Under the Public Health Acts 1873 and 1875 the Poor Law Unions were used as the basis for sanitary districts. All municipal boroughs and areas with bodies such as improvement commissioners became Urban Sanitary Districts. (Any area which acquired borough or urban status after the Act also became at that point an Urban Sanitary District). The remaining areas of the country - i.e., the Unions minus the urban areas - became Rural Sanitary Districts.
Under the Local Government Act 1894 the Urban and Rural Sanitary Districts in Dorset were succeeded by Urban Districts and Rural Districts.
Sanitary districts in Dorset between 1875 and 1894
RSD - Rural Sanitary District USD - Urban Sanitary District
Axminster RSD In Devon but also covered the following parishes, then in Dorset: Chardstock Hawkchurch
Beaminster RSD Dorset: Beaminster, Bettiscombe, Broadwindsor, Burstock Chedington, Corscombe East Chelborough, Evershot Halstock, Hooke Mapperton, Marshwood, Melbury Osmond, Melbury Sampford, Mosterton Netherbury, North Poorton Pilsdon, Powerstock Rampisham South Perrott, Stoke Abbott West Chelborough, Wraxall Somerset: Misterton Seaborough
Blandford RSD Almer, Anderson Blandford Forum, Blandford St Mary, Bryanston (parts only) Charlton Marshall Durweston Hilton Iwerne Courtney, Iwerne Stepleton Langton Long Blandford Milborne St Andrew, Milborne Stileham, Milton Abbas Pimperne Spetisbury, Stourpaine Tarrant Crawford, Tarrant Gunville, Tarrant Hinton, Tarrant Keyneston, Tarrant Launceston, Tarrant Monkton, Tarrant Rawston, Tarrant Rushton, Turnworth Winterborne Clenston, Winterborne Houghton, Winterborne Kingston, Winterborne Stickland, Winterborne Tomson, Winterborne Whitchurch, Winterborne Zelston
Blandford Forum USD parts of Blandford Forum, Blandford St Mary and Bryanston
Bridport RSD Allington (part), Askerswell parts of Bothenhampton, Bradpole and Burton Bradstock Catherston Leweston, Chideock, Chilcombe Litton Cheney, Loders Puncknowle Shipton Gorge, Stanton St Gabriel, Swyre, Symondsbury (part) Walditch (part), Whitchurch Canonicorum, Wootton Fitzpaine
Bridport USD Bridport parts of Allington, Bothenhampton, Bradpole, Burton Bradstock, Symondsbury and Walditch
Cerne RSD Alton Pancras Batcombe, Buckland Newton Cattistock, Cerne Abbas, Cheselbourne, West Compton Frome St Quintin Glanvilles Wootton, Godmanstone, Gorewood Hermitage, Hilfield Mappowder, Melbury Bubb, Melcombe Horsey, Minterne Magna Nether Cerne Piddletrenthide, Pulham Sydling St Nicholas Up Cerne
Chard RSD In Somerset but also covered the following parish, at that time in Dorset: Wambrook
Dorchester RSD Athelhampton Bradford Peverell, Broadmayne, Burleston Charminster, Chilfrome, Compton Valence Dewlish, Dorchester (Holy Trinity) (part) Fordington (part), Frampton, Frome Vauchurch Kingston Russell Littlebredy, Long Bredy Maiden Newton Piddlehinton, Puddletown Stinsford, Stratton Tincleton, Toller Fratrum, Toller Porcorum, Tolpuddle Warmwell, Watercombe, West Knighton, West Stafford, Whitcombe, Winterborne Came, Winterborne Herringston, Winterborne Monkton, Winterborne St Martin, Winterbourne Abbas, Winterbourne Steepleton, Woodsford, Wynford Eagle
Dorchester USD Dorchester (All Saints, St Peter; part of Holy Trinity) part of Fordington
Kinson USD part of Kinson (1892–94)
Lyme Regis USD Lyme Regis
Mere RSD In Wiltshire but also covered the following Dorset parishes: Bourton; Silton
Poole RSD Canford Magna Kinson (entire to 1892; part from 1892 to 1894) Lytchett Matravers, Lytchett Minster
Poole USD Hamworthy Longfleet Parkstone, Poole (Poole St James)
Portland USD Portland
Shaftesbury RSD Ashmore Cann, Compton Abbas East Orchard, East Stour Fontmell Magna Gillingham Iwerne Minster Margaret Marsh, Melbury Abbas, Motcombe parts of Shaftesbury (Holy Trinity, St James, St Peter); Stour Provost, Sutton Waldron Todber West Orchard, West Stour
Shaftesbury USD parts of Shaftesbury (Holy Trinity, St James, St Peter)
Sherborne RSD Dorset: Beer Hackett, Bishops Caundle, Bradford Abbas Castleton (part), Caundle Marsh, Chetnole, Clifton Maybank Folke Haydon, Holnest, Holwell Leigh, Leweston, Lillington, Longburton Nether Compton, North Wootton Oborne, Over Compton Purse Caundle Ryme Intrinseca Sherborne (part), Stockwood Thornford Yetminster Somerset: Goathill, Marston Magna, Poyntington, Rimpton, Sandford Orcas, Trent
Sherborne USD part of Castleton part of Sherborne
Sturminster RSD Belchalwell (divided between Fifehead Neville and Okeford Fitzpaine 1884) Child Okeford Fifehead Magdalen, Fifehead Neville Hammoon, Hanford, Hazelbury Bryan, Hinton St Mary Ibberton Lydlinch Manston, Marnhull Okeford Fitzpaine Shillingstone, Stalbridge, Stock Gaylard, Stoke Wake, Stourton Caundle, Sturminster Newton Woolland
Swanage USD Swanage
Wareham and Purbeck RSD Affpuddle, Arne Bere Regis, Bloxworth Chaldon Herring, Church Knowle, Coombe Keynes, Corfe Castle East Holme, East Lulworth, East Stoke Kimmeridge Langton Matravers Morden, Moreton Steeple, Studland Turners Puddle, Tyneham Wareham (Holy Trinity and St Martin - part; Lady St Mary - part 1875-86; entire 1886-94), West Lulworth, Winfrith Newburgh, Wool, Worth Matravers
Wareham USD Wareham Holy Trinity (part); Lady St Mary (part 1875-86; entire 1886-94); St Martin (part)
Weymouth RSD Abbotsbury Bincombe, Broadwey, Buckland Ripers Fleet Langton Herring Osmington, Owermoigne Portesham, Preston, Poxwell Radipole (part) Upwey West Chickerell, Wyke Regis (part)
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis USD Melcombe Regis Radipole (part) Weymouth, Wyke Regis (part)
Wimborne and Cranborne RSD Chalbury, Chettle, Corfe Mullen, Cranborne East Woodyates, Edmondsham Farnham (moved to Blandford PLU 1894) Gussage All Saints, Gussage St Michael Hampreston, Hinton Martell, Hinton ParvaHorton Long Crichel Moor Crichel Pentridge Shapwick, Sixpenny Handley, Sturminster Marshall Tollard Royal West Parley, West Woodyates, Wimborne Minster (entire to 1892; part from 1892 to 1894), Wimborne St Giles, Witchampton, Woodlands
Wimborne Minster USD part of Wimborne Minster (1892–94)
Wincanton RSD In Somerset but covered the following Dorset parishes: Buckhorn Weston; Kington Magna
References