In April 2023 local government in Cumbria was reorganised into two unitary authorities, one of which is named Cumberland Council and includes most of the historic county, with the exception of Penrith and the surrounding area.

[1] County councils were first introduced in England and Wales with full powers from 22 September 1889 as a result of the Local Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions until then carried out by the unelected quarter sessions.

Following them, James Lowther asked a question in the House of Commons about the alleged refusal of the county council to make regulations for the inspection of marked registers.

There was a changing pattern of lower-tier authorities existing alongside the county and responsible for other more local services.

The Cumberland area was divided at the district tier into the City of Carlisle, Allerdale, Copeland and part of Eden.

[5] The council's final major road scheme, an A66 bypass for Keswick, was prepared by Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick, consulting engineers, in 1972,[6] and construction began in the summer of 1974, with the new Cumbria authority completing the scheme.

[8] Due to an error by the Local Government Board the election for one division was not able to be held until a later date.

[10] Temperance candidates, who contested a large number of divisions, failed to win any seats.