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Manchester]]
|[[Greater Manchester]]
|-
|[[Middlesbrough]]
|1889
|[[North Riding of Yorkshire]]
|1968
|[[County Borough of Teesside]]
|[[North Riding]]
|-
|[[Newcastle upon Tyne]]
|1889
|[[Northumberland]]
|1974
|[[Newcastle upon Tyne]]
|[[Tyne and Wear]]
|-
|[[Northampton]]
|1889
|[[Northamptonshire]]
|1974
|[[Northampton]]
|[[Northamptonshire]]
|-
|[[Nottingham]]
|1889
|[[Nottinghamshire]]
|1974
|[[Nottingham]]
|[[Nottinghamshire]]
|-
|[[Norwich]]
|1889
|[[Norfolk]]
|1974
|[[Norwich]]
|[[Norfolk]]
|-
|[[Oldham]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Oldham]]
|[[Greater Manchester]]
|-
|[[Oxford]]
|1889
|[[Oxfordshire]]
|1974
|[[Oxford]]
|[[Oxfordshire]]
|-
|[[Plymouth]]
|1889
|[[Devon]]
|1974
|[[Plymouth]]
|[[Devon]]
|-
|[[Portsmouth]]
|1889
|[[Hampshire]]
|1974
|[[Portsmouth]]
|[[Hampshire]]
|-
|[[Preston]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Preston]]
|[[Lancashire]]
|-
|[[Reading]]
|1889
|[[Berkshire]]
|1974
|[[Reading]]
|[[Berkshire]]
|-
|[[Rochdale]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Rochdale]]
|[[Greater Manchester]]
|-
|[[Rotherham]]
|1902
|[[West Riding]]
|1974
|[[Rotherham]]
|[[South Yorkshire]]
|-
|[[St Helens]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[St Helens]]]
|[[Merseyside]]
|-
|[[Salford]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[City of Salford]]
|[[Greater Manchester]]
|-
|[[Sheffield]]
|1889
|[[West Riding]]
|1974
|[[City of Sheffield]]
|[[South Yorkshire]]
|-
|[[Smethwick]]
|1907
|[[Staffordshire]]
|1966
|[[County Borough of Warley]]
|[[Worcestershire]]
|-
|[[Solihull]]
|1964
|[[Warwickshire]]
|1974
|[[Solihull]]
|[[West Midlands]]
|-
|[[Southampton]]
|1889
|[[Hampshire]]
|1974
|[[Southampton]]
|[[Hampshire]]
|-
|[[Southend-on-Sea]]
|1914
|[[Essex]]
|1974
|[[Southend-on-Sea]]
|[[Essex]]
|-
|[[Southport]]
|1905
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Metropolitan Borough of Sefton]]
|[[Merseyside]]
|-
|[[South Shields]]
|1889
|[[County Durham]]
|1974
|[[South Tyneside]]
|[[Tyne and Wear]]
|-
|[[Stockport]]
|1889
|[[Cheshire]]
|1974
|[[Metropolitan Borough of Stockport]]
|[[Greater Manchester]]
|-
|[[Stoke-on-Trent]]
|1910
|[[Staffordshire]]
|1974
|[[Stoke-on-Trent]]
|[[Staffordshire]]
|-
|[[City of Sunderland]]
|1889
|[[County Durham]]
|1974
|[[City of Sunderland]]
|[[Tyne and Wear]]
|-
|[[Teesside]]
|1968
|[[North Riding]]
|1974
|[[Middlesbrough]]<br />[[Stockton-on-Tees]]<br />[[Langbaurgh]]
|[[Cleveland]]
|-
|[[Torbay]]
|1968
|[[Devon]]
|1974
|[[Torbay]]
|[[Devon]]
|-
|[[Tynemouth]]
|1904
|[[Northumberland]]
|1974
|[[North Tyneside]]
|[[Tyne and Wear]]
|-
|[[Wakefield]]
|1915
|[[West Riding]]
|1974
|[[City of Wakefield]]
|[[West Yorkshire]]
|-
|[[Wallasey]]
|1913
|[[Cheshire]]
|1974
|[[Wirral]]
|[[Merseyside]]
|-
|[[Walsall]]
|1889
|[[Staffordshire]]
|1974
|[[Walsall]]
|[[West Midlands]]
|-
|[[Warley]]
|1966
|[[Worcestershire]]
|1974
|[[Sandwell]]
|[[West Midlands]]
|-
|[[Warrington]]
|1900
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Warrington]]
|[[Cheshire]]
|-
|[[West Bromwich]]
|1889
|[[Staffordshire]]
|1974
|[[Sandwell]]
|[[West Midlands]]
|-
|[[West Ham]]
|1889
|[[Essex]]
|1965
|[[London Borough of Newham]]
|[[Greater London]]
|-
|[[West Hartlepool]]
|1902
|[[County Durham]]
|1967
|[[County Borough of Hartlepool]]
|[[County Durham]]
|-
|[[Wigan]]
|1889
|[[Lancashire]]
|1974
|[[Wigan]]
|[[Greater Manchester]]
|-
|[[Wolverhampton]]
|1889
|[[Staffordshire]]
|1974
|[[Wolverhampton]]
|[[West Midlands]]
|-
|[[Worcester]]
|1889
|[[Worcestershire]]
|1974
|[[Worcester]])
|[[Hereford and Worcester]]
|-
|[[York]]
|1889
|[[West Riding]]
|1974
|[[York]]
|[[North Yorkshire]]
|}

