Middlesex
Ancient and 1889 extent of Middlesex
Geography
Status	Ceremonial county (until 1965) Administrative county (1889–1965)
1801/1881 area	181,320 acres (734 km²)[1]
1911 area	148,701 acres (601. The ceremonial counties are areas of England that are appointed a Lord-Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as the Counties for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974 8 km²)[2]
1961 area	148,691 acres (601. 7 km²)[2]
HQ	see text
Chapman code	MDX
History
Origin	Middle Saxons
Created	In antiquity
Succeeded by	1889: part to County of London 1965: Greater London and parts to Surrey and Hertfordshire
Demography
1801 population - 1801 density	818,129[1] 4. Chapman codes are largely a superset of the ISO 3166-2GB and BS 6879 codes identifying administrative divisions in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Middle Saxons were a people and their territory which later became with somewhat contracted boundaries the county of Middlesex, England. The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. The County of London was a ceremonial county and administrative county of England from 1889 to 1965 Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of 5/acre
1881 population - 1881 density	2,920,485[1] 16. 1/acre
1911 population - 1911 density	1,126,465[2] 7. 6/acre
1961 population - 1961 density	2,234,543[2] 15/acre
Politics
Governance	Middlesex County Council (1889–1965)
Arms of Middlesex County Council
Subdivisions
Type	hundreds (ancient)

Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This is a list of Historic counties of England by area as at the 1831 census ^[3] The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time. For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically ^[4] The county was significantly affected by the expansion of the metropolitan area of London in both the 18th and 19th centuries; such that from 1855 the south east was administered as part of the metropolis. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW was the principal instrument of London -wide government from 1855 until the establishment of the London County Council in 1889 ^[5] When county councils were initially introduced in England in 1889 around 20% of the area of Middlesex, and a third of its population, was transferred to the County of London, and the remainder formed a smaller county, in the north west, under the control of Middlesex County Council. A County council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a County. The County of London was a ceremonial county and administrative county of England from 1889 to 1965 ^[6]

In the interwar years urban London had further expanded, with increasing suburbanisation, improvement and expansion of public transport,^[7] and the setting up of new industries outside the inner London area. The Second Industrial Revolution, typically dated between 1870 and 1914 was a second phase of the Industrial Revolution, involving several developments within the chemical After World War II the population of the County of London^[8] and inner Middlesex was in steady decline, with new population growth only experienced in the outer suburbs. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[9] After a Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, almost all of the original area was incorporated into an enlarged Greater London in 1965, with small parts transferred to neighbouring Hertfordshire and Surrey. The Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, also known as the Herbert Commission, was established in 1957 and published its report in 1960 Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. ^[10] Despite the abolition of the county, Middlesex is still used informally as an area name and was retained as a postal county; which is now an optional component of postal addresses. The postal counties of the United Kingdom, now known officially as the former postal counties, were subdivisions of the UK in routine use by the Royal Mail ^[11]

Etymology and geography

The name means territory of the middle Saxons and refers to the reputed ethnic origin of its inhabitants. Middle Saxons were a people and their territory which later became with somewhat contracted boundaries the county of Middlesex, England. ^[12] Its first recorded use was in 704 as Middleseaxan. The county lay within the London Basin^[13] and the most significant feature was the River Thames, which formed the southern boundary. The London Basin is an elongated roughly triangular Syncline approximately long which underlies London and a large area of south east England and south eastern The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. The River Lee and the River Colne formed natural boundaries to the east and west. River Lee may refer to The River Lee (England The River Lee (Ireland The Colne is a River in England. It flows mainly through Hertfordshire and forms the boundary between the South Bucks district of Buckinghamshire In the south west of the county the Thames meandered enough to make "Middlesex bank" more descriptively accurate than "north bank"; a distinction used during the The Boat Race. The Boat Race, also known as the University Boat Race and The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University In the north the boundary was mostly formed by a ridge of hills broken by Barnet valley and a long protrusion of Hertfordshire into the county. ^[14] The county was thickly wooded,^[13] with much of it covered by the ancient Forest of Middlesex. The Forest of Middlesex was an Ancient woodland covering much of the county of Middlesex, England that was north of the City of London and now The highest point was the High Road by Bushey Heath at 502 feet (153 m),^[15] which is now one of the highest points in London. For other meanings see Bushi and similar. Bushey (population 24000 is a Town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire This is a list of the highest points above Sea level in London, England. ^[16]

