Municipal borough
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Municipal boroughs were a type of local authority which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974.
The municipal boroughs were created by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 and allowed the creation of an elected town council, consisting of a mayor, aldermen and councillors to oversee many local affairs.
Municipal boroughs usually covered larger towns, and had a higher status than urban districts (which were created in 1894 and covered smaller towns), but a lower status than County boroughs which were entirely self governing. Urban districts sometimes grew large enough to became municipal boroughs.
All municipal boroughs were abolished in 1974 (by the Local Government Act 1972) and many were merged with surrounding rural districts to form the present pattern of local government districts.