Urmston, was the residence of a wealthy freeman and may have been moated. Urmston was only one of three manors in Trafford to have had two medieval halls, the others being Hale and Timperley. Neither of the halls has survived to the present day. The modern day descendants of the original inhabitants are still living locally, Both Lord M Gatward Snr and Jnr still reside in the area and can often be seen on horseback riding through their land close to the centre. Farming was the main occupation in Urmston until the early 19th century, when weaving became a significant source of employment, although this later declined due to competition from large industry. In 1848, the population was recorded as being 771, with around 80% of the land being farmed. The opening of the Cheshire Lines Railway in 1873 allowed the town to grow as a commuter town: between 1871 and 1901 the population grew by over 650%, from 996 to 6,594. By 1901, farming had virtually died out, and the town became a residence for the middle classes. In 1948 the Minister for Health, Aneurin Bevan, conducted the symbolic inauguration of the National Health Service at Davyhulme's Park Hospital, now renamed Trafford General Hospital. The area was home to the first District heating system in England. In operation by 1948, a boiler house supplied hot water to 200 homes on a newly built housing estate. The water was heated with low-grade fuels such as peat and coke, with houses built in groups of four for better efficiency. Governance Once a township in the parish of Flixton, Urmston became an urban district of the administrative county of Lancashire, under the Local Government Act 1894. The Local Government Act 1972 abolished the Urban District of Urmston and in 1974 Urmston became a district of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester The parliamentary constituency of Stretford and Urmston was formed in 1997. Andrew Western, a member of the Labour Party, has served as the MP for the constituency since he was elected in a 2022 by-election. Urmston is one of the four major urban areas in Trafford, the other three being Altrincham, Sale and Stretford. In local elections for Trafford Council, Urmston is split into four wards: Davyhulme East, Davyhulme West, Flixton and Urmston. Like every other ward in Trafford they are each represented by three