ELHAM RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL

RD/EL/A ADMINISTRATION 1892-1974

RD/EL/AM1/1-44 Minutes of the Council and its committees 1895-1974

RD/EL/AM2/1-2 Minutes of committees 1900-1929

RD/EL/Ac1 Minutes of committees 1973-1974

RD/EL/AB1 Byelaws [tents, vans and sheds, etc.] 1936

RD/EL/Acr1/1-12 Annual reports of the Medical Officer of Health and Public Health Inspector 1958-1969

RD/EL/AR1/1-2 Registers of attendance by councillors 1927-1974

RD/EL/AR2/1-2 Register of casualties, World War II 1940-1944

RD/EL/AR3/1 Register of bombs and shells dropped in the Elham Rural District Council area 1940-1945

RD/EL/AR4/1-2 Record of war damaged buildings 1940-1945

RD/EL/AR5/1-2 Register of amounts of building licences 1947-1954

RD/EL/AR6 Register of deeds and documents 1892-1974

RD/EL/AR7 Terrier of properties 1931-1973

RD/EL/AR8 Register of action taken (unfit houses) 1956-1967

RD/EL/AZ1/1-16 Miscellaneous: year books 1956-1974

RD/EL/AZ2/1-3 Miscellaneous: standing orders 1964x1967

RD/EL/AZ3/1 Miscellaneous: rules of Elham Fire Brigade 1939

RD/EL/C CLERK'S CORRESPONDENCE AND FILES 1940-1962

RD/EL/C1/1-6 Civil defence 1940-1953

RD/EL/C2/1-3 Miscellaneous 1945-1962

RD/EL/F FINANCE 1908-1963

RD/EL/F1/1-14 General ledgers 1911-1963

RD/EL/F2/1-3 Parochial ledgers 1908-1927

RD/EL/F3/1-3 Housing schemes account 1931-1953

RD/EL/F4/1-5 Treasurer's general account 1929-1955

RD/EL/F5/1-2 Treasurer's accounts 1927-1961

RD/EL/L LEGAL 1780-1955

RD/EL/L1/1-15 Acts of Parliament 1780-1955

RD/EL/R RATING AND VALUATION 1928-1969

RD/EL/R1/1-21 General rates: rate books 1948-1969

RD/EL/R2/1-4 Rate charge books 1934-1948

RD/EL/R3/1-4 Grand summary of the rate charge and rate account books 1928-1948

RD/EL/Rv1 Valuation list and rate charge book 1929-1934

RD/EL/Rz1 Rate produce book: general rate and special rate 1931-1932

RD/EL/S SURVEYOR'S CORRESPONDENCE AND PAPERS 1940-1974

RD/EL/S1/1-6 Civil defence 1940-1954

RD/EL/S2/1 Town and country planning 1948-1974

RD/EL/T TITLE 1893-1968

RD/EL/T1-49 Title deeds, agreements, contracts, etc. 1893-1968

Records are open for consultation unless otherwise indicated.

These were received as follows:

Feb. to: April 1974 Records of Elham Rural District Council, 1780-1974

Deposited by Elham Rural District Council

Accession Numbers: F1974/2-6

Catalogued between March and June 1980

RD/EL/AM1/1-37; RD/EL/AM2/1-2; RD/EL/AB1; RD/EL/AR1/1-2;

RD/EL/AR2/1-2; RD/EL/AR3/1; RD/EL/AR4/1-2; RD/EL/AR5/1-2;

RD/EL/AZ1/1-16; RD/EL/AZ2/1-3; RD/EL/AZ3/1; RD/EL/C1/1-6;

RD/EL/C2/1-3; RD/EL/F1/1-14; RD/EL/F2/1-3; RD/EL/F3/1-3;

RD/EL/F4/1-5; RD/EL/F5/1-2; RD/EL/L1/1-15; RD/EL/R1/1-21;

RD/EL/R2/1-4; RD/EL/R3/1-4; RD/EL/Rv1; RD/EL/S1/1-6;

RD/EL/T1-49

Oct. 1981: Additional records of Elham Rural District Council, 1967-1974

Deposited by Shepway District Council

Accession Number: F1981/13 (part)

RD/EL/AM1/38-44; RD/EL/AR6-8; RD/EL/Rz1

Oct. & : Nov. 1982 Additional records of Elham Rural District Council, 1958-1974

Deposited by Dover District Council, Environmental

Health Department

Catalogued in November 1982

RD/EL/Ac1; RD/EL/Acr1/1-12

Nov. 1992: Additional records of Elham Rural District Council, 1948-1974

Deposited by Shepway District Council

Accession Number: F1992/12

RD/EL/S2/1

Rural District Councils came into being, along with Urban District Councils and Parish Councils, under the Local Government Act of 1894. Based on the former sanitary authorities, their main functions were the provision of public health and highways services. They had a constitutional basis and operated on openly democratic lines

With the Town and Country Planning Act of 1932, control over the use and development of land was devolved to the Rural District Councils, supplementing their role of providing low-cost council housing.

Rural Districts also often shared responsibility for such things as allotments, footpaths and recreation grounds with Parish Councils.

In 1974, when the Local Government Act of 1972 became operational, Rural District Councils, along with their Urban counterparts, were abolished: their services being taken over by the newly created District Councils. (Tony Byrne, Local Government in Britain: Everyone's Guide to How It All Works (Penguin, 2000), pp.18-21; 34-41)

Elham Rural District Council consisted of the parishes of:

Acrise

Cheriton (until 1898)

Elham

Elmstead

Hawkinge

Lyminge

Lympne

Monks Horton

Newington

Paddlesworth

Postling

Saltwood

Sellindge

Stanford

Stelling (until 1968)

Stelling Minnis

Stowting

Swingfield