Early settlement and economy

Further information: List of places in Middlesex

Map of Middlesex, 1824

Middlesex was recorded in the Domesday Book as being divided into the six hundreds of Edmonton, Elthorne, Gore, Hounslow (Isleworth in all later records),^[17] Ossulstone and Spelthorne. List of places in Middlesex, split by hundred in 1831 The historic county of Middlesex was recorded in the Domesday Book as being divided into the The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey Edmonton was an ancient hundred in the north of the county of Middlesex, England. Elthorne was a hundred (ancient subdivision of the ancient county of Middlesex, England. Gore was a hundred of the ancient county of Middlesex, England. Isleworth was a hundred (ancient subdivision of the ancient county of Middlesex, England. Ossulstone was an ancient hundred in the south east of the county of Middlesex, England. Spelthorne was a hundred (ancient subdivision of the ancient county of Middlesex, England. The City of London, which has been self-governing since the thirteenth century, was geographically within the county and it also included Westminster, which had a high degree of autonomy. For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. Of the six hundreds, Ossulstone contained the districts closest to the City of London. During the 17th century it was divided into four divisions, which, along with the Liberty of Westminster, largely took over the administrative functions of the hundred. The Liberty of Westminster was an independent liberty, locally in the Hundred of Ossulstone, in the County of Middlesex, England The divisions were named Finsbury, Holborn, Kensington and Tower. The Finsbury Division was one of four divisions of the Hundred of Ossulstone, in the County of Middlesex, England. The Holborn Division was one of four divisions of the Hundred of Ossulstone, in the County of Middlesex, England. The Kensington Division was one of four divisions of the Hundred of Ossulstone, in the County of Middlesex, England. The Tower Division was a liberty, a historical form of local government in the ancient county of Middlesex, England. ^[18] The county had parliamentary representation from the 13th century. The historic county of Middlesex in south east England was represented in Parliament from the 13th century The title Earl of Middlesex was created twice, in 1622 and 1677 but became extinct in 1843. The title of Earl of Middlesex has been created twice in the Peerage of England. ^[19]

The economy of the county was dependent on the City of London and was primarily agricultural. ^[4] All manner of goods were provided for the City, including crops such as grain and hay, livestock and building materials. Tourism in early resorts such as Hackney, Islington and Highgate also formed part of the early economy. Highgate is a suburb of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath. However, during the 18th century the inner parishes of Middlesex started to instead function as suburbs of the City and were increasingly urbanised. ^[4]

Modern history

Expansion of the metropolis

Further information: Population of Middlesex (1801–1881)

During the 19th century, the East End of London had expanded to the eastern boundary with Essex and the Tower division had reached a population of over a million. The following is the population of the historic county of Middlesex (including the City of London as given at each ten-yearly census from 1801 to 1881 ^[1] Following the coming of the railways, the north-western suburbs of London had steadily covered large parts of the county. ^[7] The areas closest to London were served by the Metropolitan Police from 1829 and from 1840 the entire county was included in the Metropolitan Police District. "Metropolitan Police" redirects here See also Metropolitan police. The Metropolitan Police District (MPD is the area policed by London 's Metropolitan Police Service. ^[20] Local government in the county was unreformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 and civic works were instead carried out by individual parish vestries or ad-hoc improvement commissioners. The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 (5 & 6 Wm IV c76 - sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act - required members of town councils ( Municipal corporations Boards of improvement commissioners were ad-hoc boards created during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in the United Kingdom. ^[21][22] In 1855 the parishes of the densely populated area to the south east, but excluding the City of London, came within the responsibility of the Metropolitan Board of Works. The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW was the principal instrument of London -wide government from 1855 until the establishment of the London County Council in 1889 ^[5] Despite this innovation, the system was described by commentators at the time as one "in chaos". ^[6] In 1889, under the Local Government Act 1888, the metropolitan area of approximately 30,000 acres (12,141 ha) became part of the County of London. The Local Government Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict c 41 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1888 and established County councils and County borough The County of London was a ceremonial county and administrative county of England from 1889 to 1965 ^[19] The Act also provided that the part of Middlesex in the administrative county of London should be "severed from [Middlesex], and form a separate county for all non-administrative purposes".

Map showing boundaries of Middlesex in 1851 and 1911. Aside from minor realignments, the area to the north is Monken Hadley, transferred to Hertfordshire in 1889 and to the south east is the area transferred to the County of London.

