Metropolitan boroughs of the County of London facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Metropolitan borough (London) |
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| Also known as: Borough |
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| Category | Local government district |
| Location | England |
| Found in | County of London |
| Created by | London Government Act 1899 |
| Created | 1900 |
| Abolished by | London Government Act 1963 |
| Abolished | 1965 |
| Number | 28 (as of 1965) |
| Possible status | City (1) Royal (1) |
| Government | Borough Councils |
Metropolitan boroughs were special areas in London that helped manage the city. They were like smaller districts within the old County of London. There were 28 of these boroughs, and they existed from 1900 to 1965. They were created by a law called the London Government Act of 1899. Later, in 1965, these boroughs were replaced by bigger areas called London boroughs, which are part of today's Greater London.
Contents
History of London's Boroughs
How Metropolitan Boroughs Started
Before the metropolitan boroughs, there were "parliamentary boroughs" in London. These were set up in 1832. They included areas like Finsbury, Greenwich, Lambeth, and Westminster. People thought these areas should have their own local governments, but it didn't happen right away.
The metropolitan boroughs were officially created in 1900. This happened because of the London Government Act 1899. This law made 28 new metropolitan boroughs. These new borough councils took over from older local groups. These groups were called "vestries and district boards."
Changes and New Boundaries
When the boroughs were created, some were made by joining smaller areas together. But most of them continued from existing local government units. This meant that old parish groups became new borough councils. This was also a good chance to fix some old boundary lines that were a bit messy.
Even with the new boroughs, the old "civil parishes" still existed for a while. Their job became much smaller, mostly dealing with help for the poor. Over time, these parishes were combined to match the new borough boundaries.
End of the Metropolitan Boroughs
In 1965, the County of London was officially ended. This was due to the London Government Act 1963. A much larger area called Greater London was created instead.
At the same time, the 28 metropolitan boroughs were also ended. They were combined to form 12 of the 32 larger London boroughs that we know today. These new boroughs are also called Inner London boroughs.
List of Metropolitan Boroughs
This table shows the 28 metropolitan boroughs that existed in London. It also tells you which new London boroughs they became part of in 1965. You can also see their population and size from 1961.
| Metropolitan Borough | Successor(s) | Population in 1961 | Area in 1961 | No. on map |
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| 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 |
Number 1 on the map shows the City of London. This area was not a metropolitan borough. It was much older than the boroughs and still exists today.
See also
In Spanish: Municipios metropolitanos del condado de Londres para niños
