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The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 (5 & 6 Wm. IV., c.76) - sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act - required members of town councils (municipal corporations) in England and Wales to be elected by ratepayers and councils to publish their financial accounts. The Act had been preceded by the Reform Act 1832, which had abolished most of the rotten boroughs.
Prior to the passing of the act, the municipal boroughs varied depending upon their charters. In some boroughs, corporations had become self-perpetuating oligarchies, with membership of the corporation being for life, and vacancies filled by co-option.
The Act reformed 178 boroughs. The Burgh Reform Act 1833 had already covered Scotland. Similar legislation would not be introduced in Ireland until the Municipal Reform Act 1840. There remained more than 100 unreformed boroughs, which generally either fell into desuetude or were replaced later under the terms of the Act. The last of these was not reformed or abolished until 1886. The City of London remains unreformed to the present day.
The Act allowed unincorporated towns to petition for incorporation. The industrial towns of the Midlands and North quickly took advantage of this, with Birmingham and Manchester becoming boroughs as soon as 1838. Altogether, 62 additional boroughs were incorporated under the act
The new corporations had annual elections, with a third of the councillors up for election each year. The council also elected aldermen to serve on the council, with a six year term. Towns were divided into wards. [1]
The act was repealed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1882
The list shows the style by which the unreformed corporation was known, and the date of its governing charter. In most cases this was the last in a succession of charters granted by a number of monarchs. In a few cases boroughs had no charter, or the charter was lost.
† In 1842 The County of the City of Coventry was joined to Warwickshire
‡ Previous to this charter, Deal was governed a Deputy and Assistants appointed by the Corporation of Sandwich