Borough

A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.

The word borough derives from common Germanic *Burg, meaning fort: compare with bury, burgh and brough (England), burgh (Scotland), Burg (Germany), borg (Scandinavia), burcht (Dutch), boarch (West Frisian), and the Germanic borrowing present in neighbouring Indo-european languages such as borgo (Italian), bourg (French), burgo (Spanish and Portuguese), burg (Romanian), purg (Kajkavian) and durg (दर्ग) (Hindi) and arg (ارگ) (Persian). The incidence of these words as suffixes to place names (for example, Aldeburgh, Bamburgh, Tilbury, Tilburg, Strasbourg (Strossburi in the local dialect), Luxembourg, Edinburgh, Grundisburgh, Hamburg, Gothenburg) usually indicates that they were once fortified settlements.

In the Middle Ages, boroughs were settlements in England that were granted some self-government; burghs were the Scottish equivalent. In medieval England, boroughs were also entitled to elect members of parliament. The use of the word borough probably derives from the burghal system of Alfred the Great. Alfred set up a system of defensive strong points (Burhs); in order to maintain these settlements, he granted them a degree of autonomy. After the Norman Conquest, when certain towns were granted self-governance, the concept of the burh/borough seems to have been reused to mean a self-governing settlement.

The Burroughs

The Burroughs is a place in Hendon, and a civic district of London Borough of Barnet. It is centred on the road of the same name where Hendon Town Hall is located.

History

It was a distinct hamlet until the 1890s, as can be seen on this ordnance survey map of 1873. The name, known from 1316 until the 19th Century as 'the burrows', doubtless refers to the keeping of rabbit warrens.

There was an inn and brew-house by the 16th century for travellers, very possibly the White Bear, which was so-called from 1736, and was rebuilt in 1932. Here, the 'leet courts', based on feudal tradition, were held as late as 1916, to ensure the rights of the Lord of the Manor to control the increasingly emancipated peasantry, to punish transgressors, and to fix 'Quit-Rent' for those who had built on manorial land and wastes.

By 1697 the inn was the location for Hendon's Whitsun fair. Originally an un-chartered hiring fair for local hay farmers, it was also renowned for dancing and country sports, and was imortalised in the lines of a song of the 1810s:

Borough (New York City)

New York City, in the state of New York, in the United States, is composed of five boroughs. They are Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. Each borough has the same boundaries as a county of the state. The county governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county.

The term borough was adopted to describe a unique form of governmental administration for each of the five fundamental constituent parts of the newly consolidated city. Under New York State Law, a "borough" is a municipal corporation that is created when a county is merged with populated areas within it. This differs significantly from typical borough forms of government used in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, other states, Greater London, and elsewhere.

Background

New York City can be referred to collectively as the five boroughs; the term is used to refer to New York City as a whole unambiguously, avoiding confusion with any particular borough or with the greater metropolitan area. The term is often used by politicians to counter a frequent focus on Manhattan and, thereby, to place all five boroughs on equal footing. In the same vein, the term outer boroughs (or outer boros) refers to all the boroughs excluding Manhattan, even though the geographic center of the city is along the Brooklyn and Queens border.

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Latest News for: boroughs

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Ephrata Borough officials to seek answers to parking kiosk problems [Lancaster Watchdog]

Lancaster Online 28 Apr 2025
Ephrata Borough officials tonight will be talking to the distributor of the borough’s new parking kiosks and hope to get some answers as to why the kiosks have been giving its residents fits ... .
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How to Spot a Rogue Trader at Your Door (Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council)

Public Technologies 28 Apr 2025
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council published this content on April 28, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information ...
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Wigan Borough walk week takes another big step forward (Wigan Council)

Public Technologies 28 Apr 2025
) The Big Wigan Walk Week will explore the borough's green spaces and points of historical interest The Big Wigan Walk Week is back… and set ...
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Electoral Review of Knowsley Council set for later this year (Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council)

Public Technologies 28 Apr 2025
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) is set to begin an Electoral Review of Knowsley Council, to ensure that local areas within the borough are fairly and evenly represented.
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Queens Borough President outlines sweeping investments across Queens in State of the Borough address

QNS 28 Apr 2025
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr ... He cited crackdowns on immigration, the dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and cuts to education as some of the key threats facing the borough.
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Last call for nominations in the 2025 Knowsley Education Awards (Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council)

Public Technologies 28 Apr 2025
There's just a week to go to get your nominations in for this year's Knowsley Education Awards - a celebration of the achievements of the borough's schools, teachers, pupils & staff ... the borough.
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Leader listens to residents’ views at community drop-in (Wandsworth Borough Council)

Public Technologies 28 Apr 2025
The event, held at York Gardens Library, was the latest in a series of monthly community drop-ins across the borough ... The community drop-in events are continuing across the borough every month this year.
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National Award for Oxford Road Heritage Sign (Reading Borough Council)

Public Technologies 28 Apr 2025
The sign was created as part of Reading Borough Council's High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) funded programme, the Council received £800k from Historic England and match-funded to deliver a total £1.6 million programme over four years.
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Awards celebrate local heroes getting Wandsworth moving (Wandsworth Borough Council)

Public Technologies 28 Apr 2025
Wandsworth Moves Together is part of the council's wider commitment to creating a more active and inclusive borough - where everyone has the opportunity to move in ways that feel right for them.
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Government launches call for evidence on men’s health (Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council)

Public Technologies 28 Apr 2025
). Government launches call for evidence on men's health. by Guy Murphy April 28, 2025. April 28, 2025. 2 ... Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council published this content on April 28, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
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Leisure for Life's Corey gives back (Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council)

Public Technologies 28 Apr 2025
"That close sense of community is also reflected in our staff, many of whom grew up in the county borough, with partnerships such Corey's to provide support, experience and inspiration to younger people as they start their leisure careers.
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