| Metropolitan borough (London) | |
|---|---|
| |
 | |
| Category | Local government district |
| Location | England |
| Found in | County of London |
| Created by | London Government Act 1899 |
| Created |
|
| Abolished by | |
| Abolished |
|
| Number | 28 (as of 1965) |
| Possible status |
|
| Government |
|
Metropolitan boroughs were subdivisions of the County of London from 1900 to 1965. The 28 boroughs were created by the London Government Act 1899. [1] In 1965 they were abolished and replaced by larger London boroughs within the new area of Greater London.
Parliamentary boroughs covering the metropolitan area were created in 1832. They were Finsbury, Greenwich, Lambeth, Marylebone, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Westminster. Soon after their creation it was proposed that they should be incorporated for local government purposes [2] and this was also a finding of the Royal Commission on the City of London, but this did not happen.
The metropolitan boroughs were created in 1900 by the London Government Act 1899 which created 28 metropolitan boroughs as sub-divisions of the County of London. Their borough councils replaced vestry and district boards as the second tier of local government.
Some boroughs were formed as amalgamations of parishes, but most were continuations of existing units of local government, with the parish vestry or district board elevated to a borough council. [3] With the creation of the boroughs, the opportunity was taken to correct a number of boundary anomalies. All civil parishes in the County of London continued to exist, although their role was reduced to administration of the New Poor Law and they were amalgamated over time to become aligned with the boroughs.
In 1965 the County of London was abolished by the London Government Act 1963 and replaced with the much larger Greater London. The 28 metropolitan boroughs were also abolished and merged to create 12 of the 32 larger London boroughs [4] and are also known as Inner London boroughs.
| Metropolitan Borough | Successor(s) | Population in 1961 [5] | Area in 1961 | No. on map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battersea | Wandsworth | 105,870 | 2,164 acres (8.76 km2) | 28 |
| Bermondsey | Southwark | 51,860 | 1,501 acres (6.07 km2) | 8 |
| Bethnal Green | Tower Hamlets | 47,078 | 759 acres (3.07 km2) | 6 |
| Camberwell | Southwark | 175,304 | 4,482 acres (18.14 km2) | 10 |
| Chelsea | Kensington and Chelsea | 47,256 | 660 acres (2.7 km2) | 29 |
| Deptford | Lewisham | 68,829 | 1,564 acres (6.33 km2) | 11 |
| Finsbury | Islington | 32,887 | 586 acres (2.37 km2) | 4 |
| Fulham | Hammersmith | 111,791 | 1,707 acres (6.91 km2) | 25 |
| Greenwich | Greenwich | 85,546 | 3,864 acres (15.64 km2) | 14 |
| Hackney | Hackney | 164,766 | 3,294 acres (13.33 km2) | 16 |
| Hammersmith | Hammersmith | 110,333 | 2,288 acres (9.26 km2) | 24 |
| Hampstead | Camden | 98,844 | 2,267 acres (9.17 km2) | 20 |
| Holborn | Camden | 22,008 | 407 acres (1.65 km2) | 3 |
| Islington | Islington | 228,345 | 3,092 acres (12.51 km2) | 18 |
| Kensington (Royal Borough) | Kensington and Chelsea | 171,272 | 2,291 acres (9.27 km2) | 23 |
| Lambeth | Lambeth | 223,763 | 4,089 acres (16.55 km2) | 27 |
| Lewisham | Lewisham | 221,753 | 7,016 acres (28.39 km2) | 12 |
| Paddington | Westminster | 116,923 | 1,355 acres (5.48 km2) | 22 |
| Poplar | Tower Hamlets | 66,604 | 2,348 acres (9.50 km2) | 15 |
| Shoreditch | Hackney | 40,455 | 659 acres (2.67 km2) | 5 |
| Southwark | Southwark | 86,249 | 1,131 acres (4.58 km2) | 9 |
| St Marylebone | Westminster | 69,045 | 1,472 acres (5.96 km2) | 21 |
| St Pancras | Camden | 124,855 | 2,694 acres (10.90 km2) | 19 |
| Stepney | Tower Hamlets | 92,000 | 1,771 acres (7.17 km2) | 7 |
| Stoke Newington | Hackney | 52,301 | 865 acres (3.50 km2) | 17 |
| Wandsworth | Lambeth, Wandsworth | 347,442 | 9,110 acres (36.9 km2) | 26 |
| Westminster (City) | Westminster | 85,735 | 2,505 acres (10.14 km2) | 2 |
| Woolwich | Greenwich, Newham | 146,603 | 8,281 acres (33.51 km2) | 13 |
No. 1 on the map indicates the City of London. This was not a metropolitan borough. It predated the metropolitan boroughs and is still in existence.
The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the structure of local government in England is not uniform, there are currently four principal types of district-level subdivision. There are a total of 296 districts made up of 36 metropolitan boroughs, 32 London boroughs, 164 two-tier non-metropolitan districts and 62 unitary authorities, as well as the City of London and the Isles of Scilly which are also districts, but do not correspond to any of these other categories. Some districts are styled as cities, boroughs or royal boroughs; these are purely honorific titles and do not alter the status of the district or the powers of their councils. All boroughs and cities are led by a mayor who in most cases is a ceremonial figure elected by the district council, but—after local government reform—is occasionally a directly elected mayor who makes most of the policy decisions instead of the council.
