The Health of Towns Association was a key organisation in the development of public health in the United Kingdom[1] and was formed at a meeting in Exeter Hall, London on 11 December 1844. Its formation followed the 1843 establishment of the Royal Commission into the Health of Towns[2] chaired by Sir Edwin Chadwick, which produced a series of reports on poor and unsanitary conditions in British cities, quickly prompting the creation of Health of Towns Association branches in several major cities, including Edinburgh, Liverpool, and Manchester.[1]
These national and local movements led to the passing of the Public Health Act 1848 (11 & 12 Vict. c. 63).[3]