London boroughs

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In 1889 the County of London was formed from parts of the ancient counties of Middlesex, Surrey and Kent. It covered an area now encompassed by the 12 London boroughs which make up Inner London. Although the historical City of London lay within the new county boundaries it stayed outside its jurisdiction.

In 1899 the County of London was divided into 28 metropolitan boroughs.

In 1965 the 28 metropolitan boroughs were almagamated into 12 Inner London boroughs and joined together with 20 new Outer London boroughs (a mixture of 3 county boroughs and numerous urban districts) to create Greater London. The new boroughs took in the rest of Middlesex (which then ceased to exist as a county) and parts of the neighbouring counties of Surrey, Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire. The City of London remained a separate entity.

Below is a list of the current London boroughs, how they were previously organized and links to related archives, historical background, maps and further information where available.

London boroughs

Previous authorities

Ancient counties

Archive

History

Map

Info

The 32 present day London boroughs came into existence with the creation of Greater London in 1965.

From 1899 until the creation of Greater London in 1965 the area was divided up into the following authorities:

(M) = Metropolitan borough
(C) = County borough
(U) = Urban district

Before the County of London was created in 1889 the area was divided up between the following counties.

Barking & Dagenham

1. Barking (U)
2. Dagenham (U)

Essex
Essex

Barnet

1. Finchley (U)
2. Hendon (U)
3. Friern Barnet (U)
4. East Barnet (U)
5. Barnet (U)

Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire

Bexley

1. Bexley (U)
2. Erith (U)
3. Crayford (U)
4. Sidcup (U)

Kent
Kent
Kent
Kent

Brent

1. Wembley (U)
2. Willesden (U)

Middlesex
Middlesex

Bromley

1. Bromley (U)
2. Beckenham (U)
3. Orpington (U)
4. Penge (U)
5. Chislehurst (U)

Kent
Kent
Kent
Kent
Kent

Camden

1. Hampstead (M)
2. Holborn (M)
3. St Pancras (M)

Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex

City of London
(Not a borough)

1. City of London

City of London

City of Westminster

1. Westminster (M)
2. St Marylebone (M)
3. Paddington (M)

Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex

Croydon

1. Croydon (C)
2. Coulsdon & Purley (U)

Surrey
Surrey

Ealing

1. Ealing (U)
2. Southall (U)
3. Acton (U)

Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex

Enfield

1. Enfield (U)
2. Southgate (U)
3. Edmonton (U)

Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex

Greenwich

1. Greenwich (M)
2. Woolwich (M)
(Not North Woolwich)

Kent
Kent

Hackney

1. Hackney (M)
2. Shoreditch (M)
3. Stoke Newington (M)

Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex

Hammersmith & Fulham

1. Hammersmith (M)
2. Fulham (M)

Middlesex
Middlesex

Haringey

1. Hornsey (U)
2. Wood Green (U)
3. Tottenham (U)

Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex

Harrow

1. Harrow (U)

Middlesex

Havering

1. Romford (U)
2. Hornchurch (U)

Essex
Essex

Hillingdon

1. Uxbridge (U)
2. Hayes & Harlington (U)
3. Ruislip-Northwood (U)
4. Yiewsley & West Drayton (U)

Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex

Hounslow

1. Brentford & Chiswick (U)
2. Feltham (U)
3. Heston & Isleworth (U)

Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex

Islington

1. Islington (M)
2. Finsbury (M)

Middlesex
Middlesex

Kensington & Chelsea

1. Kensington (M)
2. Chelsea (M)

Middlesex
Middlesex

Kingston upon Thames

1. Kingston upon Thames (U)
2. Malden & Coombe (U)
3. Surbiton (U)

Surrey
Surrey
Surrey

Lambeth

1. Lambeth (M)
2. Wandsworth (M)
(Only Clapham & Streatham)

Surrey
Surrey

Archive
Archive

Lewisham

1. Lewisham (M)
2. Deptford (M)

Kent
Kent

Merton

1. Mitcham (U)
2. Wimbledon (U)
3. Merton & Morden (U)

Surrey
Surrey
Surrey

Newham

1. East Ham (C)
2. West Ham (C)
3. North Woolwich
(Part of Woolwich (M))

Essex
Essex
Kent

Redbridge

1. Ilford (U)
2. Wanstead & Woodford (U)
3. Part of Dagenham (U)
4. Part of Chigwell (U)

Essex
Essex
Essex
Essex

Richmond upon Thames

1. Twickenham (U)
2. Richmond upon Thames (U)
3. Barnes (U)

Middlesex
Surrey
Surrey

Southwark

1. Southwark (M)
2. Camberwell (M)
3. Bermondsey (M)

Surrey
Surrey
Surrey

Sutton

1. Beddington (U)
2. Sutton & Cheam (U)
3. Carshalton (U)

Surrey
Surrey
Surrey

Tower Hamlets

1. Bethnal Green (M)
2. Poplar (M)
3. Stepney (M)

Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex

Waltham Forest

1. Chingford (U)
2. Leyton (U)
3. Walthamstow (U)

Essex
Essex
Essex

Wandsworth

1. Battersea (M)
2. Wandsworth (M)
(Not Clapham & Streatham)

Surrey
Surrey

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