Borough
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A '''borough''' is an [[administrative division]] of various countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing [[township]] although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
The word 'borough' derives from a common [[Indo-European]] language cognate, meaning 'fort'; compare borough, bury (England), burgh (Scotland), burg (German), bourg (France), borg (Scandanavia). The incidence of these words as suffixes to place names (e.g. [[Canterbury]], [[Strasbourg]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Edinburgh]], [[Hamburg]]), usually indicates that they were once fortified settlements.
In the [[Middle Ages]], boroughs were settlements in England that were granted some [[self-government]]; burghs were the Scottish equivalent. In [[medieval England]], boroughs were also entitled to elect members of [[Parliament of England|parliament]]. The use of the word borough probably derives from the burghal system of [[Alfred the Great]]. Alfred set up a system of defensive strong points ([[Burhs]]); in order to maintain these settlements, he granted them a degree of autonomy. After the [[Norman Conquest]], when certain towns were granted self-governence, the concept of the burh/borough seems to have been reused to mean an self-governing settlement.
The concept of the borough has been used repeatedly (and often differently) throughout the [[Anglophone]] world. Often, a borough is a single town with its own local government. However, in some cities it is a subdivision of the city (e.g. [[London]], [[New York City]], and [[Montreal]]). In such cases, the borough will normally have either limited powers delegated to it by the city's local government, or no powers at all. At certain times, London has had no overall city government and London boroughs were the main unit of local government for Londoners. In other places, such as [[Alaska]], a borough does not designate a single township, but a whole [[region]]. In [[Australia]], 'borough' can designate a town and its surrounding area, e.g. [[Borough of Queenscliffe]].
Boroughs as administrative units are to be found in [[Republic_of_Ireland|Ireland]] and the [[United Kingdom]], more specifically in [[England]] and [[Northern Ireland]]. Boroughs also exist in the [[Canada|Canadian]] [[Provinces and territories of Canada|provinces]] of [[Quebec]] and [[Ontario]], in some [[U.S. state|states]] of the [[United States]], in [[Israel]], and formerly in [[New Zealand]].
==Pronunciation==
In many parts of England, "borough" is {{pronEng|ˈbʌɹə}} ({{Audio|en-borough.ogg|listen}}) as an independent word, and as {{IPA|/bɹə/}} when a suffix of a place-name. As a suffix, it is sometimes spelled "-brough".
In the United States, "borough" is {{pronounced|ˈ/ˈbʌɹoʊ/}} or {{IPA|/ˈbʊɹoʊ/}}. When appearing as the suffix "-burg(h)" in place-names, it's {{pronounced|ˈ/bɝg/}}.
==Uses of 'borough'==
===England & Wales===
{{main|History of local government in England|Borough status in the United Kingdom}}
====Ancient & Municipal boroughs====
{{Main|Municipal borough}}
During the medieval period many towns were granted self-governernce by the crown, at which point they became referred to a 'borough'. The formal status of borough came to be conferred by [[Royal Charter]]. These boroughs were generally governed by a self-selecting corporation (i.e., when a member died or resigned his replacement would be by [[co-option]]). Sometimes boroughs were governed by [[bailiffs]] or headboroughs.
Debates on the Reform Bill (eventually the [[Reform Act 1832]]) had highlighted the variations in systems of governance of towns, and a [[Royal Commission]] was set up to investigate the issue. This resulted in a regularisation of municipal government ([[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]]). 178 of the ancient boroughs were reformed as 'municipal boroughs' , with all municipal corporations to be elected according to a standard franchise based on property ownership. The unreformed boroughs either lapsed in borough status, or were reformed (or abolished) at a later time. Several new municipal boroughs were formed in the new industrial cities after the bill enacted, according to the provisions of the bill.
As part of a large-scale reform of local government in England and Wales [[Local Government Act 1972|in 1974]], municipal boroughs were finally abolished (having become increasingly irrelevant). However, the civic traditions of many boroughs were continued by the grant of a [[Royal Charter|charter]] to their successor district councils. In smaller boroughs, a [[Parish council|town council]] was formed for the area of the abolished borough, while [[charter trustees]] were formed in other former boroughs. In each case, the new body was allowed to use the regalia of the old corporation, and appoint ceremonial office holders such as sword and mace bearers as provided in their original charters. The council or trustees may apply for an [[Order in Council]] or [[Royal Licence]] to use the former borough [[coat of arms]].
