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London Before 1889 outside the Sq Mile. Was it a c

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Benjamin

Benjamin Report 17 Feb 2008 11:23

Hi

Several people have asked this but before the London County Council was set up in 1889, London was considered as being just the Square Mile, but I dont find this completely true. I always thought that the whole metropolitan area of London including Pancras, Westminster, Southwark was called London, even though most of it was still technically in Middlesex or Surrey before 1889.

A lot of my rellies gave their census birthplaces as "Westminster, Middlesex" or "London, Middlesex" but if the term "London" just applied to the Square Mile, then anyone with London ancestors born in equally urban areas such as Holborn, Soho or Whitechapel werent proper Londoners but technically Middlesexians which would spoil our London ancestors identity.

Ben

Benjamin

Benjamin Report 25 Feb 2008 19:31

Hi Mick

I think London outside the City was considered London before 1889 otherwise they wouldnt have created the new County Of London.

Also, in some 1860s maps, there is the East London Water Works in Bow, and the North London Railway, a few miles from the Sq Mile and these maps were done 20+ years before the LCC was created. So I think the metropolis outside the Sq Mile was considered London.

RobG

RobG Report 25 Feb 2008 23:11

Mick,

Sorry to be pedantic, but Middlesex did not "cease to exist in 1965". Middlesex County Council was abolished in that year, but the county itself was not. That would take an act of parliament which was not done, nor hasn't been since. The mere existance of a county council should not be used as a criteria for whether a county exists or not. Berkshire CC has not existed for ten years, but no-one ever doubts the existance of the Royal County.

Rob
(a proud Middlesaxon)