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Old Aberdeen was created a burgh of barony in 1489 by King James IV (1488-1513) in favour of the Bishop of Aberdeen, then William Elphinstone. A burgh of barony was presided over by a feudal superior who had authority from the Crown to administer justice and to hold barony courts dealing with crimes and matters of good neighbourhood until 1747 and thereafter solely matters of good neighbourhood: in this case the purpose of founding the burgh was to provide a suitable setting and authority for both St. Machar?s Cathedral and for Elphinstone?s new University, King?s College, founded by papal bull in 1494/5. Old Aberdeen adopted the Police of Towns (Scotland) Act 1850 (13 & 14 Vict., c.33) in 1860 and the existing Town Council also became police commissioners to carry out the purposes of the Act. It was created a police burgh in 1862 under the General Police and Improvement (Scotland) Act 1862 (25 & 26 Vict., c. 101). Burgh administration was carried out by police commissioners who were responsible for the cleansing, lighting, policing and public health of the burgh. Old Aberdeen, the neighbouring police burgh of Woodside and the district of Torry were taken within the boundaries of Aberdeen City in 1891 under the Aberdeen Corporation Act 1891 (54 & 55 Vict., ch.cxxiv).
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