Old Ordnance Survey Maps of Hertfordshire

This page summarises the local government organisation of Hertfordshire since 1889.

  • Hertfordshire County Council was formed in 1889, and in 1894 a network of boroughs, urban district and rural district councils was formed across the county.
  • Hertfordshire initially had just two Boroughs: Hertford itself, the historic county town, and St Albans. Hemel Hempstead became a borough in 1898 and Watford in 1922. St Albans became a City in 1877, when its abbey church became a cathedral.
  • From 1894 there were 12 urban districts: Baldock, Barnet, Bishop's Stortford, Cheshunt, East Barnet Valley (renamed East Barnet in 1935), Great Berkhampstead (renamed Berkhamsted in 1937), Hitchin, Hoddesdon, Stevenage, Tring, Ware, and Watford Urban Districts. Several other urban districts were later established: Royston (1897), Harpenden (1898), Rickmansworth (1898), Sawbridgeworth (1901), Bushey (1906), Chorleywood (1913), Letchworth (1919), Welwyn Garden City (1927). Watford UDC became a Municipal Borough in 1922. Boroughs had greater prestige than Urban Districts, and had the right to elect Mayors and Aldermen.
  • 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: Ashwell, Barnet (renamed Elstree in 1941), Berkhampstead (renamed Berkhamsted in 1937), Bishop's Stortford (renamed Hadham in 1895), Buntingford, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead (part of which became Hemel Hempstead Municipal Borough in 1898), Hertford, Hitchin, Kensworth, Royston, St Albans, Studham, Ware, Watford, and Welwyn Rural Districts. In 1897 Kensworth, Royston and Studham RDCs were abolished and absorbed by Hemel Hempstead, Ashwell, and Luton RDCs respectively.
  • In 1935 there was some reorganisation and Ashwell, Bishop's Stortford and Buntingford RDCs were abolished and replaced by a new Brauching Rural District.

    In 1965 there was major reorganisation of London's boroughs and the abolition of Middlesex County Council. Barnet and East Barnet Urban Districts were transferred out of Hertfordshire to the new London Borough of Barnet. At the same time Potters Bar UDC was transferred from Middlesex to Hertfordshire.

    In 1974 there was reorganisation of Hertfordshire. This became a 2-tier structure with a County Council based in Hertford, and 10 District Councils: Broxbourne, Dacorum (based on Hemel Hempstead), East Herts, Hertsmere, North Hertfordshire, St Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Watford, and Welwyn Hatfield.

  • For a list of Hertfordshire maps go to the Hertfordshire page or for neighbouring counties to the Chilterns page. For a full list of English maps, return to the England page
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