Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras

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St Pancras
Motto: With Wisdom and Courage
Metropolitan Borough shown within the County of London
St Pancras within the County of London
Geography
Status Metropolitan borough
HQ Town Hall, Judd Street
History
Created 1900
Abolished 1965
Succeeded by London Borough of Camden
Politics
Governance St Pancras Borough Council
Arms granted in 1936
Coat of arms of the borough council

The Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras was a metropolitan borough of the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead and the Metropolitan Borough of Holborn to form the London Borough of Camden. It was based on the ancient parish of St Pancras.

It included Tottenham Court Road, Camden Town, St Pancras, Kings Cross, Somers Town, Kentish Town, Euston, and part of Regent's Park. There are still a few street names signs with "Borough of St Pancras" on them.

Contents

[edit] Coat of arms

Unofficial arms adopted in 1901
Unofficial arms adopted in 1901

The corporation designed its own, unofficial, coat of arms in 1902. In the centre of the shield was a depiction of St Pancras. The shield itself was in four quarters. The first quarter was described as a "fimbriated cross" (actually a saltire) representing the martyrdom of Pancras. The fourth quarter stood for Middlesex, and bore three seaxes on red: (the attributed arms of the kingdom of the middle and east Saxons). The other two quarters had a lion and cross crosslets; and blue and silver chequers. These were taken from the arms of the borough of Lewes, in Sussex. The parish church of Lewes was the first in England to be dedicated to St Pancras. At the top of the shield was shown a gold rising sun for the "dawn of Christianity" in the area. The colours used in the design were described as "gold, azure, white and crimson".[1] The motto adopted was Constans Justitiam Moniti. According to Richard Crosley, writing in 1928, "This motto is unique amongst the mottoes of London in as much as the author has not discovered anyone who can translate it".[2]

In 1936 the corporation received an official grant from the College of Arms. The figure of St Pancras was moved to the crest, on top of the helm. The shield featured elements from the arms of historical landowners of the borough. The scallop shells were taken from the arms of the Russell family, Dukes of Bedford. The elephant's heads were from the arms of the Marquess Camden. The roses and crossed swords represented the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral.

The 1936 arms can still be seen over the entrance of Camden Town Hall.

[edit] Area and population

The borough had an area of 2,694 acres (10.9 km²). The populations recorded in National Censuses were:

St Pancras Civil Parish 1801-1899

Year[3] 1801 1811 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891
Population 31,779 46,333 71,838 103,548 129,763 166,956 198,788 221,465 236,363 234,379

Metropolitan Borough 1900-1961

Year[4] 1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961
Population 235,317 218,387 211,366 198,133 [5] 138,377 124,855

[edit] References

  1. ^ A coat of arms for St. Pancras, The Times, February 6 1902
  2. ^ London's Coats of Arms, Richard Crosley, 1928
  3. ^ Statistical Abstract for London, 1901 (Vol. IV); Census tables for Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras
  4. ^ Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras : Census Tables at Vision of Britain accessed 14 Dec 2006
  5. ^ The census was suspended for World War II

[edit] See also

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