Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham

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Lewisham
Lewisham Town Hall circa 1900.jpg
The old Lewisham Vestry Hall
Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham.svg
Lewisham within the County of London
Area
  19117,014 acres (28 km2)
  19317,015 acres (28 km2)
  19617,016 acres (28 km2)
Population
  1911160,834
  1931219,953
  1961221,753
Density
  191123/acre
  193131/acre
  196132/acre
History
  Created1900
  Abolished1965
  Succeeded by London Borough of Lewisham
Status Metropolitan borough
GovernmentLewisham Borough Council
   HQ Town Hall, Catford
   Motto Salus Populi Suprema Lex
(The welfare of the people is the highest law)
Lewisham 1950 arms.png
Coat of arms of the borough council
Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham Map of borough boundary

The Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham was a metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it became part of the London Borough of Lewisham along with the Metropolitan Borough of Deptford.

Contents

History

The borough was formed by the London Government Act 1899 from the civil parishes of Lee from the Lee District and Lewisham from the Lewisham District. The borough also took in a small area formerly administered by Camberwell Vestry on the western slopes of Forest Hill. [1]

While there had been minor industry along the River Ravensbourne for centuries and the extension of the railways had seen suburban development, there were still large areas of farmland at the time of the borough's formation. The next London property boom in the 1930s saw much of that farmland built upon with both private estates, and the final gaps on the roads to Kent were filled in later on with London County Council built social housing, particularly in Downham and Bellingham.

Geography

The borough bordered Deptford, Greenwich, Camberwell, and had a portion of the southern boundary of the county of London.

Places in it included Lewisham, Blackheath, Lee, Hither Green, Catford, Brockley, Forest Hill and part of Sydenham.

Population and area

The area of the borough was 7,015 acres (28.4 km2). The population, as recorded at the census, was:

Constituent parishes 18011899

Year [2] 1801181118211831184118511861187118811891
Population4,3837,1378,92210,76714,63618,61628,97047,01867,50088,653

Metropolitan Borough 19001961

Year [3] 1901191119211931194119511961
Population127,495160,834174,194219,953 [4] 227,576221,753

Coat of arms

Unofficial arms adopted in 1901 Lewisham 1901.png
Unofficial arms adopted in 1901

When the borough was created in 1900, a committee was appointed to design a coat of arms. This device, adopted in the following year, included a shield, crest, supporters and motto. [5]

The shield had four quarters. The first quarter had the attributed arms of King Alfred, first lord of the manor. The second quarter showed a white on red horse, the arms associated with Kent. The Lewisham area was part of Kent until 1889. The third quarter showed a buck's head, from the arms of the Earl of Dartmouth, lord of the manor of Lewisham in 1901. The fourth quarter featured a bear's head and fesse or horizontal band, from the arms of Lord Northbrook, lord of the manor of Lee in 1901.

The crest was a raven, representing the Ravensbourne river.

The supporters were a silver buck sprinkled with red stars and a bear with a gold portcullis on his shoulder. These were also derived from the arms of the Earl of Dartmouth and Lord Northbrook respectively.

The Latin motto was Salus Populi Suprema Lex, or "the welfare of the people is the highest law" - a motto common to many English municipalities.

In 1950, in celebration of the borough's golden jubilee, a grant of arms was obtained from the College of Arms. [6]

The shield was greatly simplified: A Saxon crown and golden lion recalled the association of King Alfred with the area. The background of three colours recalled the three main areas of the borough: green for Lee Green, purple for Hither (or heather) Green and black for Blackheath.

The raven crest was retained, with the addition of a silver and blue wave for the Ravensbourne.

The 1901 supporters were altered to make them unique to the borough. Around their necks were placed mural crowns, representative of local government.

The motto was not changed, and was continued in use by the London Borough of Lewisham in 1965.

Politics

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

The borough was divided into ten wards for elections: Blackheath, Brockley, Catford, Church, Forest Hill, Lewisham Park, Lewisham Village, Manor, South and Sydenham. [7] [8]

Borough council

Parliament constituency

For elections to Parliament, the borough was represented by one constituency:

In 1918 the borough's representation was increased to two seats:

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

Related Research Articles

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

Bellingham is an area of South East London, England, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It lies south of Catford and north-west of Beckenham, and is part of the Catford postal district (SE6).

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

Blackheath is an area in Southeast London, straddling the border of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Lewisham. It is located 1-mile (1.6 km) northeast of Lewisham, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of Greenwich and 6.4 miles (10.3 km) southeast of Charing Cross, the traditional centre of London.

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

Brockley is a district and an electoral ward of south London, England, in the London Borough of Lewisham 5 miles (8 km) south-east of Charing Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catford</span> District in south east London, England

Catford is a district in south east London, England, and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Lewisham. It is southwest of Lewisham itself, mostly in the Rushey Green and Catford South wards. The population of Catford, including Bellingham, was 44,905 in 2011.

