Slough has not always been a large town. It was only with the arrival of the railway in 1840 that the population began to grow - before that Slough had been a small village. By the time of the 1891 Census the population had risen to 7,700, and in 1894 Slough was made an Urban District.

In 1938, with the population now over 50,000, Slough Urban District Council became a Borough. As well as the change of name, this meant that the Council had the right to elect a Mayor, and to have its own Coat of Arms. The Borough Council moved into the new Town Hall which the SUDC had built the previous year, costing £35,000. This is still used as the Town Hall today, but the council have also obtained offices at Wellington House and The Centre.

The Official Charter of Incorporation was presented to the Borough's first Mayor, Mr E T Bowyer, by the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. To mark the occasion, a series of events were held from the 14th to the 17th of September. These consisted of parties, variety shows and fairs - including a parade of coaches and horses - as well as ceremonial functions. Official visits were made to schools and hospitals around the town, and there was a carnival on the final day of celebration.