County Borough of Wigan
Encyclopedia
The County Borough of Wigan was, from 1889 to 1974, a local government district centred on Wigan
in the northwest of England. It was alternatively known as Wigan County Borough.
The district was created by the Local Government Act 1888
, with its boundaries based upon the earlier Municipal Borough of Wigan.
Neighbouring township of Pemberton
constituted the Pemberton Urban District
from 1894 to 1904, when it became part of the county borough of Wigan. In 1920, the Pemberton parish was abolished and its former area was used to enlarge the Wigan
parish, making the area of the parish and county borough identical.
As part of the terms of any county borough
in England, it was decided that to let the then Lancashire County Council
have authority over Wigan would be impractical due to its large size, population and industry, and so the district was independent from the administrative county
of Lancashire
it would otherwise have been part of.
The County Borough of Wigan was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972
and its territory transferred to Greater Manchester
to form part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
.
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
in the northwest of England. It was alternatively known as Wigan County Borough.
The district was created by the Local Government Act 1888
Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
, with its boundaries based upon the earlier Municipal Borough of Wigan.
Neighbouring township of Pemberton
Pemberton, Greater Manchester
Pemberton is an area of Wigan, and an electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the southwestern bank of the River Douglas, contiguous to Wigan's town centre, and east of the M6 motorway...
constituted the Pemberton Urban District
Pemberton Urban District
Pemberton Urban District was an urban district from 1894 to 1904, when it was added to the County Borough of Wigan. It included the village of Pemberton....
from 1894 to 1904, when it became part of the county borough of Wigan. In 1920, the Pemberton parish was abolished and its former area was used to enlarge the Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
parish, making the area of the parish and county borough identical.
As part of the terms of any county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
in England, it was decided that to let the then Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It currently consists of 84 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, who won control of the council in the local council elections in June 2009, ending 28 years of...
have authority over Wigan would be impractical due to its large size, population and industry, and so the district was independent from the administrative county
Administrative counties of England
Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974. They were created by the Local Government Act 1888 as the areas for which county councils were elected. Some large counties were divided into several administrative...
of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
it would otherwise have been part of.
The County Borough of Wigan was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
and its territory transferred to Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
to form part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town, Wigan and also includes the towns of Leigh, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, and Hindley. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an...
.