ough , ▁and ▁Liberal ▁candidate ▁John ▁Simon , ▁ser je ant - at - law , ▁was ▁returned ▁as ▁the ▁bor ough ' s ▁first ▁MP . ▁The ▁Victor ian ▁town ▁hall ▁standing ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁market place ▁dates ▁from ▁ 1 8 8 6 – 8 9 . ▁ ▁D ew s bury ' s ▁boundaries ▁were ▁expanded ▁to ▁include ▁the ▁urban ▁districts ▁of ▁R aven st hor pe , ▁Th orn hill , ▁and ▁So oth ill ▁Nether , ▁and ▁part ▁of ▁So oth ill ▁Upper , ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁it ▁was ▁elev ated ▁to ▁county ▁bor ough ▁status . ▁" So oth ill ▁Nether " ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁current ▁east ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁town , ▁although ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁Ch icken ley ▁and ▁Ch id sw ell ▁were ▁ham lets , ▁and ▁Ear ls he aton ▁contained ▁the ▁bulk ▁of ▁the ▁area ' s ▁population . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁responsibility ▁for ▁local ▁government ▁passed ▁to ▁Kirk le es ▁Metropolitan ▁Council , ▁with ▁its ▁headquarters ▁in ▁Hud ders field . ▁The ▁population ▁of ▁D ew s bury ▁has ▁remained ▁broad ly ▁static ▁over ▁the ▁past ▁century : ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁census ▁recorded ▁ 5 3 , 3 5 1 ▁people , ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁census ▁ 5 1 , 3 2 6 ▁people , ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁fourth ▁least ▁popul ous ▁county ▁bor ough ▁in ▁England