Administrative counties of England

Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government in England from 1889 to 1974.

History

The administrative counties didn't exist prior to 1888, see traditional counties of England for the history of the English counties before then.

Related Topics:
1888 - Traditional counties of England

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Introduction of county councils

In 1888 the government, led by the Tory Prime Minister Lord Salisbury established county councils for all of England and Wales, covering areas known as administrative counties. Excluded from administrative counties were the county boroughs, which were what today are known as unitary authorities.

Related Topics:
1888 - Lord Salisbury - County council - England and Wales - Administrative counties - County borough - Unitary authorities

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Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Suffolk, Sussex, and Yorkshire were split up for administrative purposes, following historical divisions used by the Courts of Quarter Sessions.

Related Topics:
Cambridgeshire - Lincolnshire - Northamptonshire - Suffolk - Sussex - Yorkshire - Quarter Sessions

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Additionally there was a County of London which covered the area today known as Inner London. The Isle of Wight was originally included under the administrative county of Hampshire but obtained its own county council in 1890.

Related Topics:
County of London - Inner London - Isle of Wight - Hampshire - 1890

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Some exclaves that had been left untouched by the 1844 Act were affected by this one, for example the Measham area of Derbyshire was placed under the control of Leicestershire County Council.

Related Topics:
1844 - Measham - Derbyshire - Leicestershire

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In 1894 a uniform two-tier system was established, with subdivisions of the administrative counties called urban districts, rural districts and municipal boroughs. The structure was complete once the County of London was divided into metropolitan boroughs in 1899.

Related Topics:
1894 - Urban district - Rural district - Municipal borough - Metropolitan borough - 1899

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Map 1890-1965

This map follows the usual practice of not showing county boroughs. Instead, they were included in their 'host' county. When a county borough expanded into territory of a county that wasn't the one it came from, maps often showed this as an increase in size of the county the county borough was associated with. So, for example, Bristol south of the River Avon would be shown as part of Gloucestershire rather than Somerset.

Related Topics:
County borough - Bristol - River Avon - Gloucestershire - Somerset

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This system was the basis of the ceremonial counties used for Lieutenancy - except that Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Suffolk and Sussex were not split for Lieutenancy. (Yorkshire, however, was).

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Encroachment

As urbanisation increased, and suburbs were built on a scale not seen before, the urban areas surrounding various towns and cities started to cross traditional county borders. Since boroughs, urban districts, and parishes could not cross administrative county boundaries, the administrative county borders were adjusted.

Related Topics:
Urbanisation - Suburbs - Borough - Urban district - Parishes

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Examples of these include:

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• Beauchief, Dore, Norton, Totley in Derbyshire, annexed by Sheffield in West Riding, in 1934
• Caversham in Oxfordshire, annexed by Reading, Berkshire, in 1911
• Little Bowden in Northamptonshire, annexed by Market Harborough, Leicestershire
• half of Tamworth, Staffordshire, historically in Warwickshire
• Winshill in Derbyshire, annexed by Burton-upon-Trent
• Wythenshawe in Cheshire, annexed by City of Manchester, Lancashire
• Reddish and the Heatons in Lancashire, annexed by Stockport County Borough, Cheshire

Greater London

Throughout the next century, debates took place about what should be done about local government in respect of the increasing urbanisation of the country. Proposals to expand or change county boroughs or to create larger urban counties were discussed, but nothing happened until 1963, when legislation was passed to come into effect in 1965.

Related Topics:
1963 - 1965

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The County of London was expanded and renamed Greater London, taking three of the county boroughs, more of Surrey and Kent, parts of Essex and Hertfordshire and consuming nearly all of Middlesex - the remaining parts being ceded to Surrey and Hertfordshire. Some other changes took place, such as the Soke of Peterborough and Huntingdonshire being merged into Huntingdon and Peterborough, and the merger of the original Cambridgeshire county council and the Isle of Ely county council.

Related Topics:
Greater London - Surrey - Kent - Essex - Hertfordshire - Middlesex - Soke of Peterborough - Huntingdonshire - Huntingdon and Peterborough - Cambridgeshire - Isle of Ely

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Map 1965-1974

The map below is shown with the county boroughs immediately prior to 1974.

Related Topics:
County borough - 1974

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Administrative counties of England from 1965 to 1974

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Northumberland

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Durham

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Westmorland

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Cumberland

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Lancashire

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West Riding of Yorkshire

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North Riding of Yorkshire

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East Riding of Yorkshire

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Lindsey

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Holland

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Kesteven

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Nottinghamshire

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Derbyshire

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Cheshire

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Salop (Shropshire)

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Staffordshire

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Warwickshire

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Leicestershire

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Rutland

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Northamptonshire

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Huntingdon and Peterborough

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Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely

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Norfolk

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East Suffolk

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West Suffolk

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Essex

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Hertfordshire

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Bedfordshire

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Buckinghamshire

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Oxfordshire

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Gloucestershire

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Worcestershire

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Herefordshire

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Wiltshire

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Berkshire

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Greater London

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Kent

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East Sussex

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West Sussex

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Surrey

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Hampshire

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Isle of Wight

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Dorset

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Somerset

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Devon

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Cornwall

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