County Borough of Croydon

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Croydon
Croydon Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 21864.jpg
Croydon Town Hall
Area
  19119,012 acres (36.5 km2) [1]
  193112,617 acres (51.1 km2) [1]
  196112,672 acres (51.3 km2) [1]
Population
  1911169,551 [1]
  1931233,032 [1]
  1961252,501 [1]
Density
  191119/acre
  193118/acre
  196120/acre
History
  OriginParish of Croydon, Surrey
  Created1889
  Abolished1965
  Succeeded by London Borough of Croydon
Status County borough
GovernmentCroydon Corporation
   HQ Katharine Street, Croydon
   Motto Sanitate Crescimus (May we grow in health)
Croydon cb arms.png
Arms of the county borough corporation

The County Borough of Croydon was a local government district in and around the town of Croydon in north east Surrey, England from 1889 to 1965. Since 1965 the district has been part of the London Borough of Croydon within Greater London.

Contents

History

A local board of health was formed for the parish of Croydon St John the Baptist in 1849. On 9 March 1883 the town received a charter of incorporation to become a municipal borough. The borough was granted a commission of the peace and a separate court of quarter sessions in 1885 and 1889 respectively. [2] Under the Local Government Act 1888 it became an autonomous county borough in 1889. The area of the original borough included part of Norwood and Addiscombe, Bensham, Croham, Coombe, Haling, Norbury, Shirley, Waddon and Woodside. [2]

From 1894 to 1915 it was adjacent to Croydon Rural District to the south, east and west and the County of London to the north. The rural district was abolished in 1915, but the county borough was unsuccessful in its attempt to annex the area. The only significant extension of the borough boundaries was in 1925, when the parish of Addington was absorbed. [3]

The borough ran trams until they became the responsibility of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933. The borough ran its own fire brigade and ambulance service until it became a London Borough.

In 1954 Croydon Corporation unsuccessfully petitioned the Queen for the grant of city status. At the time, Croydon was the only county borough with a population in excess of 200,000 not to be a city. [4]

In 1965 the county borough was abolished and its former area transferred to Greater London to be combined with that of Coulsdon and Purley Urban District to form the London Borough of Croydon.

Corporation

On incorporation the borough was divided into six wards (Central, East, South, South Norwood, Upper Norwood and West) each returning six councillors. Together with 12 aldermen and a mayor, these formed the town council. [2] In 1905 a new North ward was formed, and the council was enlarged to 14 aldermen and 42 councillors. [5] By 1918 a new ward of Bensham Manor had been created and on further enlargement in 1925 Addington ward was formed, with the numbers of aldermen and councillors being increased to 18 and 54 respectively. [3]

The wards were reorganised in 1930, with 15 wards each returning three councillors [6] From then until the abolition of the county borough the council consisted of the mayor, 15 aldermen and 45 councillors.

The 1930 wards were:

The wards were slightly reorganised with the creation of Shirley ward and the amalgamation of two wards as "South and Waddon" by 1955. [7]

Politics

From its incorporation the council was controlled by parties allied to the Conservative Party, known as the Coalition Party or Ratepayers Association. The Ratepayers Association was more formally organised as an anti-Labour Party grouping after 1900, and was supported by both the Conservatives and the Liberals, who seldom fielded candidates. [6]

Croydon was constituted a parliamentary constituency in 1885, with the same boundaries as the borough. In 1918 the county borough was divided into North and South constituencies. For the general election of 1950 representation increased to three: Croydon North, East and West. In 1955 the boundaries were altered to create Croydon North East, North West and South. [7]

Coat of arms

The municipal borough was granted a coat of arms on 16 October 1886 by the College of Arms, and this was inherited by the county borough. With its quartered shield and its complicated design, the coat of arms was in a style typical of grants to municipal corporations by Albert Woods, then Garter Principal King of Arms.

Most of the emblems on the shield were related to the Archbishops of Canterbury, who had a palace in Croydon. The three choughs are associated with Thomas Becket and appear in the arms of the city of Canterbury. The cross crosslets came from the arms of the Diocese of Canterbury. The flory cross bearing three gold discs was taken from the arms of Archbishop John Whitgift. The embattled fesse in the fourth quarter represented a town wall and thus municipal government.

The crest on top of the helm featured a grassy mound and heraldic fountain, for the Croydon Bourne. On either side was a sprig of rye-grass, for the irrigation meadows of Beddington Sewage Farm. The crest also contained a gold crozier, another reference to the archbishops, and a crossed sword and tilting spear for the East India Company Military Seminary at Addiscombe.

