The County Council was set up following the Local Government Act of 1888, and took over many of the administrative responsibilities of the Quarter Sessions Court; but this formal change hid a great deal of continuity, as Justices of the Peace were often elected Councillors, the Clerk of the Peace became the Clerk to the County Council and so on. The County Council came into being on 1 April 1889 and expired on 31 March 1965, after which it was replaced by Huntingdon and Peterborough County Council.
During its life the County Council gradually acquired more and more powers, such as taking over the functions of school boards in 1902, boards of guardians in 1930, various town planning and housing responsibilities from 1929. The easiest way to get a grasp on all these functions is to read The Jubilee of County Councils 1889-1939, which summarises County Council responsibilties in a readable and informative manner, and includes a chapter on Huntingdonshire CC in particular. Other secondary sources worth consulting are Philip Riden, Record Sources for Local History (Batsford 1987) and R M Jackson, The Machinery of Local Government (Macmillan 1965). All these books are available in the library at Huntingdonshire Archives. We also have texts and commentaries on many of the relevant Local Government statutes from 1888 onwards.
The County Council exercised its various functions through committees which frequently had their names and powers changed. Huntingdonshire Archives holds the surviving minute books of many of these committees and sub-committees, as well as some departmental records, such as treasurers account books and fire brigade occurence log books. Printed agendas, reports and abstracts of minutes 1907-1965 are also available in the library.