Established under the Local Government Act of 1894, it served as an administrative division in the rural areas surrounding Braintree.
[1] Braintree Rural District was created in 1894 as part of widespread local government reforms.
It initially encompassed numerous civil parishes within the county of Essex.
This division resulted in the rural district being split into two separate geographical areas.
At the time of its dissolution in 1974, Braintree Rural District comprised 20 civil parishes: The Braintree Rural District's legacy continues as part of the larger administrative area of the District of Braintree, which governs a mix of urban and rural communities.