Old Ordnance Survey Maps of Northamptonshire
This page summarises the local government organisation of Northamptonshire since 1889.
Northamptonshire County Council was formed in 1889, and in 1894 a network of boroughs, urban district and rural district councils was formed across the county.
Northamptonshire (or Northants) initially had 5 Boroughs: Brackley, Daventry, Higham Ferres, Kettering, and Peterborough, though Brackley and Higham Ferrers had only become boroughs in 1886. Northampton became a County Borough in 1889,
the others were Municipal Boroughs. Kettering became a Municipal Borough in 1938. Peterborough had its own county status and history within the Soke of Peterborough.
From 1894 there were also 10 urban districts. These had less prestige than boroughs, and did not have the right to elect mayors or aldermen.
These were: Desborough, Finedon, Kettering, Kingsthorpe, Market Harborough, Oundle, Rothwell, Rushden, and Wellingborough. However, by 1896 Market Harborough, on the county boundary, was regarded as a Leicestershire UDC, and Hardingstone UDC had been replaced by Far Cotton and St James UDCs. These
in turn were absorbed by Northampton County Borough in 1900, as was Kingsthorpe UDC.
Three new UDCs were created in the 20th century: Irthlingborough (1901), Burton Latimer (1923), and Corby (1939). In 1938 Kettering UDC became a Municipal Borough.
There were also 16 Rural District Councils covering the areas outside the major towns, but these had less powers. Initially most were based on the Unions, met at the Workhouse, and had the Guardians serving as councillors.
These were: Brackley, Brixworth, Crick, Daventry, Easton on the Hill, Gretton, Hardingstone, Kettering, Middleton Cheney, Northampton, Oundle,
Oxendon, Potterspury, Thrapston, Towcester, and Wellingborough Rural Districts.
There was reorganisation of the rural districts in 1935. Easton on the Hill, Gretton, Oundle and Thrapston were absorbed by a new Oundle & Thrapston Rural District; Crick, Hardingstone, Middleton Cheney, Oxendon, and Potterspury RDCS were abolished and absorbed
by adjacent councils.
In 1974 there was major reorganisation and Northamptonshire had a 2-tier structure, with a County Council and seven District Councils. These were: Corby, Daventry, East Northamptonshire (based on Thrapston), Kettering, Northampton,
South Northamptonshire (based on Towcester), and Wellingborough. Corby, Kettering, Northampton and Wellingborough have borough status.
For a list of Northamptonshire maps go to the Northamptonshire page or for Peterborough to the Soke of Peterborough page. For a full list of English maps, return to the England page
You can order maps direct from our On-line Mapshop.
Minor changes are not listed here, but please advise us of any significant errors or omissions.
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The Godfrey Edition / sales@alangodfreymaps.co.uk / 5 January 2018