Vestry

A vestry was the governing body of a parish: originally these areas were identical to Church of England ecclesiastical parishes, eventually distinct civil parishes with a purely local government function evolved.

Vestries lost most of their powers and finance in 1835 when the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 came into effect: all persons paying the poor rate became electors, with boards of guardians for each parish or groups of parishes (known as a Poor Law Union) being elected annually.

Metropolitan vestries 1856-1900

Under the Metropolis Management Act 1855, the vestries operating within the built up area of London were reformed as "incorporated vestries", taking over the local government powers of existing vestries and also those of the numerous local boards and trusts, several hundred in number, that had been formed in an ad hoc manner to tackle problems such as paving or lighting. Annual elections of vestrymen (who could be female) were held, with all ratepayers having a vote. Some vestries were combined to form District Boards of Works. The vestries and district boards soon became well organised local authorities and were given increasing powers as well as promoting bills in parliament. They were able to make use of non-compulsory "adoptive acts" providing working class housing or bath houses and were obliged to appoint medical officers of health and other officials.

The metropolitan vestries acted as second tier authorities under the Metropolitan Board of Works, to which they sent delegates, until 1889. From 1889 they formed authorities under the aegis of the London County Council.

A list of the vestries can be found here.

Metropolitan vestries were abolished in 1900 by the London Government Act 1899, and replaced by more prestigious Metropolitan Boroughs. In many cases the boroughs had a similar area to the civil parishes or districts they replaced.

Vestries outside London

Outside the metropolitan area vestries continued to exist unreformed, but lost more powers as new authorities such as burial boards, local boards of health or sanitary authorities were created. They were finally abolished for local government purposes by the Local Government Act 1894, with elected parish councils formed in rural areas and their remaining powers passing to urban district councils or municipal boroughs in urban ones.