Map in 1882 shows complete urbanisation of the East End

The part of the County of London that had been transferred from Middlesex was divided in 1900 into metropolitan boroughs, which were merged in 1965 to form seven of the present-day inner London boroughs, such that Camden was formed from the metropolitan boroughs of Hampstead, Holborn and St Pancras; Hackney was formed from the metropolitan boroughs of Hackney, Shoreditch and Stoke Newington; Hammersmith and Fuham was formed from the metropolitan boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham; Islington was formed from the metropolitan boroughs of Finsbury and Islington; Kensington and Chelsea was formed from the metropolitan boroughs of Chelsea and Kensington; Tower Hamlets was formed from the metropolitan boroughs of Bethnal Green, Poplar and Stepney; and Westminster was formed from the metropolitan boroughs of Paddington, St Marylebone and Westminster. A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England covering urban areas within metropolitan counties. Inner London is the name for the group of London boroughs which form the interior part of Greater London and are surrounded by Outer London. The London Borough of Camden ( is a borough of London, England, which forms part of Inner London. The Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965 when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough The Metropolitan Borough of Holborn was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965 when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough The Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London between 1900 and 1965 when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan The London Borough of Hackney ( is a London borough in North-East London and forms part of Inner London. }The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965 The Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London between 1900 and 1965 when it was merged with the Metropolitan Borough 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 The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham ( is a London borough in West London and forms part of Inner London. The Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith was between 1900 and 1965 a Metropolitan borough of the County of London. The Metropolitan Borough of Fulham was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965 when it was merged with the Metropolitan Borough The London Borough of Islington ( is a London borough in North and Inner 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 The Metropolitan Borough of Islington was a Metropolitan borough within the County of London from 1900 to 1965 when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea ( (often abbreviated to RBKC) is a London borough in the west side of Central London. The Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London between 1900 and 1965 The Metropolitan Borough of Kensington was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London from 1900 to 1965 The London Borough of Tower Hamlets ( is a London borough to the east of the City of London, England and north of the River Thames in East The Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965 when it was merged into the London Borough The Metropolitan Borough of Poplar was between 1900 and 1965 a Metropolitan borough in the County of London. The Metropolitan Borough of Stepney was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London created in 1900 The City of Westminster ( is a borough of London with city status. The Metropolitan Borough of Paddington was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London between 1900 and 1965 The Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965 The Metropolitan Borough of Westminster was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London, England, from 1900 to 1965 ^[5]

Extra-metropolitan area

Further information: History of local government districts in Middlesex

Middlesex outside the metropolitan area remained largely rural until the middle of the nineteenth century, and so local government was slow to develop. The History of local government districts in Middlesex outside the metropolitan area began in 1835 with the formation of poor law unions Other than the Cities of London and Westminster, there were no ancient boroughs. A borough is an Administrative division of various countries In principle the term borough designates a self-governing Township although in practice The importance of the hundred courts declined, and such local administration as there was divided between "county business" conducted by the justices of the peace meeting in quarter sessions, and the local matters dealt with by parish vestries. A Justice of the Peace ( JP) is a Puisne Judicial officer appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were periodic courts held in each County and County borough in England and Wales until As the suburbs of London spread into the area, unplanned development and outbreaks of cholera forced the creation of local boards or improvement commissioners to govern the growing towns. Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera, is an infectious Gastroenteritis caused by the Bacterium "Board of Health" redirects here This page describes the defunct bodies in England and Wales which used that name not any modern ones Boards of improvement commissioners were ad-hoc boards created during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in the United Kingdom. In rural areas, parishes began to be grouped for different administrative purposes. From 1875 these local bodies were designated as urban or rural sanitary districts. ^[23]

Following the Local Government Act 1888, the remaining county came under the control of Middlesex County Council except for the parish of Monken Hadley, which became part of Hertfordshire. Monken Hadley is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburban development situated 11 miles (17 Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of ^[24] The area of responsibility of the Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex was reduced accordingly. This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex. Middlesex did not contain any county boroughs, so the county and administrative county (the area of county council control) were identical. County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland) to refer to a Borough or a City An administrative county was an Administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of Local government.

