Devon County Council
1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, which created elected county councils to take over the administrative functions previously performed by the quarter sessions, run by unelected magistrates. The boroughs of Exeter, Devonport and Plymouth were considered large enough to provide their own county-level services and so they were made county boroughs, outside the jurisdiction of the county council. Devonport was subsequently absorbed into Plymouth in 1914. Torbay received county borough status and left the area of Devon County Council in 1968.
1974 Under the Local Government Act 1972, Exeter, Torbay and Plymouth were brought within the area controlled by the county council, and the lower-tier districts in the county were completely reorganised.
1998 Torbay and Plymouth subsequently regained their independence from the county council when both were made unitary authorities.