Kirkby Lonsdale Town Council area

Kirkby Lonsdale (town), Deansbiggin, Kearstwick, Low Biggins, High Biggins, Tearnside, Tosca, Underley 

1,968 (2021 Census)

1,843 (2011 Census)

1,771 (2001 Census)

Historical

Kirkby Lonsdale  (St Mary)

The ancient parish of Kirkby Lonsdale covered a much wider geographical area compared to the current civil parish. As well as the township and market town of Kirkby Lonsdale, it also included the chapelries of Barbon, Casterton, Firbank, Hutton-Roof, Killington, Mansergh, and Middleton, and the township of Lupton. 

Ancient parishes refer to the parishes before the split between ecclesiastical (church) and civil parishes in the 19th century. They had a parish church and often were composed of multiple townships and chapelries. In many cases, townships and parishes were originally based on the territory of manors from the feudal system during medieval times. Civil parishes were created following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1866, in which Church of England parishes, extra-parochial areas, townships and chapelries, became "civil parishes" which could set their own poor rate (tax). Then the reforms of Local Government Act 1894 established elected civil parish councils (or parish meetings for parishes with less than 300 residents) and created urban and rural districts. Boundaries of parishes and civil parishes may have changed over time.

Kirkby Lonsdale

Lonsdale Ward

A workhouse was built on Mill Brow, Kirkby Lonsdale, in 1735. This was extended in 1812, to serve  a union of Kirkby Lonsdale and sixteen surrounding townships, formed in 1811 under the Poor Relief Act of 1782 ('Gilbert's Act'). The workhouse on Mill Bank closed after the formation of Kendal Poor Law Union - the old workhoudse building is now Mill Bank House. 

Kendal Poor Law Union, formed in 1836.

Kendal Poor Law Union had two main workhouses. The first was in Kendal, on Stricklandgate, housing up to 335 inmates. The second was the former Gilbert Union workhouse in Milnthorpe, on Kirkgate Lane, housing up to 300 inmates.

Under the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 parishes were grouped into Unions, each of which had to build a workhouse if they did not already have one. It ended the old system of locally provided poor relief which had come under strain as numbers out of work grew, following increasing mechanisation of agriculture and the economic downturn after the Napoleonic Wars, along with changing social attitudes. The workhouse provided those unable to support themselves financially with accommodation and work. Inmates were generally segregated into men, women, boys and girls. 

The workhouse system was abolished by the Local Government Act 1929, but many workhouses lived on as ‘Public Assistance Institutions’ until the National Assistance Act 1948.

Westmorland, until 1974, then:

Cumbria, which was created on the 1st of April 1974, following the Local Government Act 1972. The new county absorbed  Cumberland and Westmorland, and added some parts of Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Cumbria County Council was abolished in 2023 and replaced by 2 new Unitary authorities. Cumbria remains a ceremonial county; retaining ceremonial boundary and the roles and responsibilities of the Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Cumbria - based on 'The Cumbria (Structural Changes) Order 2022'.

District Council:

Kirkby Lonsdale Urban District (1894 - 1935) 

South Westmorland Rural District (1935 - 1974) - the district had been formed in 1894 and was expanded to include Kirkby Lonsdale Urban District, when it was abolished in 1935.

South Lakeland District (1974 - 2023)

South Lakeland and the 5 other district councils of Cumbria, along with the county council, were abolished as part of local government reorganisation in 2023; and replaced by two unitary authorities on 1st April 2023.

Unitary Authority:

Westmorland & Furness Council was created on the 1st April 2023.