The Local Government Act 1894 divided the administrative county into four rural districts and thirty-one urban districts, based on existing sanitary districts. The Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict c 73 created a system of Urban districts and Rural districts with elected councils in all areas of England Rural districts were a type of Local government area &ndash now superseded &ndash established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of Local government district that covered an Urbanised area Sanitary Districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878. One urban district, South Hornsey was a detached part of Middlesex within the County of London until 1900, when it was transferred to the latter county. South Hornsey was a local government district in Middlesex, England from 1865 to 1900 The County of London was a ceremonial county and administrative county of England from 1889 to 1965 ^[25] The rural districts were Hendon, South Mimms, Staines and Uxbridge. Hendon was a Rural district in Middlesex, England from 1894 to 1934 South Mimms Rural District (1894-1934 and Potters Bar Urban District (1934-1974 were local government districts occupying the area around the town of Potters Bar Staines was a Rural district of Middlesex in England from 1894 to 1935 Uxbridge was from 1875 to 1925 a Local government district in Middlesex, England. Because of increasing urbanisation these had all been abolished by 1934. ^[10] Urban districts had been created, merged, and many had gained the status of municipal borough by 1965. The districts as at the 1961 census were:^[9]

Potters Bar Enfield Southgate Edmonton Hendon Harrow Friern Barnet Finchley Uxbridge Ruislip-Northwood Wood Green Tottenham Hornsey

Wembley Willeseden Ealing Hayes and Harlington Acton Southall Yiewsley and West Drayton Brentford and Chiswick Heston and Isleworth Feltham Staines Twickenham Sunbury-on-Thames

After 1889 the growth of London did not cease and the county became almost entirely urbanised by its suburbs with a significant rise in population density. South Mimms Rural District (1894-1934 and Potters Bar Urban District (1934-1974 were local government districts occupying the area around the town of Potters Bar Enfield was a local government district in Middlesex, England from 1850 to 1965 Southgate was a local government district of Middlesex from 1881 to 1965 Edmonton was a local government district in south east Middlesex, England from 1850 to 1965 Hendon was an ancient Civil parish of around which included Mill Hill,, as well as Golders Green and Childs Hill. The London Borough of Harrow ( is a London borough of outer north-west London. Friern Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburban development situated north of Charing Cross. Finchley was created an Urban district of Middlesex in 1894 In 1932 it was made a Municipal borough. Uxbridge was a local government district in north west Middlesex from 1849 to 1965 around the town of Uxbridge. Ruislip-Northwood was an Urban district in Middlesex, England from 1904 to 1965 Wood Green was a local government district in south east Middlesex from 1888 to 1965 Tottenham was a local government district in north east Middlesex from 1850 to 1965 Hornsey was a local government district in east Middlesex from 1867 to 1965 Wembley was an Urban district and later a Municipal borough in Middlesex, England from 1894 to 1965 Willesden was a local government district in the county of Middlesex, England from 1874 to 1965 Ealing was a local government district from 1863 to 1965 around the town of Ealing. Hayes (from 1930 Hayes and Harlington) was a local government district in west Middlesex, England from 1904 to 1965 Acton was a Local government district in Middlesex, England from 1865 to 1965 Southall (until 1936 Southall Norwood) was a local government district in the county of Middlesex, United Kingdom from 1891 to 1965 Yiewsley and West Drayton was an Urban district in Middlesex, England. Brentford and Chiswick was a local government district of Middlesex, England from 1927 to 1965 Heston and Isleworth was a local government district of Middlesex, England from 1894 to 1965 Feltham was an Urban district in Middlesex, England from 1904 to 1965 Staines was a local government district from 1894 to 1974 around the town of Staines. Twickenham was a local government district in Middlesex, England from 1868 to 1965 Sunbury on Thames - also known as Sunbury - was a local government district from 1894 to 1974 around the town of Sunbury-on-Thames, also covering Littleton This process was accelerated by the Metro-land developments, which covered a large part of the county. Metro-land (or Metroland) refers broadly speaking to the Suburban areas that were built to the north west of London in ^[26] Public transport in the county, including the extensive network of trams,^[27] buses and the London Underground came under control of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933^[28] and a New Works Programme was devised in order to further enhance services during the 1930s. The board The LPTB had seven members a chairman and six other members The "New Works Programme 1935 - 1940" was the major investment programme delivered by the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB commonly known as London Transport ^[7] Because of its proximity to the capital, the county had a significant role during World War II. The county was subject to aerial bombardment and contained part of a series of bases, such as RAF Uxbridge and RAF Heston, which were involved in the Battle of Britain. The Blitz was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941 in World War II. RAF Uxbridge is a Royal Air Force station in Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon. Heston Aerodrome, in the west of London, UK was operational between 1929 and 1946 The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and ^[29]

