Melbourn Rural District

The first meeting of the Melbourn Rural District Council was held on 2 January 1895 at the board room of the Royston Union Workhouse.

William Clark of Thriplow was elected the council's first chairman, and he held the post for over thirteen years.

[8] Whilst agreement had been reached for how to treat the Essex parishes during 1894 prior to the Local Government Act coming into force, the situation regarding the town of Royston took longer to resolve.

A joint committee of Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire County Councils held inquiries during 1894 trying to reach agreement as to how best to deal with Royston.

Competing proposals were put forward from the two county councils, with both Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire wanting the whole town.