Page "Borough" Paragraph 12

The Local Government Act 1888 established a new sort of borough – the county borough.

These were designed to be ' counties-to-themselves '; administrative divisions to sit alongside the new administrative counties.

They allowed urban areas to be administered separately from the more rural areas.

They, therefore, often contained pre-existing municipal boroughs, which thereafter became part of the second tier of local government, below the administrative counties and county boroughs.