Arms of Middlesex County Council

Coat of arms of Middlesex County Council

Coats of arms were attributed by the medieval heralds to the Kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or State with authority to perform one or more of the following functions to control and initiate For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south Heptarchy ( Greek: seven + realm) is a collective name applied to the Anglo-Saxon ancient kingdoms of south east and central That assigned to the Kingdom of the Middle and East Saxons depicted three "seaxes" or short notched swords on a red background. The Kingdom of Essex ( Est Seaxna "East Saxons" was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy) was founded The seaxe was a weapon carried by Anglo-Saxon warriors, and the term "Saxon" may be derived from the word. ^[30][31] These arms became associated with the two counties that approximated to the kingdom: Middlesex and Essex. Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common County authorities, militia and volunteer regiments associated with both counties used the attributed arms. In 1910 it was noted that the county councils of Essex and Middlesex and the Sheriff's Office of the County of London were all using the same arms. The County of London was a ceremonial county and administrative county of England from 1889 to 1965

The Middlesex County Council decided to apply for a formal grant of arms from the College of Arms, with the addition of an heraldic "difference" added to the attributed arms. The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is an office regulating Heraldry and granting new Armorial bearings for England, Wales Colonel Otley Parry, a Justice of the Peace for Middlesex and author of a book on military badges, was asked to devise an addition to the shield. A Justice of the Peace ( JP) is a Puisne Judicial officer appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace The chosen addition was a "Saxon Crown", derived from the portrait of King Athelstan on a silver penny of his reign, stated to be the earliest form of crown associated with any English sovereign. The grant of arms was made by letters patent dated 7 November 1910. Letters patent are a type of Legal instrument in the form of an Open letter issued by a Monarch or Government, granting an office right Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting ^[32][33][34] The blazon of the arms was:

Gules, three seaxes fessewise points to the sinister proper, pomels and hilts and in the centre chief point a Saxon crown or. In Heraldry and heraldic Vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of most often a Coat of arms or Flag, which enables a person to

The undifferenced arms of the Kingdom were eventually granted to Essex County Council in 1932. ^[35] Seaxes were also used in the insignia of many of the boroughs and urban districts in the county, while the Saxon crown came to be a common heraldic charge in English civic arms. ^[36][37] On the creation of the Greater London Council in 1965 a Saxon crown was introduced in its coat of arms. The Greater London Council (GLC was the top-tier Local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986 ^[38] Seaxes appear in the arms of several London borough councils and of Spelthorne Borough Council, whose area was in Middlesex. The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. History Spelthorne appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Spelet(horne. ^[39][40]

Creation of Greater London

The population of the County of London was in decline since its creation in 1889, and following World War II the exodus continued. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[8] In contrast, the population trend of Middlesex had seen steady increase during that period. ^[41] From 1951 to 1961 the population of the inner districts of the county started to drop and growth was experienced only in eight of the suburban outer districts. ^[9] According to the 1961 census, Ealing, Enfield, Harrow, Hendon, Heston and Isleworth, Tottenham, Wembley, Willesden and Twickenham had all reached a population of greater than 100,000, which would usually have entitled them to seek county borough status. County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (excluding Scotland) to refer to a Borough or a City If granted to all these boroughs, it would have reduced the population of the administrative county of Middlesex by over half, to just shy of a million.

