Edmonton Hundred facts for kids

The parishes and major newer settlements in the Hundred which extended from Tottenham (inclusive) northwards then westwards.

1820 map of the Edmonton Hundred by Greenwood. It shows the boundaries from the Doomsday Book of 1086.

Edmonton was one of six hundreds in the old county of Middlesex, England. A hundred was an old way of dividing land for local government.

This area is shaped like a rotated 'L'. It has become a big part of London's growth. Since 1965, when the London boroughs were formed, most of Edmonton Hundred is now in the London Borough of Enfield. A small part is in the London Borough of Barnet, and a larger part is in the London Borough of Haringey. One of its old areas, South Mimms (which included Potters Bar), became part of the Hertsmere district in Hertfordshire in 1965.

History of Edmonton Hundred

The name 'Edmonton' means 'farm' or 'settlement of Eadhelm'.

This hundred was first written about in the Domesday Book in 1086. The Domesday Book was a huge survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror. After this survey, the boundaries of Edmonton Hundred changed very little. Sometimes, it was also called the Half Hundred of Mimms.

What Parishes Were in Edmonton Hundred?

Edmonton Hundred included several old parishes and settlements. These were:

• Edmonton
• Enfield
• Monken Hadley
• South Mimms
• Tottenham

It shared borders with other areas. To the southwest, it bordered the Ossulstone hundred. To the east, it had a border with Essex along the River Lea. To the north and west, it stretched into Hertfordshire. This part included South Mimms and Monken Hadley. Today, the areas that used to be these three eastern parishes still touch Essex. However, because of city growth, these simple parishes now have many more Church of England parishes.

Where Did They Meet?

The Hundred Moot was the meeting place for the hundred's court. It seems this court first met near Potters Bar. By the 1600s, the meeting place, called the "mote plane," was in an open area of Enfield Chase. Later, the court for the hundred moved to a public house in Enfield. This court was officially ended in 1846.

In 1889, a law called the Local Government Act 1888 changed things. The small civil parish of Monken Hadley was moved to Hertfordshire. This change happened because Barnet had grown into a town.

Population Changes Over Time

The table below shows how the number of people living in Edmonton Hundred changed. This data comes from the census, which counted people every ten years. You can see how much the population grew from 1801 to 1881.

How Edmonton Hundred Was Replaced

Over time, the old hundreds in England became less important. New groups and the King's courts took over many of their jobs. In the 1500s, the power of local lords who ran the Hundred Court was reduced. Their tax duties went to the local parish boards, called vestries.

By 1894, any remaining importance of the hundreds was replaced. A new system of local government districts was created. These districts were later combined into larger ones. The Edmonton Hundred area was split in 1965 in four ways:

• Three parts became part of new London boroughs.
• One part, which was already the Potters Bar Urban District, moved to Hertfordshire. In 1974, this area joined to form the larger Hertsmere district.

This table shows how the old parishes of Edmonton Hundred fit into today's local government areas:

See also

• Edmonton Hundred Historical Society