History of local government districts in Middlesex facts for kids

The History of local government districts in Middlesex outside the main city area began in 1835. This was when "poor law unions" were created to help people in need. As towns in Middlesex grew quickly, different types of local government bodies were formed to manage them. By 1934, and until 1965, the entire county was divided into "urban districts" or "municipal boroughs." These were like local councils that looked after specific areas.

Poor Law Unions: Helping Those in Need

Back in 1834, a law called the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 grouped parishes (small local areas) together to form "unions." Each union had a single workhouse, which was a place where poor people could live and work. These unions were managed by a group called a board of guardians. These guardians were chosen by the people who paid local taxes.

The boundaries of these unions were later used to set up other local government areas. Poor law unions stopped existing in 1930.

Here are some of the poor law unions in Middlesex:

Local Boards and Public Health

In the mid-1800s, towns in Middlesex started growing very fast. This led to problems with public health, like diseases spreading. For example, an outbreak of cholera in Tottenham in 1831-32 led to a temporary "local board of health" being set up.

After a new law in 1848, called the Public Health Act 1848, towns could create permanent "local boards of health." They could do this if enough people asked for it, or if there were too many deaths in the area. The very first local board in England under this law was in Uxbridge in 1849.

Later, in 1858, another law made it even easier to create these local councils. People in a parish or area could simply vote to adopt the law. If they did, their area became a "Local Government District," run by a "Local Board." Many places in Middlesex did this, allowing growing communities like Southgate and Wood Green to manage their own affairs instead of being controlled by larger boards.

Sanitary Districts: Keeping Areas Clean

In 1875, the system of local government was made simpler by the Public Health Act. This law said that all existing municipal boroughs and local board districts were now "urban sanitary districts." The local council in charge became an "urban sanitary authority."

The law also created "rural sanitary districts." These were the same areas as the poor law unions, but without the urban sanitary districts inside them. The poor law guardians in these rural areas became the "rural sanitary authority," responsible for health and sanitation.

How Districts Changed (1848–1894)

Between 1848 and 1894, many new local government areas were formed.

• Local Board Districts (LBDs) were created from 1848 to improve public health.
• Local Government Districts (LGDs) were formed from 1858, giving more control to local people.
• Improvement Commissioners Districts (ICDs) were also set up in some places, like Chiswick, to manage local improvements.

These districts helped manage things like water supply, drainage, and waste removal as towns grew. Some districts changed their boundaries or split into smaller ones as populations shifted.

County Districts: The Final Shape (1894–1965)

In 1894, a new law completely changed how Middlesex was divided. The county was split into four "rural districts" and thirty-one "urban districts." These were based on the earlier sanitary districts.

One urban district, South Hornsey, was actually located inside the County of London but was still part of Middlesex until 1900, when it officially joined London.

The four rural districts were Hendon, South Mimms, Staines and Uxbridge. However, because Middlesex became more and more urban (more towns and cities, less countryside), all these rural districts were gone by 1934.

Over the years, many urban districts merged, and many also became "municipal boroughs." A municipal borough was a more important type of local council, often for larger towns. By 1965, when Middlesex was abolished and became part of Greater London, the county was entirely made up of urban districts and municipal boroughs.

Here's a look at the districts in 1961, just before the big changes in 1965:

Municipal history 1894–1965	Borough incorporation	District/borough in 1965	Population 1951	Population 1961	1965 fate
Acton UD formed 1894	1921	Acton MB	67,471	65,586	Became part of the London Borough of Ealing
Brentford UD, Chiswick UD formed 1894, amalgamated as Brentford and Chiswick UD 1927	1932	Brentford and Chiswick MB	59,367	54,833	Became part of the London Borough of Hounslow
Ealing UD created 1894, absorbed Greenford UD, Hanwell UD 1926	1901	Ealing MB	187,323	183,077	Became part of the London Borough of Ealing
Edmonton UD created 1894	1937	Edmonton MB	104,270	91,956	Became part of the London Borough of Enfield
Enfield UD created 1894	1955	Enfield MB	110,465	109,542	Became part of the London Borough of Enfield
Feltham UD created 1904 from Staines RD, absorbed East Bedfont, Hanworth on abolition of Staines RD 1934	n/a	Feltham UD	44,861	51,047	Became part of the London Borough of Hounslow
Finchley UD created 1894	1933	Finchley MB	69,991	69,370	Became part of the London Borough of Barnet
Friern Barnet UD created 1894	n/a	Friern Barnet UD	29,163	28,813	Became part of the London Borough of Barnet
Harrow on the Hill UD created 1894, Harrow UD formed 1934 from Harrow on the Hill UD part of abolished Wealdstone UD, Harrow Weald, Pinner, Little Stanmore, Great Stanmore from abolished Hendon RD	1954	Harrow MB	219,494	209,080	Became the London Borough of Harrow (boundaries unchanged)
Hayes UD created 1904 from part of Uxbridge RD, Hayes and Harlington UD created 1930 by merger of Hayes UD and Cranford and Harlington from abolished Staines RD	n/a	Hayes and Harlington UD	65,596	67,915	Became part of the London Borough of Hillingdon
Hendon UD created 1894, absorbed Edgware from Hendon RD 1931	1932	Hendon MB	155,857	151,843	Became part of the London Borough of Barnet
Heston and Isleworth UD created 1894	1932	Heston and Isleworth MB	106,847	103,013	Became part of the London Borough of Hounslow
Hornsey UD created 1894	1903	Hornsey MB	98,159	97,962	Became part of the London Borough of Haringey
South Mimms RD created 1894, became Potters Bar UD 1934	n/a	Potters Bar UD	17,172	23,376	Transferred to Hertfordshire
Created 1904 from part of Uxbridge RD	n/a	Ruislip-Northwood UD	68,288	72,791	Became part of the London Borough of Hillingdon
Southall Norwood UD created 1894, renamed Southall 1936	1936	Southall MB	55,896	52,983	Became part of the London Borough of Ealing
Southgate UD created 1894	1933	Southgate MB	73,377	72,359	Became part of the London Borough of Enfield
Created 1894, absorbed Ashford, Laleham and Stanwell from abolished Staines RD 1930	n/a	Staines UD	39,995	49,838	Transferred to Surrey
Created 1894, absorbed Littleton and Shepperton from abolished Staines RD 1930	n/a	Sunbury-on-Thames UD	23,394	33,437	Transferred to Surrey
Tottenham UD created 1894	1934	Tottenham MB	126,929	113,249	Became part of the London Borough of Haringey
Twickenham UD created 1894, absorbed Hampton UD, Hampton Wick UD, Teddington UD 1937	1926	Twickenham MB	105,663	100,971	Became part of the London Borough of Richmond
Uxbridge UD created 1894, absorbed Cowley, Harefield, Hillingdon East and Ickenham from abolished Uxbridge RD 1929	1955	Uxbridge MB	55,960	63,941	Became part of the London Borough of Hillingdon
Wembley UD created 1894, absorbed Kingsbury UD, part of abolished Wealdstone UD 1934	1937	Wembley MB	131,384	124,892	Became part of the London Borough of Brent
Willesden UD created 1894	1933	Willesden MB	179,697	171,001	Became part of the London Borough of Brent
Wood Green UD created 1894	1933	Wood Green MB	52,228	47,945	Became part of the London Borough of Haringey
Yiewsley UD created 1911 from part of Uxbridge RD, absorbed Harmondsworth, West Drayton from abolished Uxbridge RD to become Yiewsley and West Drayton UD 1929	n/a	Yiewsley and West Drayton UD	20,468	23,723	Became part of the London Borough of Hillingdon