====Parliamentary boroughs====
{{See|Reform Act 1832}}
From 1265, two burgesses from each borough were summoned to the [[Parliament of England]], alongside two [[knights]] from each [[county]]. Thus parliamentary constituencies were drived from the ancient boroughs. Representation in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] was decided by the House itself, which resulted in boroughs being established in some small settlements for the purposes of parliamentary representation, despite them possessing no actual corporation.
After the reform act, which disenfranchised many of the [[rotten borough]]s (boroughs which had declined in importance, had only a small population, and only a handful of eligible voters), parliamentary constituencies began to diverge from the ancient boroughs. Whilst many ancient boroughs remained as municpal boroughs, they were disenfranchised by the reform act.
====County boroughs====
{{Main|County boroughs}}
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 muncipal boroughs, which thereafter became part of the second tier of local government, below the administrative counties and county boroughs.
The county boroughs were, like the municipal boroughs, abolished in 1974, being reabsorbed into their parent counties for administrative purposes.
====Metropolitan boroughs====
{{Main|Metropolitan borough}}
In 1899, as part of a reform of local government in the [[County of London]], the various parishes in the London were reorganised as new entities, the 'metropolitan boroughs'. These were reorganised further when [[Greater London]] was formed out of Middlesex and the County of London in 1965.
When the new metropolitan counties (Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Tyne & Wear, West Midlands, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire) were created in 1974, their sub-divisions also became metropolitan boroughs; in many cases these metropolitan boroughs recapitulated abolished county boroughs (e.g. [[Stockport]]). The metropolitan boroughs possessed slightly more autonomy from the metropolitan county councils than the shire county districts did from their county councils.
With the abolition of the metropolitan county councils in 1986, these metropolitan boroughs became independent, and continue to be so at present.
====Other current uses====
Elsewhere in England a number of [[districts of England|district]] and [[unitary authority]] councils are called "borough". Historically, this was a status that denoted towns with a certain type of local government (a [[municipal corporation]]). Since 1974, it has been a purely ceremonial style granted by royal charter, which entitles the council chairman to bear the title of [[mayors in the United Kingdom|mayor]]. Districts may apply to the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|British Crown]] for the grant of borough status upon advice of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom]].
===Northern Ireland===
In [[Northern Ireland]], local government was reorganised in 1973. Under the legislation that created the twenty-six [[districts of Northern Ireland]], a district council whose area included an existing [[municipal borough]] could resolve to adopt the charter of the old municipality and thus continue to enjoy borough status. Districts that do not contain a former borough can apply for a charter in a similar manner to [[England|English]] districts.
===Scotland===
{{Main|burgh}}
===Canada===
In [[Quebec]], the term '''borough''' refers to an administrative division of a municipality.
Only eight municipalities in Quebec are divided into boroughs. See [[List of boroughs in Quebec]].
It was previously used in [[Metropolitan Toronto]], [[Ontario]], to denote suburban municipalities. The Borough of [[East York, Ontario|East York]] was the last Toronto municipality to hold this status, relinquishing it upon becoming part of the [[City of Toronto]] on [[January 1]], [[1998]].
===United States===
{{main|Borough (United States)}}
The word "borough" has many meanings relating to [[local government in the United States]]. Since the [[Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution]] makes local government for the most part a matter for the [[U.S. state|states]] rather than the federal government, the states are free to have political subdivisions called "boroughs", or not to do so, and to define the word in many different ways.
The following states use, or have used, the word with the following meanings:
*[[Alaska]], as a [[county-equivalent]]
*[[Connecticut]], as an incorporated municipality within, or consolidated with, a [[New England town|town]]
*[[Minnesota]], formerly applied to one municipality
*[[New Jersey]], as a type of independent incorporated municipality - see [[Borough (New Jersey)]]
*[[New York]], as one of the five divisions of [[New York City]], each coextensive with a county - See [[Borough (New York City)]]
*[[Pennsylvania]], as a type of municipality comparable to a town. Only one incorporated town is chartered in Pennsylvania.
*[[Virginia]], as a division of a city under certain circumstances
===Australia===
In [[Australia]], the term "borough" is an occasionally used term for a local government area. Currently there is only one borough in Australia, the [[Borough of Queenscliffe]] in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], although there have been more in the past.
