Police burgh
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A police burgh was a Scottish burgh which had adopted a "police system" for governing the town. They existed from 1833 to 1975.
The 1833 act
Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1833 | |
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Act of Parliament | |
![]() 3 & 4 Will. 4 . c. 46 | |
Territorial extent | Scotland |
The first police burghs were created under the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1833 (
This preceded the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, which introduced a similar reform in England and Wales, by two years.
Forming a police burgh
In order for the act to be adopted in any burgh, an application by householders in the town had to be made for a poll to be held. If three-quarters of qualified voters were in favour, the act would come into force in the burgh. Inhabitants were also free to choose which parts of the act to adopt.
Boundaries
Boundaries for the police burgh were to be set out, which could be extended up to 1,000 yards (910 m) in any direction from the limits of the existing burgh. Contiguous burghs were allowed to unite for police burgh purposes. The boundaries agreed were recorded in the sheriff court books for the county.
Commissioners
A body of elected police commissioners was to administer the police burgh, between five and twenty-one in number. The chief magistrate of the existing burgh was to be, ex officio, a commissioner. Commissioners were to be elected annually.
Powers and duties
The commissioners could, on applying the relevant sections of the act, collect and apply sums of money for the purposes of:
- employing collectors, clerks, constables, surveyors, police officers, watchmen, etc.
- purchasing lands
- lighting streets by gas or other means
- paving and cleansing streets
- distributing water and gas
- preventing infectious diseases
Parliamentary burghs
Act of Parliament | |
![]() 3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 77 | |
Territorial extent | Scotland |
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Dates | |
Royal assent | 28 August 1833 |
A further act was passed, Parliamentary Burghs (Scotland) Act 1833 (
Changes in legislation
Burgh Police, etc. (Scotland) Act 1847 | |
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Act of Parliament | |
![]() 10 & 11 Vict. c. 39 | |
Territorial extent | Scotland |
The General Police (Scotland) Act 1847 (
Police (Scotland) Act 1850 | |
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Act of Parliament | |
![]() 13 & 14 Vict. c. 33 | |
Territorial extent | Scotland |
The Police of Towns (Scotland) Act 1850 (
General and Police Improvement (Scotland) Act 1862 | |
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Act of Parliament | |
![]() 25 & 26 Vict. c. 101 | |
Territorial extent | Scotland |
Dates | |
Royal assent | 7 August 1862 |
The General and Police Improvement (Scotland) Act 1862 (
Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892 | |
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Act of Parliament | |
![]() 55 & 56 Vict. c. 55 | |
Territorial extent | Scotland |
Dates | |
Royal assent | 28 June 1892 |
Other legislation | |
Amended by | Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892 Amendment Act 1894 |
Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892 Amendment Act 1894 | |
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Act of Parliament | |
![]() 57 & 58 Vict. c. 18 | |
Territorial extent | Scotland |
Dates | |
Royal assent | 20 July 1894 |
Other legislation | |
Amends | Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892 |
The Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892 (
The
Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1903 | |
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Act of Parliament | |
![]() 3 Edw. 7. c. 33 | |
Territorial extent | Scotland |
Dates | |
Royal assent | 14 August 1903 |
The Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1903 (
The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 divided burghs, royal or police, into "large" and "small" burghs.