The motto, which was in Latin, was Sanitate Crescamus ("May we grow in health"). [8]

Some charges from these arms were used, together with some charges from the coat of arms of Coulsdon and Purley Urban District, to form the new coat of arms of the London Borough of Croydon in 1965.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Croydon</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in south London, part of Outer London. It covers an area of 87 km2 (33.6 sq mi). It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name; while other urban centres include Coulsdon, Purley, South Norwood, Norbury, New Addington, Selsdon and Thornton Heath. Croydon is mentioned in Domesday Book, and from a small market town has expanded into one of the most populous areas on the fringe of London. The borough is now one of London's leading business, financial and cultural centres, and its influence in entertainment and the arts contribute to its status as a major metropolitan centre. Its population is 390,719, making it the largest London borough and sixteenth largest English district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waddon</span> Human settlement in England

Waddon is a neighbourhood in the London Borough of Croydon, at the western end of the town of Croydon. The area borders the London Borough of Sutton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A23 road</span> Major road in the United Kingdom

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croydon</span> Town in South London, England

Croydon is a large town in South London, England, 9.3 miles (15.0 km) south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London, it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensive shopping district. The entire town had a population of 192,064 as of 2011, whilst the wider borough had a population of 384,837.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Wandle</span> Tributary of the River Thames, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norbury</span> Area of south London, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croydon North (UK Parliament constituency)</span> UK Parliament constituency since 1997

Croydon North is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2012 by Steve Reed of Labour Co-op. The seat was created in 1918 and split in two in 1955 and re-devised in a wholly different form in 1997.

Croydon South was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coulsdon and Purley Urban District</span> Local government district in Surrey, England

Coulsdon and Purley Urban District was a local government district in northeast Surrey from 1915 to 1965. The local authority was Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council. The former area of the district is now mostly part of the London Borough of Croydon in Greater London, with parts in the Tandridge District and the Borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Croydon</span>

The London Borough of Croydon has over 120 parks and open spaces within its boundaries, ranging from the 200 acre (80ha) Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve to many recreation grounds and sports fields scattered throughout the Borough. Croydon covers an area of 86.52 km², the 256th largest district in England. Croydon's physical features consist of many hills and rivers that are spread out across the borough and into the North Downs, Surrey and the rest of South London. Some of the open spaces in Croydon form part of the well-known London LOOP walks where the first section was opened on 3 May 1996 with a ceremony on Farthing Downs in Coulsdon. As a borough in Outer London it also contains some open countryside in the form of country parks. Croydon Council is associated with several other boroughs who are taking part in the Downlands Countryside Management Project. These boroughs are Sutton; and by Surrey County Council; the City of London Corporation; the Surrey districts of Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge; and the Countryside Agency. An additional partner is Natural Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croydon London Borough Council elections</span> Class of UK elections

Elections for the Croydon London Borough Council are held every four years to elect 70 councillors. The last ward boundary changes came into force at the 2018 local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal Borough of Beddington and Wallington</span>

Beddington and Wallington was, from 1915 to 1965, a local government district in north east Surrey, England. It formed part of the London suburbs, lying within the Metropolitan Police District and the London Passenger Transport Area. In 1965 it was abolished on the creation of Greater London.

Croydon North West was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of the London Borough of Croydon</span>

The coat of arms of the London Borough of Croydon is the official heraldic arms of the London Borough of Croydon, granted on 10 December 1965.

The 1964 Croydon Council election took place on 7 May 1964 to elect members of Croydon London Borough Council in London, England. The whole council was up for election and the council went into no overall control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Croydon London Borough Council election</span> 2022 local election in Croydon

In the 2022 Croydon London Borough Council election, on 5 May 2022, all 70 members of Croydon London Borough Council, and the Mayor of Croydon, were up for election. The elections took place alongside the local elections in the other London boroughs and elections to local authorities across the United Kingdom. Jason Perry of the Conservative Party narrowly won the mayoral election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croydon Fire Brigade</span>

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Croydon population A Vision of Britain
  2. 1 2 3 Kelly's Directory of Kent, Surrey and Sussex (1891), pp. 1199–1204
  3. 1 2 F A Youngs Jr, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol 1, London 1979
  4. Claim for city status, The Times, 1 March 1954
  5. Kelly's Directory of Surrey, pp. 97 - 98
  6. 1 2 Sam Davies and R E Morley, County Borough Elections in England and Wales, 1919-1938: A Comparative Analysis, London, 1999, pp.145 -162
  7. 1 2 The Parliamentary Constituencies (Croydon) Order, 1955 (S.I. 1955 No. 174)
  8. C. W. Scott-Giles, Civic Heraldry of England and Wales, 2nd edition, London, 1953

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