| Description | Minutes 1894-1974, financial records 1894-1957, correspondence and papers 1895-1968, rate books and valuation records 1897-56, housing registers and records 19th cent.-1957, surveyor's records 1895-1969, building plans 1895-1948, building byelaws 1939, public health inspector's records 1909-68, medical officer's reports and records 1909-52, registers and records of canal boats 1889-1939, Joint Hospital Board records 1901-16. Nantwich Local Board of Health: Minutes 1856-59, 1865-69, 1882-94, correspondence and papers c.l 824-94, public library committee ledger 1888-94, register of slaughter houses 1851-94, inspector of nuisances journal 188l-94. |
| Administrative History | In the early 19th century local government was largely the responsibility of the vestry (a committe of the church parish), the borough or of improvement commissioners. The Public Health Act of 1848 and the Local Government Act of 1858 permitted ratepayers to create local boards of health in populous areas not covered by a town vestry or council or by improvement commissioners. These local boards had to appoint a clerk, treasurer, surveyor and inspector of nuisances and were responsible for public health, sewerage, street cleaning, highways and sometimes water supply, burial grounds and building control.
Under the Public Health Act, 1872, the country was divided systematically into urban and rural sanitary authorities: urban sanitary authorities comprised the boroughs, improvement commissions and local boards, and rural sanitary authorities those parts of the poor law unions not already included in an urban sanitary district.
Under the Local Government Act of 1894, these authorities respectively became urban and rural district councils and their powers were extended. They lost most highway powers to the county councils in 1929. |