The ancient parish of Chingford formed part of the Waltham Hundred of Essex.

[1] Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, Chingford was grouped into the Epping Poor Law Union and in 1837 an identical area became Epping Registration District for the purposes of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1836.

The Poor Law union area was used again for the purposes of the Public Health Act 1875 and Chingford became part of the Epping Rural Sanitary District that was created in 1875.

[2] Following the Local Government Act 1929, in 1932 it was proposed by Essex County Council that Chingford should be merged with Waltham Holy Cross Urban District to form a new urban district of Chingford and Waltham Abbey.

[3][4] The council of the Municipal Borough of Walthamstow favoured an expansion of their boundaries that would include Chingford.