Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wandsworth
Motto: We Serve
Metropolitan Borough shown within the County of London
Wandsworth within the County of London
Geography
Status Metropolitan borough
HQ Town Hall, Wandsworth High Street
History
Origin Wandsworth District Board of Works
Created 1900
Abolished 1965
Succeeded by London Borough of Wandsworth
London Borough of Lambeth
Politics
Governance Wandsworth Borough Council
The Arms of The Metropolitan Borough
Coat of arms of the borough council

The Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth was a metropolitan borough under the London County Council, from 1900 to 1965.

The borough was formed from five civil parishes: Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting Graveney and Wandsworth. Before 1899 these parishes, together with Battersea, had been administered by the Wandsworth District Board of Works.

When the metropolitan boroughs were replaced with larger London boroughs in 1965, this borough was split. The core area of Wandsworth (about 11 km²) became part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, along with the former Metropolitan Borough of Battersea, but the areas of Streatham and Clapham (totalling 4km²) became part of the London Borough of Lambeth.

[edit] Coat of arms

The coat of arms were granted on 6 July 1901. The blue wavy division represents the Rivers Wandle and Thames. French Huguenot refugees arrived in the area in 1685, and the blue drops represent the tears of their struggle. The five stars represent the constituent former parishes. At the top is a long boat, with a dragon's head, commemorating 9th century Danish incursions along the river. The borough council's motto was We Serve.[1]

[edit] Population and area

The Borough covered 9,130 acres (36.9 km²), which made it the largest in the County of London. The population recorded in the Census was:


Civil Parish 1801-1899

Year[2] 1801 1811 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901
Population 14,283 17,963 22,726 27,779 33,238 40,204 50,803 71,044 103,172 156,942 232,024

[edit] References

  1. ^ London County Council (Civic Heraldry) accessed 15 Jan 2008
  2. ^ Statistical Abstract for London, 1901 (Vol. IV); Census tables for Metropolitan Borough of Battersea