The Metropolitan Borough of Southwark was a metropolitan borough in the County of London from 1900 to 1965. It was created to cover the western section of the ancient borough of Southwark and the parish of Newington. In common with the rest of inner London, the borough experienced a steady decline in population throughout its existence. The borough council made an unsuccessful attempt to gain city status in 1955. Its former area is now the northwestern part of the current London Borough of Southwark.
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of London, which included within its territory the City of London. However, the City of London and the County of London formed separate ceremonial counties for "non-administrative" purposes. The local authority for the county was the London County Council (LCC), which initially performed only a limited range of functions, but gained further powers during its 76-year existence. The LCC provided very few services within the City of London, where the ancient Corporation monopolised local governance. In 1900, the lower-tier civil parishes and district boards were replaced with 28 new metropolitan boroughs. The territory of the county was 74,903 acres (303.12 km2) in 1961. During its existence, there was a long-term decline in population as more residents moved into the outer suburbs; there were periodic reviews of the local government structures in the greater London area and several failed attempts to expand the boundaries of the county. In 1965, the London Government Act 1963 replaced the county with the much larger Greater London administrative area.
The Metropolitan Borough of Westminster was a metropolitan borough in the County of London, England, from 1900 to 1965.
Paddington was a civil parish and metropolitan borough in London, England. It was an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, governed by an administrative vestry. 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 Paddington 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 City of Westminster in Greater London.
The Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone was a metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965. It was based directly on the previously existing civil parish of St Marylebone, Middlesex, which was incorporated into the Metropolitan Board of Works area in 1855, retaining a parish vestry, and then became part of the County of London in 1889.
St Pancras was a civil parish and metropolitan borough in London, England. It was an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, governed by an administrative vestry. 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 St Pancras 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 Camden in Greater London.
Hampstead was a civil parish and metropolitan borough in London, England. It was an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, governed by an administrative vestry. 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 Hampstead 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 Camden in Greater London.
The Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury was a metropolitan borough within the County of London from 1900 to 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of Islington to form the London Borough of Islington.
Islington was a civil parish and metropolitan borough in London, England. It was an ancient parish within the county of Middlesex, and formed part of The Metropolis from 1855. The parish was transferred to the County of London in 1889 and became a metropolitan borough in 1900. It was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury to form the London Borough of Islington in Greater London in 1965.
The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was a metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965. Its area became part of the London Borough of Hackney.
Bethnal Green was a civil parish and a metropolitan borough in the East End of London, England.
The Metropolitan Borough of Stoke Newington was a metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965 when it became part of the London Borough of Hackney.
West Ham was a local government district in the extreme south west of Essex from 1886 to 1965, forming part of the built-up area of London, although outside the County of London. It was immediately north of the River Thames and east of the River Lea.
Penge was a civil parish and a local government district located to the southeast of London, England. It included the settlements of Penge, Anerley and part of Crystal Palace. It was part of the London postal district, Metropolitan Police District and, from 1933, the London Passenger Transport Area. In 1965 the urban district was abolished by the London Government Act 1963 and it became part of Greater London, being combined with other districts to form the London Borough of Bromley.
The London Government Act 1899 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the administration of the capital. The Act divided the County of London into 28 metropolitan boroughs, replacing the 41 parish vestries and District Boards of Works administering the area. The legislation also transferred a few powers from the London County Council to the boroughs, and removed a number of boundary anomalies. The first elections to the new boroughs were held on 1 November 1900.
The Metropolis Management Act 1855 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that created the Metropolitan Board of Works, a London-wide body to co-ordinate the construction of the city's infrastructure. The Act also created a second tier of local government consisting of parish vestries and district boards of works. The Metropolitan Board of Works was the forerunner of the London County Council.
Strand was a local government district within the metropolitan area of London, England, from 1855 to 1900.
St George Hanover Square was a civil parish in the metropolitan area of Westminster, Middlesex, later Greater London, England. The creation of the parish accompanied the building of the Church of St George's, Hanover Square, constructed by the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches to meet the demands of the growing population. The parish was formed in 1724 from part of the ancient parish of St Martin in the Fields in the Liberty of Westminster and county of Middlesex. It included some of the most fashionable areas of the West End, including Belgravia and Mayfair. Civil parish administration, known as a select vestry, was dominated by members of the British nobility until the parish adopted the Vestries Act 1831. The vestry was reformed again in 1855 by the Metropolis Management Act. In 1889 the parish became part of the County of London and the vestry was abolished in 1900, replaced by Westminster City Council. The parish continued to have nominal existence until 1922. As created, it was a parish for both church and civil purposes, but the boundaries of the ecclesiastical parish were adjusted in 1830, 1835 and 1865.
Westminster St James was a civil parish in the metropolitan area of London, England. The creation of the parish followed the building of the Church of St James, Piccadilly, in 1684. After several failed attempts, the parish was formed in 1685 from part of the ancient parish of St Martin in the Fields in the Liberty of Westminster and county of Middlesex. It included part of the West End of London, taking in sections of Soho, Mayfair and St James's. Civil parish administration was in the hands of a select vestry until the parish adopted the Vestries Act 1831. The vestry was reformed again in 1855 by the Metropolis Management Act. In 1889 the parish became part of the County of London and the vestry was abolished in 1900, replaced by Westminster City Council. The parish continued to have nominal existence until 1922.