Only four districts with more than one county borough were formed: [[Wirral]], [[Sandwell]], [[Sefton]] and [[Kirklees]].  Elsewhere, county boroughs usually formed the core or all of a district named after the county borough - with the exceptions of [[Halifax]], whose metropolitan district was named [[Calderdale]], [[Burton upon Trent]], which became part of the [[East Staffordshire]] district, and [[Teesside]], which was split up between three non-metropolitan districts.

==Wales==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!County borough
!From
!Associated county 
!Abolished
!colspan=2|Succeeded by
|-
|[[Cardiff]]
|1889
|[[Glamorgan]]
|1974
|[[Cardiff]]
|[[South Glamorgan]]
|-
|[[Merthyr Tydfil|Merthyr Tydfil]]
|1908
|[[Glamorgan]]
|1974
|[[Merthyr Tydfil]]
|[[Mid Glamorgan]]
|-
|[[Newport]]
|1891
|[[Monmouthshire]]
|1974
|[[Newport]]
|[[Gwent]]
|-
|[[Swansea]]
|1889
|[[Glamorgan]]
|1974
|[[Swansea]]
|[[West Glamorgan]]
|}

As in England, all the old county boroughs were abolished in 1974. However under more recent legislation, some council areas are now again called county boroughs:<ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/19/schedule/1 Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Schedule 1, Part II]</ref>

* [[Blaenau Gwent]]
* [[Bridgend]]
* [[Caerphilly]]
* [[Conwy]]
* [[Merthyr Tydfil]]
* [[Neath Port Talbot]]
* [[Rhondda Cynon Taf]]
* [[Torfaen]]
* [[Vale of Glamorgan]]
* [[Wrexham]]

[[Newport]] was originally in this list, but became a city in 2002.

For all practical purposes, county boroughs in Wales are exactly the same as the areas called "counties", as all these areas are run by [[unitary authorities]] (i.e.: have the functions of both boroughs and counties). Although unitary authorities are functionally equivalent to county boroughs, only in Wales is the title given official recognition by Act of Parliament.<ref>[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/19/schedule/1 Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Schedule 1, Part II]</ref>

==Ireland ==

The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 created county boroughs for [[Belfast]], Cork, [[Dublin]], Limerick, [[Londonderry]] and Waterford.

===Northern Ireland===
The county boroughs of [[Belfast]] and [[Derry|Londonderry]] have been replaced with two larger districts: [[Belfast City Council|Belfast]] and Londonderry, subsequently renamed [[Derry]].

=== Republic of Ireland ===

Galway became an additional county borough in 1986. Under the Local Government Act 2001 (which replaced most existing local government legislation in Ireland), the term "County Borough" was abolished and replaced with "City" (and hence, "Corporation" with "City Council"). However Kilkenny, while a city, is instead administered as a town (and part of the county council area) for local government purposes. It is allowed to use the title "Borough Council" instead of "Town Council".

== See also ==
* [[Metropolitan borough]]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Places]]