Tower division

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Tower
Administration
Status:	division of hundred, liberty
HQ:
History
Created:
Abolished:	1899
Succeeded by:	Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green Metropolitan Borough of Stepney Metropolitan Borough of Poplar Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch Metropolitan Borough of Hackney

The Tower Division was a liberty in the ancient county of Middlesex. It was also known as the Tower Hamlets, and took its name from being under the special jurisdiction of the Constable of the Tower of London. The name "Tower Hamlets" was subsequently used for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets created in 1965.

The Tower Division was one of four divisions of the Hundred of Ossulstone. The other divisions were named Finsbury, Holborn and Kensington. Unlike the other divisions, the Tower Division was outside the jurisdiction of the Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex, with the Constable of the Tower exercising lieutenancy powers ex-officio. The area's special status ceased in 1889 with the creation of the County of London, and the creation of a Lord Lieutenant for the new county.

In 1829 the Tower Division contained the following "parishes, townships, precincts and places":

The parish of St Mary, Whitechapel
The parish of Christchurch, Spitalfields
The parish of St Leonard, Shoreditch
The liberty of Norton Folgate
The parish of St John, Hackney
The parish of St Matthew, Bethnal Green
The hamlet of Mile End Old Town
The hamlet of Mile End New Town
The parish of St Mary, Stratford Bow
The parish of Bromley St Leonard
The parish of All Saints, Poplar
The parish of St Anne, Limehouse
The hamlet of Ratcliffe
The parish of St Paul, Shadwell
The parish of St John, Wapping
The liberty of East Smithfield
The precinct of St Catherine
The liberty of His Majesty's Tower of London consisting of:
- The liberty of the Old Artillery Ground
- The parish of Trinity, Minories
- The Old Tower precinct
- The precinct of The Tower Within
- The precinct of the Well Close