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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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borough
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Originally any fortified town, but the word was used later for an area entitled to send a representative to *parliament. Thus a 'pocket borough' was one where the electors were in the pocket of a local grandee, who could be sure of the seat for his nominee. A 'rotten borough' was an area which had dwindled in importance until it had so few electors that their votes could be bought. The most notorious of these was Old Sarum, which with just seven voters had two seats in parliament; this borough of rolling fields contained no building of sufficient dignity to house the returning officer, not even a barn. It was not until the *Reform Act of 1832 that such abuses were ended.
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Today the word is applied only to certain authorities in local government, in particular the 32 boroughs of Greater London and any *district which has been granted a royal charter.
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