Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth

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Lambeth
Lambeth Town Hall.jpg
Lambeth Town Hall
Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth.svg
Lambeth within the County of London
History
  OriginAncient parish
  Created1900
  Abolished1965
  Succeeded by London Borough of Lambeth
Status Metropolitan borough
GovernmentLambeth Vestry (until 1900, reformed 1855)
Lambeth Borough Council (1900–1965)
   HQ St Mary's Church (until 1809)
Vestry Hall, Church Street (1809–1853)
Vestry Hall, Kennington Road (1853–1908)
Town Hall, Brixton Hill (1908–1965)
   Motto Spectemur Agendo
(Let us be regarded according to our conduct)
Coat of Arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth.svg
Coat of arms of the borough council
Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth Map of borough boundary

Lambeth was a civil parish and metropolitan borough in south London, England. It was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey. The parish was included in the area of responsibility of the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1855 and became part of the County of London in 1889. The parish of Lambeth became a metropolitan borough in 1900, following the London Government Act 1899, with the parish vestry replaced by a borough council.

Contents

Geography

The ancient parish was divided into the six divisions of Bishop's Liberty, Prince's Liberty, Vauxhall Liberty, Marsh and Wall Liberty, Lambeth Dean and Stockwell Liberty. [1]

It covered an area 4,015 acres (recorded in 1851 census) and was 7 miles (11.3 km) north to south, but only 2.75 miles (4.4 km) at its widest east to west. In addition to the historic riverside area of Lambeth, this included Kennington, Vauxhall, Stockwell, Brixton, the western part of Herne Hill, Tulse Hill and West Norwood.

As the population was increasing, in 1824 the ancient parish was subdivided into ecclesiastical districts of Brixton, Kennington, Lambeth Church, Waterloo Road and West Norwood. These districts were adopted for census reporting in 1841 with Lambeth Church and Waterloo Road further subdivided into first and second divisions. [2]

In 1900 some irregular boundaries of the parish were tidied up:

Ecclesiastical parish

The ancient parish, dedicated to St Mary, was in the Diocese of Winchester until 1877, then the Diocese of Rochester until 1905, and then finally in the Diocese of Southwark. From 1824, as the population of Lambeth increased, a number of new parishes were formed: [3]

In addition, as the population of neighbouring areas increased, parts of Lambeth parish were included in new parishes:

Political history

Vestry

Under the Metropolis Management Act 1855 any parish that exceeded 2,000 ratepayers was to be divided into wards; as such the incorporated vestry of St Mary Lambeth was divided into eight wards (electing vestrymen): No. 1 or North Marsh (18), No. 2 or South Marsh (12), No. 3 or Bishop's (12), No. 4 or Prince's (15), No. 5 or Vauxhall (24), No. 6 or Stockwell (15), No. 7 or Brixton (15) and No. 8 or Norwood (9). [4] [5]

Borough council

A map showing the wards of Lambeth Metropolitan Borough as they appeared in 1916. Lambeth Met. B Ward Map 1916.svg
A map showing the wards of Lambeth Metropolitan Borough as they appeared in 1916.

The borough council was established in 1900. The metropolitan borough was divided into nine wards for elections: Bishop's, Brixton, Herne Hill, Marsh, Norwood, Prince's, Stockwell, Tulse Hill and Vauxhall. [6] [7] The borough council was controlled by the Municipal Reform Party (allied to the Conservatives) until 1937, when the Labour Party gained power. Labour retained control until abolition in 1965.

Parliament constituency

For elections to parliament, a borough constituency for Lambeth was established under the Reform Act 1832. Parliamentary boundaries were redrawn in 1885 with the parish divided into four constituencies:

In 1950 the borough's representation was reduced to three seats:

Town hall

Lambeth Town Hall was built in Brixton in 1906 to 1908 to designs by Septimus Warwick and H. Austen Hall. It replaced the Old Town Hall in Kennington Road. [8] The building is constructed of red brick and Portland stone, with a 41-metre high clock tower. Since 1965 it has formed the headquarters of the successor London Borough.

In the stairwell of the hall is a plaque erected by the Government of Ontario to commemorate the birthplace of John By, who helped create Bytown or Ottawa, Ontario (capital of Canada).

