Wallington Hundred facts for kids

Imagine a really old way of dividing land in England! That's what a hundred was. Wallington was one of these old areas in the northeast of Surrey, England. Today, most of its original area has become part of the huge city of London. The name "Wallington" now usually refers to a specific district within London. The land that used to be Wallington hundred now covers parts of the London Borough of Sutton, most of the London Borough of Croydon, and bits of the London Borough of Merton. It also includes small parts of Epsom and Ewell, Reigate and Banstead, and Tandridge in Surrey.

What Was Wallington?

Wallington hundred included several towns and villages, which were called 'parishes' back then. These included Addington, Beddington, Carshalton, Chaldon, Cheam, Coulsdon, Croydon, Mitcham, Morden, Sanderstead, Sutton, and Woodmansterne.

Wallington's Neighbors

In Surrey, Wallington shared borders with other 'hundreds'. To the north was Brixton hundred. To the west were Kingston hundred and Copthorne hundred. To the south, it bordered Reigate hundred and Tandridge hundred. On its eastern side, it met the Bromley and Beckenham hundred, which was part of Kent.

Size and People

In 1831, Wallington covered a huge area. It was about 36,470 acres, which is over 147 square kilometers! By 1840, most of Wallington was included in the larger Metropolitan Police District. This meant it was protected by the Metropolitan Police Act 1839.

In 1851, records show Wallington was divided into two parts. The "First division" was about 23,581 acres and had 22,343 people. The "Second division" was smaller, about 14,825 acres, with 11,607 people. By 1861, the total number of people living in Wallington had grown to 46,686.

How Wallington Changed Over Time

Over the years, the old system of 'hundreds' became less important. New ways of managing local areas started to appear.

New Local Councils

In 1883, Croydon, which was the biggest part of Wallington hundred, became a Municipal borough. This was a new type of local council. Then, in 1889, Croydon became a County Borough. This meant it could manage itself, separate from other local governments.

The rest of Wallington hundred came under the control of the Croydon Rural District in 1894. This change happened because of a law called the Local Government Act 1894.

London's Growth

As London grew bigger in the early 1900s, parts of the rural district were separated. They became new Urban districts. The Croydon Rural District itself was eventually removed in 1915. Its area was then split into several new urban and rural districts.

Finally, in 1963, a new law called the London Government Act 1963 changed these districts again. It created the London boroughs that we know today. This is how the area that was once Wallington hundred became part of modern London.

See also

• Medieval Surrey
• Surrey hundreds