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History of the Borough
6: From 1835 to the modern day
The 1835 Act
Parliament passed the first Municipal Corporations Act in 1835. This Act swept away obsolete privileges from boroughs all across England, and imposed a new and uniform constitution. Huntingdon now had a properly elected council, rather than the old unrepresentative corporation. Later legislation gave the town responsibilities in public health and law and order.
The 1835 Act also changed the nature of burgess-ship. It could no longer be bought, but could only be acquired by being born the son of another burgess, and by being born within Huntingdon itself - any sons born outside the borough could never claim the freedom of the town. For this reason the number of Freemen has been slowly diminishing since 1835.
The Union of the Boroughs, 1961
On 1 April 1961 the two ancient boroughs of Huntingdon and Godmanchester (a nearby town, just half a mile away across the River Ouse) were formally united into a new single authority called The Borough of Huntingdon and Godmanchester. After the Second World War it had become clear that neither Huntingdon nor Godmanchester were large enough to continue as separate units, so, rather than be abolished as independent boroughs, they agreed to a voluntary union. The new borough chose 'United We Advance' as its motto but it was not given the opportunity to advance very far, sadly, as it only lasted thirteen years - borough status was abolished throughout England in 1974.
Most of the responsibilities of the old borough were inherited in 1974 by Huntingdon District Council (later renamed Huntingdonshire District Council), while a wholly new Town Council was created in Huntingdon itself.
