Strand (district board)
Encyclopedia
Strand was a local government
district within the metropolitan area of London
from 1855 to 1900.
Until 1889 the district was in the county of Middlesex
, but included in the area of the Metropolitan Board of Works
. In 1889 the area of the MBW was constituted the County of London
, and the District Board became a local authority under the London County Council
.
es and places:
The main part of the district was bounded on the east by the City of London
, on the north by the Holborn District and the St Giles District, and on the west by the parish of St Martin in the Fields
. The parish of St Anne formed an exclave to the west.
Strand District was originally within the area of responsibility of the Metropolitan Board of Works
and nominated one member to the MBW. In 1889 the area of the Metropolitan Board became the County of London
, and Strand District Board of Works became a local council under the London County Council
.
The District Board established its headquarters at 22 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, in 1857, on a site leased from the Duke of Bedford.
was introduced to parliament. The Bill sought to abolish the vestries and district boards in London and replace them with twenty-eight metropolitan borough
s. One of the boroughs included in the schedule to the Bill grouped together Strand District with the areas of three other boards and vestries in the Westminster area as a new borough. This was vigorously resisted by the Strand District Board of Works along with the vestries of St Martin in the Fields
and St James Westminster. Instead of what they dubbed "Greater Westminster", the three authorities instead proposed a Metropolitan Borough of The Strand, separate from Westminster, and with the same boundaries as the parliamentary borough
of that name. The campaign met with no success, and on November 1, 1900, the Strand District became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster
.
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
district within the metropolitan area of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from 1855 to 1900.
Until 1889 the district was in the county of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, but included in the area of the Metropolitan Board of Works
Metropolitan Board of Works
The Metropolitan Board of Works was the principal instrument of London-wide government from 1855 until the establishment of the London County Council in 1889. Its principal responsibility was to provide infrastructure to cope with London's rapid growth, which it successfully accomplished. The MBW...
. In 1889 the area of the MBW was constituted the County of London
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
, and the District Board became a local authority under the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
.
Area
The district comprised the following civil parishCivil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
es and places:
- The Liberty of the RollsLiberty of the RollsThe Liberty of the Rolls was a liberty, and civil parish from 1866, in the metropolitan area of London, England.It consisted of the part of the ancient parish of St Dunstan-in-the-West that was in the Ossulstone hundred of Middlesex, the rest was within the City of London...
- St Anne Within the Liberty of WestminsterSt Anne Within the Liberty of WestminsterSt Anne Within the Liberty of Westminster, also known as St Anne Soho, was a civil parish in the metropolitan area of London, England.It was created in 1687 from part of the ancient parish of St Martin in the Fields, and was within the Liberty of Westminster.It was grouped into the Strand District...
(also called St Anne, Soho) - St Clement DanesSt Clement Danes (parish)St Clement Danes was a civil parish in the metropolitan area of London, England. Much of the former parish is now occupied by the site of the London School of Economics, in the extreme southeast of the City of Westminster....
- St Mary le StrandSt Mary le Strand (parish)St Mary le Strand was a civil parish in the metropolitan area of London, England. It took its name from the church of St Mary le Strand.It was counted as a separate parish until 1549 and again from 1723...
- St Paul Covent GardenSt Paul Covent GardenSt Paul Covent Garden was a civil parish in the metropolitan area of London, England. It was created in 1645 from part of the ancient parish of St Martin in the Fields, and was within the Liberty of Westminster....
- Precinct of the Savoy
The main part of the district was bounded on the east by the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, on the north by the Holborn District and the St Giles District, and on the west by the parish of St Martin in the Fields
St Martin in the Fields (parish)
St Martin in the Fields was a civil parish in the metropolitan area of London, England. It took its name from the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields and was within the Liberty of Westminster. It included within its boundaries Buckingham Palace and St...
. The parish of St Anne formed an exclave to the west.
District board
The district was governed by the Strand District Board of Works, which consisted of forty-nine elected vestrymen: eighteen elected for the parish of St Anne Soho; fifteen for St Clement Danes; nine for St Paul Covent Garden; three each for St Mary le Strand and the Liberty of the Rolls and one for the Precinct of the Savoy. The first elections were held in November 1855, when the entire membership of the board was elected. Thereafter elections for one third of the seats were held in May, beginning in the year 1857.Strand District was originally within the area of responsibility of the Metropolitan Board of Works
Metropolitan Board of Works
The Metropolitan Board of Works was the principal instrument of London-wide government from 1855 until the establishment of the London County Council in 1889. Its principal responsibility was to provide infrastructure to cope with London's rapid growth, which it successfully accomplished. The MBW...
and nominated one member to the MBW. In 1889 the area of the Metropolitan Board became the County of London
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
, and Strand District Board of Works became a local council under the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
.
The District Board established its headquarters at 22 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, in 1857, on a site leased from the Duke of Bedford.
Abolition
In 1899 the London Government BillLondon Government Act 1899
The London Government Act 1899 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the administration of the capital. The Act divided the County of London into 28 metropolitan boroughs, replacing the 41 parish vestries and District Boards of Works administering the area...
was introduced to parliament. The Bill sought to abolish the vestries and district boards in London and replace them with twenty-eight metropolitan borough
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
s. One of the boroughs included in the schedule to the Bill grouped together Strand District with the areas of three other boards and vestries in the Westminster area as a new borough. This was vigorously resisted by the Strand District Board of Works along with the vestries of St Martin in the Fields
St Martin in the Fields (parish)
St Martin in the Fields was a civil parish in the metropolitan area of London, England. It took its name from the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields and was within the Liberty of Westminster. It included within its boundaries Buckingham Palace and St...
and St James Westminster. Instead of what they dubbed "Greater Westminster", the three authorities instead proposed a Metropolitan Borough of The Strand, separate from Westminster, and with the same boundaries as the parliamentary borough
Strand (UK Parliament constituency)
Strand was a parliamentary constituency in the Strand district of the City of Westminster. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
of that name. The campaign met with no success, and on November 1, 1900, the Strand District became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Westminster
Metropolitan Borough of Westminster
The Metropolitan Borough of Westminster was a metropolitan borough in the County of London, England, from 1900 to 1965.-City Status:By royal charter dated 29 October 1900 the borough was granted the title City of Westminster. Westminster had originally been created a city and seat of the...
.