Following the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London nearly all the remainder of Middlesex became part of Greater London in 1965 and formed the new outer London boroughs of Barnet (part only), Brent, Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames (part only). The Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, also known as the Herbert Commission, was established in 1957 and published its report in 1960 Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. Outer London is the name for the group of London Boroughs that form a ring around Inner London. The London Borough of Barnet ( is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. The London Borough of Brent ( is a London borough in north west London, UK and forms part of Outer London. The London Borough of Ealing ( is an Outer London borough in West London. The London Borough of Haringey (ˈhærɪŋgeɪ) is a Borough of North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by The London Borough of Harrow ( is a London borough of outer north-west London. The London Borough of Hillingdon ( is the westernmost Borough in Greater London, England. The London Borough of Hounslow ( is a London borough in West London, England. The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames ( is a London borough in south west London, England, which forms part of Outer London. ^[42] The remaining areas were Potters Bar Urban District, which became part of Hertfordshire, while Sunbury-on-Thames Urban District and Staines Urban District became part of Surrey. South Mimms Rural District (1894-1934 and Potters Bar Urban District (1934-1974 were local government districts occupying the area around the town of Potters Bar Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of Sunbury on Thames - also known as Sunbury - was a local government district from 1894 to 1974 around the town of Sunbury-on-Thames, also covering Littleton Staines was a local government district from 1894 to 1974 around the town of Staines. Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. ^[10] Following the changes, local acts of Parliament relating to Middlesex were henceforth to apply to the entirety of the nine "North West London Boroughs". ^[43] In 1974, the three urban districts that had been transferred to Hertfordshire and Surrey were abolished and became the districts of Hertsmere (part only) and Spelthorne respectively. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of Local government district that covered an Urbanised area History The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the former area of Bushey Urban District History Spelthorne appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Spelet(horne. ^[44] In 1995 the village of Poyle was transferred from Spelthorne to the Berkshire borough of Slough. Poyle is a Village and Suburb in the Unitary authority of Slough, in South East England. Berkshire (ˈbɑːkʃə or /ˈbɑːkʃɪə/ say Baak-shuh/-sheer sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a Home County in the South Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. ^[45] Additionally, since 1965 the Greater London boundary to the west and north has been subject to a significant number of small changes. There have been a considerable number of small changes to the Greater London boundary since its creation in 1965 ^[46][47]

Legacy

Middlesex is used in the names of organisations based in the area such as Middlesex County Cricket Club^[48] and Middlesex University. Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic Cricket structure representing the historic county Middlesex University is a University in north London, England, located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex (from which ^[49] There is a Middlesex County Football Association and two teams that are now within Surrey, Staines Town and Ashford Town (Middlesex) as well as Potters Bar Town in Hertfordshire,^[50] compete in the Middlesex County Cup. The Middlesex County Football Association is an organisation that regulates and promotes football, aiming to increase the quantity and quality of participation in the historic Staines Town FC are a Non-League football team located in Staines, Middlesex, England. Ashford Town FC are an English football club based in Ashford Surrey, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. Potters Bar Town FC is a football club based in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, England. ^[51] Sir John Betjeman, a native of North London and Poet Laureate, published several poems about Middlesex and the suburban experience. Sir John Betjeman, CBE ( 28 August 1906 &ndash 19 May 1984 was an English poet writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who North London is the northern part of London, England. The area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes A Poet Laureate is a Poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for State occasions and other government events Many were featured in the televised readings Metroland. Metro-land was a widely praised and fondly remembered documentary for BBC television by the then Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman (1906–84 ^[52] As part of a 2002 marketing campaign, the plant conservation charity Plantlife chose the wood anemone as the county flower. Plantlife is a wild plant conservation charity founded in 1989 Anemone nemorosa is an early- spring Flowering plant in the genus Anemone in the family Ranunculaceae In a number of countries plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas In 2003, an early day motion with two signatures noted that 16 May is the anniversary of the Battle of Albuera and in recent years has been celebrated as Middlesex Day, commemorating the valiant efforts of the Middlesex Regiment (the "Die-hards") in that battle. An early day motion (EDM in the Westminster system, is a motion tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. The Battle of Albuera (16 May 1811 was an indecisive battle during the Peninsular War. The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own was a Regiment of the British Army. The idea is to recognise and celebrate the historic county. ^[53] On its creation in 1965, Greater London was divided into five commission areas for the administration of justice. One was named "Middlesex" and consisted of the boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. ^[54] This was abolished on 1 July 2003. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[55]

County town

The Middlesex Guildhall at Westminster

Middlesex does not have a single established historic county town, with different locations having been used for different county purposes. The County Assizes for Middlesex were held at the Old Bailey in the City of London. The Court of Assize, or Assizes, is a medieval term for Legal codes (such as Assizes of Jerusalem) that continues to be used in modern times The Central Criminal Court in England, commonly known as the Old Bailey, is a court For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically ^[4] Until 1889 the High Sheriff of Middlesex was chosen by the City of London Corporation. The City of London Corporation (formerly known as the Corporation of London)is the municipal governing body of the City of London. The sessions house for the Middlesex Quarter Sessions was at Clerkenwell Green from the early eighteenth century. Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. The quarter sessions at the former Middlesex Sessions House performed most of the administration of the county until the creation of the Middlesex County Council in 1889. The Former Middlesex Sessions House is a building on Clerkenwell Green in the London Borough of Islington in London, England.

