Civic history Wolverhampton

wolverhampton in 1921



the old town hall (magistrates court)

wolverhampton gained beginnings of modern local government in 1777, when wolverhampton improvement act passed parliament. allowed establishment of 125 town commissioners undertook variety of local improvement work such punishing bear baiting, improving drainage, widening streets , end of century street lighting had been provided @ every street corner , on doorway of every inn, , water supply had been improved sinking of ten new wells , provision of great water tank in market place. policing had been improved appointment of ten watchmen , attempts made regulate markets , inspect hazardous food.

wolverhampton parliamentary borough created reform act 1832, included areas located metropolitan boroughs of dudley, walsall , sandwell such wren s nest, new invention , sedgley. 1 of 22 large towns returned 2 members of parliament. under redistribution of seats act 1885, original borough replaced 3 new single-member constituencies: wolverhampton east, wolverhampton south , wolverhampton west.

in 1837, wolverhampton borough police formed. disestablished in 1966, , larger west midlands constabulary, covered not wolverhampton county boroughs of walsall, dudley, west bromwich , warley took on duties , headquartered in city. force replaced in 1974 west midlands police.

wolverhampton incorporated municipal borough in 1849 under municipal corporations act 1835. town made county borough in 1889 under local government act 1888.

in 1933, boundaries of borough expanded, taking in areas cannock rural district , seisdon rural district, little of surrounding urban area being affected, heath town urban district being abolished.

the bulk of urban districts of bilston (a borough after 1933), tettenhall , wednesfield added borough in 1966, along northern section of urban district of coseley , parts north of sedgley , west of willenhall. vast majority of these areas traditionally part of parish of wolverhampton, , part of original parliamentary borough.

wolverhampton 1 of 2 county boroughs (the other being liverpool) have no changes made boundary during 1974 reorganisation of local government, borough having population larger 250,000 required education authorities. contrasted both redcliffe-maud report, , initial white paper 1974 reforms large areas of present south staffordshire district added borough. during 1974 reforms placed within west midlands metropolitan county.

wolverhampton royal peculiar covering large area.