While the municipal corporation as a concept has its roots in the functioning of local governments from as early as James I, which can be seen here (if you don't mind reading a good deal of 19th century English), the modern municipal corporation was started in 1835 with the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835.

Good books (from my finance perspective :P) include:

Accounting Innovation: Municipal Corporations, 1835-1935, HM Coombs, JR Edwards (1996)

Town and Country Planning in the UK, JB Cullingworth, V Nadin (2002)

They're both rather hard to get though.