Population and area

The area of the borough in 1901 was 4,080 acres (16.5 km2). By 1961 it had increased slightly to 4,089 acres (16.5 km2). The population of the metropolitan borough as recorded at each census was as follows:

Lambeth Vestry 1801–1899

Year [9] 1801181118211831184118511861187118811891
Population27,98541,64457,63887,856115,888139,325162,044208,342253,699275,203

Metropolitan Borough 19001961

Year [10] 1901191119211931194119511961
Population301,895298,058302,863296,147 [11] 230,240223,763

Coat of arms

Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton LambethTownHall.jpg
Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton
The original seal of the borough Lambeth seal.png
The original seal of the borough

When the borough was created in 1900, the corporation adopted a seal which was used in place of a coat of arms. The device was derived from that of the borough's forerunner, Lambeth Vestry. At the base of the seal was a lamb, a play on the name "Lambeth", and a symbol long used to represent the parish. The two shields were those of the Diocese of Canterbury and the Duchy of Cornwall. The first referred to Lambeth Palace, residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The second was to show that the Duchy owned estates in the Kennington area of the borough. The design was completed by the cypher of Queen Victoria, and the year of the borough's founding. This device can still be seen in the circular hall of Lambeth Town Hall.

In 1922 the borough obtained an official grant of arms from the College of Arms. The lamb was moved to the crest, on top of the helm. It was transformed into a paschal lamb supporting a pennon of St George. As a number of other crests featured a paschal lamb, a silver and blue wave, for the River Thames, was added. The arms themselves retained references to the Duchy of Cornwall (the black border charged with bezants or gold discs) and the Archbishop of Canterbury (the mitre and crozier). The red cross in the first quarter was taken from the arms of the London County Council, showing that the borough was in the county. The fourth quarter contained a gold and blue chequered pattern, the arms of the de Warennes, Earls of Surrey. This was included to show that Lambeth lay in the county of Surrey until 1889. The ermine patterning in the other quarter was said to stand for "purity and honour". [12]

The motto adopted was Spectemur Agendo , a motto common to several local authorities in England. Although this is generally rendered in English as Judge us by our deeds, the official translation in Lambeth has traditionally been the more ponderous Let us be regarded according to our conduct.

On 22 February 1966 the arms were transferred by royal licence to the London Borough of Lambeth. On registration at the College of Arms, two gold stars were added in the second and third quarters to depict the addition of Clapham and Streatham to Lambeth.

Abolition

In 1965 the borough was amalgamated with the Streatham and Clapham parts of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth to form the new London Borough of Lambeth.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennington</span> Area of London, mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth

Kennington is a district in south London, England. It is mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, running along the boundary with the London Borough of Southwark, a boundary which can be discerned from the early medieval period between the Lambeth and St George's parishes of those boroughs respectively. It is located 1.4 miles (2.3 km) south of Charing Cross in Inner London and is identified as a local centre in the London Plan. It was a royal manor in the parish of St Mary, Lambeth in the county of Surrey and was the administrative centre of the parish from 1853. Proximity to central London was key to the development of the area as a residential suburb and it was incorporated into the metropolitan area of London in 1855.

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

Newington is a district of South London, just south of the River Thames, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It was an ancient parish and the site of the early administration of the county of Surrey. It was the location of the County of London Sessions House from 1917, in a building now occupied by the Inner London Crown Court.

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

Stockwell is a district located in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. It is situated 2.4 miles (3.9 km) south of Charing Cross.

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

Tulse Hill is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in South London that sits on Brockwell Park. It is approximately five miles from Charing Cross and is bordered by Brixton, Dulwich, Herne Hill, Streatham and West Norwood.

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

Lambeth is a London borough in South London, England, which forms part of Inner London. Its name was recorded in 1062 as Lambehitha and in 1255 as Lambeth. The geographical centre of London is at Frazier Street near Lambeth North tube station, though nearby Charing Cross on the other side of the Thames in the City of Westminster is traditionally considered the centre of London.

