Act. The last of these was not reformed or abolished until 1886. The Act did not extend to the City of London which remains a sui generis authority. The Act allowed unincorporated towns to petition for incorporation. The industrial towns of the Midlands and North quickly took advantage of this, with Birmingham and Manchester becoming boroughs as soon as 1838. Altogether, 62 additional boroughs were incorporated under the Act. The new corporations had annual elections, with a third of the councillors up for election each year. The council also elected aldermen to serve on the council, with a six-year term. Towns were divided into wards. The Act was repealed "subject to the exceptions and qualifications in this Act mentioned" by section 5 of, and Part I of the First Schedule to, the Municipal Corporations Act 1882. The 178 reformed boroughs The list shows the style by which the unreformed corporation was known, and the date of its governing charter. In most cases this was the last in a succession of charters granted by a number of monarchs. In a few cases boroughs had no charter, or the charter was lost. See also Municipal Corporations Act Notes References Further reading External links The original Act Historyhome.co.uk – a web article providing background information on the Act. United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1835 1835 in British law Local government legislation in England and Wales Boroughs of the United Kingdom