Plomesgate Rural District

Plomesgate Rural District was a rural district within the administrative county of East Suffolk between 1894 and 1934.

Plomesgate
Location within East Suffolk, 1894
History
• Created	28 December 1894
• Abolished	31 March 1934
• Succeeded by	Blyth Rural District and Deben Rural District
Status	Rural district
• HQ	Plomesgate House, Chapel Lane, Wickham Market

History

The district had its origins in the Plomesgate Poor Law Union, which had been created in 1835. It was named after the historic hundred of Plomesgate, although it covered a significantly larger area that included most, but not all, of the historic hundred. A workhouse was built to serve the poor law union in 1836–1837 on Chapel Lane in Wickham Market.^[1] In 1872, sanitary districts were established, with responsibility for public health and local government given to the boards of guardians of poor law unions for areas without urban authorities. The Plomesgate Rural Sanitary District initially covered the same area as the Plomesgate Poor Law Union, but in 1885 the town of Aldeburgh became a municipal borough and thereafter formed its own urban sanitary district.^[2]

Under the Local Government Act 1894, rural sanitary districts became rural districts on 28 December 1894. Plomesgate Rural District Council held its first meeting on 31 December 1894 at the Plomesgate Union Workhouse (later known as Plomesgate House) in Wickham Market. George Walker, the previous chairman of the board of guardians, was appointed the first chairman of the council.^[3] Plomesgate House served as the council's meeting place throughout the period the council existed.^[4]

In 1900 the parish of Saxmundham was made an urban district, removing it from the Plomesgate Rural District.^[5]

In 1934, under a County Review Order, Plomesgate Rural District was abolished and most of its parishes transferred to the new Blyth and Deben Rural Districts. The parish of Kenton, which was detached from the rest of the Plomesgate Rural District, became part of Hartismere Rural District. The parish of Hazlewood was abolished at the same time, being split between the parish of Friston (which went to Blyth Rural District) and the borough of Aldeburgh.

Statistics

Year	Area[6]		Population [7]	Density (pop/ha)
	acres	ha
1911	72,629	29,392	15,708	0.53
1921			14,940	0.51
1931			13,967	0.48

Parishes

Plomesgate Rural District comprised the following civil parishes:^[8]

Parish	From	To	Subsequent district	Notes
Benhall	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Blaxhall	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Brandeston	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Bruisyard	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Butley	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Campsey Ash	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Chillesford	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Cransford	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Cretingham	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Earl Soham	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Easton	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Eyke	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Farnham	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Framlingham	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Friston	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Gedgrave	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Great Glemham	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Hacheston	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Havergate Island	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Hazlewood	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	abolished	Parish abolished same time as Plomesgate Rural District, being split between Aldeburgh Municipal Borough and Friston parish in Blyth Rural District.
Hoo	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Iken	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Kenton	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Hartismere RD
Kettleburgh	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Letheringham	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Little Glemham	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Marlesford	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Monewden	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Orford	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Parham	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Rendham	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Rendlesham	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Saxmundham	28 Dec 1894	30 Sep 1900	Saxmundham UD	Became an urban district on 1 October 1900.[9]
Snape	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Sternfield	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Stratford St Andrew	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Sudbourne	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Swefling	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Blyth RD
Tunstall	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Wantisden	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD
Wickham Market	28 Dec 1894	31 Mar 1934	Deben RD

References

1. Higginbotham, Peter. "Plomesgate Workhouse". The Workhouse. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
2. "Plomesgate Rural Sanitary District". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
3. "Plomesgate". East Anglian Daily Times. Ipswich. 1 January 1895. p. 7. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
4. "Closing meeting of Plomesgate Rural Council". Diss Express. 16 March 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
5. "Saxmundham CP/AP through time: Census tables with data for the Local Government District". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
6. "Plomesgate RD through time: Population Statistics: Area (acres)". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
7. "Plomesgate RD through time: Population Statistics: Total Population". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
8. "Plomesgate Rural District". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
9. Annual Report of the Local Government Board. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1901. p. 345. Retrieved 12 March 2022.

52.17°N 1.42°E / 52.17; 1.42