New Brentford was first described as the county town in 1789, on the basis that it was the location of elections of knights for the shire (or Members of Parliament) from 1701. Brentford is a suburb in the London Borough of Hounslow at the Confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent in West London A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. ^[56][19] In 1795, New Brentford was "considered as the county-town; but there is no town-hall or other public building". ^[57] Middlesex County Council, which took over the administrative duties of the Quarter Sessions in 1889, was based at the Middlesex Guildhall, in Westminster. The Middlesex Guildhall is a building on the south-west corner of Parliament Square in London. Westminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. This was in the County of London, and thus outside the council's area of jurisdiction. The County of London was a ceremonial county and administrative county of England from 1889 to 1965

Former postal county

Middlesex (abbreviated Middx)^[58] is also defined as a former postal county; an element of postal addressing in routine use until 1996 and now an optional component. The postal counties of the United Kingdom, now known officially as the former postal counties, were subdivisions of the UK in routine use by the Royal Mail ^[11] The postal county was retained after 1965 because Royal Mail was unable to follow all the changes to county boundaries and could not adopt Greater London as a postal county. Royal Mail is the national postal service of the United Kingdom. ^[59] However, much of inner Middlesex (Willesden, Hornsey etc. )^[60] was within the London postal district, within which addresses already included "LONDON" and did not include a county. The London postal district is the area in England, currently of 241 square miles to which mail addressed to the LONDON Post town is delivered The transfer of Potters Bar to Hertfordshire was adopted by the Royal Mail, but the transfers of Staines and Sunbury to Surrey were not. The remaining postal county consisted of two unconnected areas (Enfield and the rest) and comprised the following post towns:

Postcode area	Post towns
EN (part)	ENFIELD
HA	EDGWARE • HARROW • NORTHWOOD • PINNER • RUISLIP • STANMORE • WEMBLEY
TW (part)	ASHFORD • BRENTFORD • FELTHAM • HAMPTON • HOUNSLOW† • ISLEWORTH • SHEPPERTON • STAINES • SUNBURY-ON-THAMES • TEDDINGTON • TWICKENHAM†
UB	GREENFORD • HAYES • NORTHOLT • SOUTHALL • UXBRIDGE • WEST DRAYTON

† = postal county was not required

The postal county included many anomalies where the post towns it consisted of encroached on neighbouring counties, such as the village of Denham, Buckinghamshire, which is included in the post town of Uxbridge^[11] and was therefore within the postal county of Middlesex; conversely, Hampton Wick was not included in the Middlesex postal county as it was served by post towns associated with Surrey. The EN postcode area, also known as the Enfield postcode area, is a group of 11 postal districts in north Greater London which are subdivisions of seven Post The HA postcode area, also known as the Harrow postcode area, is a group of ten postal districts in north west Greater London, England which are subdivisions of seven The UB postcode area, also known as the Southall postcode area, is a group of ten postal districts in north west Greater London which are subdivisions of six A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system Denham is a Village and Civil parish within South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England north west of Uxbridge, to Uxbridge is a university town in the London Borough of Hillingdon in West London, England. Hampton Wick is a Thames -side area formerly a Village, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England. ^[61][62] This gave rise to the misconception that Hampton Court Palace was located in Surrey. Hampton Court Palace is a former royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, south west London, England. ^[63] Wraysbury, Berkshire and Egham Hythe, Surrey are served by the Staines post town^[11] and thus were also included in the Middlesex postal county. Wraysbury (archaic spelling Wyrardisbury) is a Village in Berkshire, England. Egham Hythe is a place between Egham and Staines in Surrey, England, extending south of the River Thames towards Thorpe Lea (

Bibliography

• Middlesex: The Jubilee of the County Council 1889–1939 by C W Radcliffe ^[64]

References

External links

• Victoria County History of Middlesex
• Historic boundary as layer for Google Earth
• Maps of Middlesex subdivisions: Edmonton, Elthorne, Gore, Isleworth and Spelthorne
  • Ossulstone: Outer Finsbury, Inner Finsbury, Outer Kensington, Inner Kensington, Holborn and Tower