Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth

• OriginWandsworth District Board of Works • Created1900 • Abolished1965 • Succeeded byLondon Borough of Wandsworth
London Borough of Lambeth StatusMetropolitan boroughGovernmentWandsworth Borough Council • HQTown Hall, Wandsworth High Street • MottoWe Serve

Coat of arms of the borough council
Map

Map of borough boundary

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

History

The borough was formed from five civil parishes: Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting Graveney and Wandsworth. In 1904, these five were combined into a single civil parish called Wandsworth Borough, which was conterminous with the metropolitan borough.^[1] Before 1900, these parishes, and Battersea until 1888, had been administered by the Wandsworth District Board of Works.

The borough had an irregular boundary with Mitcham in Surrey. On 1 April 1901 a small unpopulated exclave of Mitcham was transferred to Wandsworth. Part of the boundary followed the River Graveney, which had been culverted. On 1 April 1904 the boundary was straightened.^[2]

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.^[3]

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:

Constituent parishes 1801–1899

Population	14,283	17,963	22,726	27,779	33,238	40,204	50,803	71,044	103,172	156,942
Year^[4]	1801	1811	1821	1831	1841	1851	1861	1871	1881	1891

Metropolitan Borough 1900–1961

Population	232,024	311,360	328,307	353,110	^[6]	330,493	347,442
Year^[5]	1901	1911	1921	1931	1941	1951	1961

Politics

The borough was divided into nine wards for elections: Balham, Clapham North, Clapham South, Fairfield, Putney, Southfield, Springfield, Streatham, and Tooting.^[7]^[8]

Borough council

Parliament constituency

For elections to Parliament, the borough was divided into one and a half constituencies:

Clapham
Wandsworth

In 1918 the borough's representation was increased to five seats:

Balham and Tooting
Clapham
Putney
Streatham
Wandsworth Central

In 1950 the borough's representation was reduced to four seats:

Clapham
Putney
Streatham
Wandsworth Central

Replacement

When the metropolitan boroughs were replaced with larger London boroughs in 1965, this borough was split. The core area of Wandsworth (about 11 km² or 4.2 sq mi) became part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, along with the former Metropolitan Borough of Battersea, but the areas of Streatham and Clapham (totalling 4 km² or 1.5 sq mi) became part of the London Borough of Lambeth.

References

^ "GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Wandsworth Borough CP through time, Census tables with data for the Parish-level Unit". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
^ The Counties of London and Surrey (Wandsworth and Mitcham) Order, 1903
^ "London County Council". Civic Heraldry. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
^ Statistical Abstract for London, 1901 (Vol. IV); Census tables for Metropolitan Borough of Battersea
^ "GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Wandsworth MetB through time, Population Statistics, Total Population". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
^ The census was suspended for World War II
^ Post Office London County Suburbs Directory, 1919. 1919. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
^ "'County Series 3rd Edition' Map of London (1912–14) at 1:2500 scale". Ordnance Survey.