===Republic of Ireland===
Under the [[Local Government Act 2001]] section 10 (3) and schedule 6 part 1 chapter 1, the following continue to be known as Boroughs (though this is largely a matter of nomenclature) [[Clonmel]], [[Drogheda]], [[Kilkenny]], [[Sligo]], [[Wexford]]. In Section 10 (7) continues the "use of the description city in relation to Kilkenny, to the extent that that description was used before ([[January 1]], [[2002]]) and is not otherwise inconsistent with this Act."
===New Zealand===
[[New Zealand]] formerly used the term borough to designate self-governing towns of more than 1,000 people. A borough of more than 20,000 people could become a city by proclamation. Boroughs and cities were collectively known as municipalities, and were [[enclave]]s separate from their surrounding counties.
In the 1980s, some boroughs and cities began to be merged with their surrounding counties to form [[district]]s with a mixed urban and rural population. In 1989, a nationwide reform of local government completed the process. Counties and boroughs were abolished and all boundaries were redrawn. Under the new system, most territorial authorities cover both urban and rural land. The more populated councils are classified as cities, and the more rural councils are classified as districts. Only [[Kawerau]] District, an enclave within [[Whakatane]] District, continues to follow the tradition of a small town council that does not include surrounding rural area.
===Israel===
Under Israeli law, inherited from [[Mandate for Palestine|British Mandate]] municipal law, the possibility of creating a municipal borough exists. However, no borough was actually created under law until 2005-2006, when [[Neve Monosson]] and [[Maccabim-Re'ut]], both communal settlements (Heb: '''''yishuv kehilati''''') founded in 1953 and 1984, respectively, were declared to be autonomous municipal boroughs (Heb: '''''vaad rova ironi'''''), within their mergers with the towns of [[Yehud]] and [[Modi'in]]. Similar structures have been created under different types of legal status over the years in Israel, notably [[Qiryat Chaim|Kiryat Haim]] in [[Haifa]], [[Jaffa]] in [[Tel Aviv-Yafo]] and [[Ramot]] and [[Gilo]] in [[Jerusalem]]. However, Neve Monosson is the first example of a full municipal borough actually declared under law by the Minister of the Interior, under a model subsequently adopted in [[Maccabim-Re'ut]] as well.
It is the declared intention of the Interior Ministry to use the borough mechanism in order to facilitate municipal mergers in Israel, after a 2003 wide-reaching merger plan, which generally ignored the sensitivities of the communal settlements, largely failed.
==Etymology==
The word '''borough''' derives from the Anglo-Saxon/Old English word ''burh'', meaning a fortified settlement. Other English derivatives of ''buhr'' include ''bury'' and ''brough''. There are obvious [[cognates]] in other [[Indo-European]] languages. For example; ''burgh'' in [[Scots language|Scots]] and [[Middle English]]; ''burg'' in [[German language|German]] and [[Old English]]<ref>The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition (2000)</ref>, ''borg'' in Scandinavian languages; ''parcus'' in [[Latin]] and ''pyrgos'' in Greek.
A number of other European languages have cognate words which were borrowed from the Germanic languages during the [[Middle Ages]], including ''brog'' in [[Irish language|Irish]], ''bwr'' or ''bwrc'', meaning "wall, rampart" in [[Welsh language|Welsh]], ''bourg'' in [[French language|French]], ''burg'' in [[Catalan language|Catalan]], ''[[borgo]]'' in [[Italian language|Italian]], and ''burgo'' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] (hence the place-name [[Burgos]]).
The 'burg' element is often confused with 'berg' meaning hill or mountain (cf. [[iceberg]]). Hence the 'berg' element in [[Bergen]] relates to a hill, rather than a fort. In some cases, the 'berg' element in place names has converged towards burg/borough; for instance [[Farnborough]], from ''fernaberga'' (fern-hill).
==References==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
* [[History of local government in England]]
* [[Municipal borough]]
* [[County borough]]
* [[Metropolitan borough]]
* [[Borough status in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Burgh]]
* [[List of burghs in Scotland]]
* [[History of borough status in England and Wales]]
* [[Boroughs incorporated in England and Wales 1835 - 1882]]
* [[Boroughs incorporated in England and Wales 1882 - 1974]]
* [[Administrative divisions of New York#Borough|Boroughs in New York City]]
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