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Retford, often referred to as East Retford, is among the oldest boroughs in England, with its first mention dating back to the Domesday Survey of 1086. It was officially designated as a borough by King Henry I in 1105 and was granted a Royal Charter in 1246, which permitted the establishment of weekly markets. Although the town faced devastating fires in 1528, it flourished thanks to the Great North Road and the development of railways during the 18th and 19th centuries. Retford gained a reputation for electoral corruption as a ‘rotten borough’ until political reforms in the early 19th century transformed its governance.
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