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

Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Dockyards. This was a major shipbuilding dock and attracted Peter the Great to come and study shipbuilding. Deptford and the docks are associated with the knighting of Sir Francis Drake by Queen Elizabeth I aboard the Golden Hind, the legend of Sir Walter Raleigh laying down his cape for Elizabeth, Captain James Cook's third voyage aboard HMS Resolution, and the mysterious apparent murder of Christopher Marlowe in a house along Deptford Strand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Lewisham</span> Borough of London

Lewisham is a London borough in south-east London; it forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham. The local authority is Lewisham London Borough Council, based in Catford. The Prime Meridian passes through Lewisham. Blackheath, Goldsmiths, University of London and Millwall F.C. are located within the borough.

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

Hither Green is a district in south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Lewisham. It forms the southern part of Lewisham, 6.6 miles (10.6 km) south-east of Charing Cross, and on the Prime Meridian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewisham</span> Area of London

Lewisham is an area of southeast London, England, six miles south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London, with a large shopping centre and street market. Lewisham had a population of 60,573 in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth</span> Metropolitan borough of England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Ravensbourne</span> Right-bank tributary of the Thames in London

The River Ravensbourne is a tributary of the River Thames in south London, England. It flows into the tidal River Thames at Deptford, where its tidal reach is known as Deptford Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Deptford</span> Former borough of London, England

The Metropolitan Borough of Deptford was a metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it became part of the London Borough of Lewisham along with the Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich</span> Former metropolitan borough in London, England

The Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich was a metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965. It bordered the boroughs of Woolwich, Lewisham and Deptford and, across the River Thames, the borough of Poplar and the County Borough of West Ham in Essex. Within the area of the borough were the Royal Naval College, the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grove Park, Lewisham</span> Human settlement in England

Grove Park is a district of South East London, England within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is located north east of Bromley and south east of Lewisham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglican Diocese of Southwark</span> Diocese of the Church of England

The Diocese of Southwark is one of the 42 dioceses of the Church of England, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The diocese forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. It was created on 1 May 1905 from part of the ancient Diocese of Rochester that was served by a suffragan bishop of Southwark (1891–1905). Before 1877 most of the area was part of the Diocese of Winchester, some being part of the Diocese of London.

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

Lewisham East is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since the by-election on 14 June 2018 by Janet Daby of the Labour Party.

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

Lewisham parks and open spaces are part of the "green lung" of London and include a diverse range of sites, from small urban parks and gardens to one of the most historic natural landscapes in Greater London at Blackheath. While overall control rests with London Borough of Lewisham, management of borough-owned parks and their facilities is contracted out to Glendale Grounds Management.

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

St Johns is a district around the station of the same name in south-east London. It lies within the Borough of Lewisham and borders the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It makes up the northwestern part of Lewisham along with Telegraph Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hither Green Cemetery</span>

Hither Green Cemetery, opened as Lee Cemetery in 1873, is a large cemetery located on Verdant Lane, London, England. The cemetery is situated between Catford, Hither Green, Grove Park and Lee, located adjacent to a railway line, and close to Grove Park Sidings and Grove Park Nature Reserve. Next to Hither Green Cemetery is Lewisham Crematorium that was opened in 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northbrook Park, London</span>

Northbrook Park is a public park located on Baring Road south of Lee Green and north of Grove Park in the London Borough of Lewisham, southeast London, England. It is roughly 9 acres (3.6 ha) in size, and contains a large central field bounded by trees, a children's playground, with a sandpit and splash pool, a multipurpose game court, two football pitches, outdoor gym equipment and a "legal" graffiti wall. The park was previously a field named Ten-Acre Field, despite actually being 7 acres (2.8 ha), and part of the Baring Estate of Lee. In 1898, Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook gifted part of his family's estate to public use in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The Park was designed by Lt Col J J Sexby, Chief Officer of the London County Council's Parks Department, then was officially opened on 14 March 1903. In the past the park contained a larger playground, a paddling pool, a pond, a bowling green and a tennis court.

References

  1. Frederic A Youngs Jr., Guide to the local administrative units of England, Vol. I: Southern England, London 1979
  2. Statistical Abstract for London, 1901 (Vol. IV); Census tables for Metropolitan Borough of Deptford
  3. Census Tables for Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham, from Vision of Britain website accessed 16 Jun 2007
  4. The census was suspended for World War II
  5. London's Coats of Arms, Richard Crosley, 1928
  6. London 1900 - 1964, Armorial bearings and regalia of the London County Council, the Corporation of London and the Metropolitan Boroughs, J. F. Beningfield, 1964
  7. Post Office London County Suburbs Directory, 1919. 1919. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  8. Ordnance Survey 'County Series 3rd Edition' Map of London (1912-14) at 1:2500 scale. Accessed at https://www.old-maps.co.uk/

Further reading

51°26′43″N0°01′15″W / 51.4452°N 0.0208°W / 51.4452; -0.0208