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

Lambeth is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth. Lambeth was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey. It is situated 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area experienced some slight growth in the medieval period as part of the manor of Lambeth Palace. By the Victorian era the area had seen significant development as London expanded, with dense industrial, commercial and residential buildings located adjacent to one another. The changes brought by World War II altered much of the fabric of Lambeth. Subsequent development in the late 20th and early 21st centuries has seen an increase in the number of high-rise buildings. The area is home to the International Maritime Organization. Lambeth is home to one of the largest Portuguese-speaking communities in the UK, and Portuguese is the second most commonly spoken language in Lambeth after English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell</span> Former Metropolitan Borough in England

Camberwell was a civil parish and metropolitan borough in south London, England. Camberwell was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey, governed by an administrative vestry from 1674. The parish was included in the area of responsibility of the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1855 and became part of the County of London in 1889. The parish of Camberwell became a metropolitan borough in 1900, following the London Government Act 1899, with the parish vestry replaced by a borough council. In 1965 the borough was abolished and its former area became part of the London Borough of Southwark in Greater London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herne Hill</span> Suburb of London

Herne Hill is a district in South London, approximately four miles from Charing Cross and bordered by Brixton, Camberwell, Dulwich, and Tulse Hill. It sits to the north and east of Brockwell Park and straddles the boundary between the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark. There is a road of the same name in the area, as well as a railway station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streatham (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1918 onwards

Streatham is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Bell Ribeiro-Addy of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vauxhall (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950 onwards

Vauxhall is a constituency represented in the House of Commons by Florence Eshalomi of Labour Co-op since her election in 2019.

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

The London Borough of Lambeth, in spite of being close to the centre of London has over 64 areas of parks and open spaces, in addition to 34 play areas and eight paddling pools, within its boundaries. In common with all the London boroughs these green spaces provide "lungs" for the leisure pursuits of the inhabitants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwood (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1997

Norwood was a parliamentary constituency in south London which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brixton (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1974

Brixton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Brixton district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post system.

Lambeth was a constituency 1832—1885 loosely equivalent in area to the later administrative units: the London Borough of Lambeth and the south-west and centre of the London Borough of Southwark. It returned two members of parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by the bloc vote version of the first-past-the-post system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hundred of Brixton</span> Historic area of London

Brixton Hundred or the Hundred of Brixton was for many centuries a group of parishes (hundred) used for meetings and taxation of their respective great estates in the north east of the county of Surrey, England. Its area has been entirely absorbed by the growth of London; with its name currently referring to the Brixton district. Its area corresponds to London Boroughs: Southwark, Lambeth, Wandsworth and parts of Lewisham, Merton and Richmond upon Thames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lambeth London Borough Council</span> Local authority in Greater London, England

Lambeth London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Lambeth in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, and one of the 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. The council meets at Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton. Lambeth is divided into 25 wards: thirteen are represented by 3 councillors and twelve are represented by 2. The council was first elected in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Matthew's Church, Brixton</span> Church

St Matthew's Church is a Church of England church in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade II* listed building which occupies a prominent position at the junction of Brixton Road, Brixton Hill and Effra Road. The church was constructed following the Church Building Act 1818 and was consecrated in 1824.

References

  1. The history and antiquities of the parish of Lambeth, Thomas Allen, J. Nichols and son, (1826)
  2. Journal of the Statistical Society of London Vol. 48, No. 3 (Sep., 1885), pp. 349-440 (121 pages)
  3. "'Lambeth: The parish', A History of the County of Surrey". 1912. pp. 50–64. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  4. The London Gazette Issue: 21802. 20 October 1855. pp. 3874–3875. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  5. "H.M.S.O. Boundary Commission Report 1885 Lambeth Map". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  6. Post Office London County Suburbs Directory, 1919. 1919. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  7. Ordnance Survey 'County Series 3rd Edition' Map of London (1912–14) at 1:2500 scale. Accessed at https://www.old-maps.co.uk/
  8. Lambeth Town Hall History
  9. Statistical Abstract for London, 1901 (Vol. IV); Census tables for Metropolitan Borough of Battersea
  10. Census Tables for the Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth, from the Vision of Britain
  11. The census was suspended for World War II
  12. Richard Crosley, London's Coats of Arms, 1928

Further reading

51°27′39″N0°07′00″W / 51.4607°N 0.1166°W / 51.4607; -0.1166