Middlesex County Council
Encyclopedia
Middlesex County Council was the principal local government
body in the administrative county
of Middlesex
from 1889 to 1965.
The county council was created by the Local Government Act 1888
, which also removed the most populous part of the county to constitute the County of London
. By the 1930s most of the county had become urbanised, effectively forming part of the London
conurbation, and in 1965 the county council was abolished on the creation of the Greater London Council
.
. The entire body of county councillors was elected every three years. Aldermen were additional members, there being a ratio of one alderman to three councillors. Aldermen had a six-year term of office, and one half of their number were elected by the councillors immediately after the triennial elections.
The first elections were held in January 1889. The first meeting of the "provisional" county council was held on 14 February 1889 at Westminster Town Hall. Although the council did not use political labels, among the aldermen elected were members of the parliamentary Conservative Party
.
From 1919 the non-political composition of the council was challenged by the election of members of the Labour Party
. The 1922 and 1925 elections were, for the most part, not run on party lines. In 1928 the majority of the council were described as "Moderate", with Labour forming an opposition. Labour continued to make advances at the 1931 election, and this led to the formation of a Middlesex Municipal Association "representative of all anti-Socialist members". The association was supported by the various Conservative Party organisations of the county although it was not officially affiliated to the party, and controlled the council until 1946.
In 1946 Labour took control of the county council for the first time. Following this, the Conservative Party contested elections to the county council, winning control in 1949 and holding it at the 1952 and 1955 elections. In 1958 Labour regained control.
At the elections held in 1961 the Conservatives were returned to power. These were to be the final elections to the county council: under the London Government Act 1963
the elections due in 1964 were cancelled, with the elections to the shadow Greater London Council
being held instead.
of a borough
. Twenty-nine people served as chairmen over the council's existence.
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...
body in the administrative county
Administrative counties of England
Administrative counties were a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government from 1889 to 1974. They were created by the Local Government Act 1888 as the areas for which county councils were elected. Some large counties were divided into several administrative...
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...
from 1889 to 1965.
The county council was created by the Local Government Act 1888
Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
, which also removed the most populous part of the county to constitute 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...
. By the 1930s most of the county had become urbanised, effectively forming part of the 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...
conurbation, and in 1965 the county council was abolished on the creation of the Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
.
Elections and political control
The county council consisted of elected councillors and co-opted county aldermenAlderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
. The entire body of county councillors was elected every three years. Aldermen were additional members, there being a ratio of one alderman to three councillors. Aldermen had a six-year term of office, and one half of their number were elected by the councillors immediately after the triennial elections.
The first elections were held in January 1889. The first meeting of the "provisional" county council was held on 14 February 1889 at Westminster Town Hall. Although the council did not use political labels, among the aldermen elected were members of the parliamentary Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
From 1919 the non-political composition of the council was challenged by the election of members of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. The 1922 and 1925 elections were, for the most part, not run on party lines. In 1928 the majority of the council were described as "Moderate", with Labour forming an opposition. Labour continued to make advances at the 1931 election, and this led to the formation of a Middlesex Municipal Association "representative of all anti-Socialist members". The association was supported by the various Conservative Party organisations of the county although it was not officially affiliated to the party, and controlled the council until 1946.
In 1946 Labour took control of the county council for the first time. Following this, the Conservative Party contested elections to the county council, winning control in 1949 and holding it at the 1952 and 1955 elections. In 1958 Labour regained control.
At the elections held in 1961 the Conservatives were returned to power. These were to be the final elections to the county council: under the London Government Act 1963
London Government Act 1963
The London Government Act 1963 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which recognised officially the conurbation known as Greater London and created a new local government structure for the capital. The Act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the area,...
the elections due in 1964 were cancelled, with the elections to the shadow Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
being held instead.
Chairmen of the Middlesex County Council
The chairman of the county council chaired its meetings and also represented it in a ceremonial manner, in a similar fashion to the mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of a borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
. Twenty-nine people served as chairmen over the council's existence.
| Years | Chairman | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1889–1908 | Ralph Daniel Makinson Littler | Companion of the Bath 1890, Knighted 1902 |
| 1908–1909 | Montagu Sharpe | Knighted in 1922 |
| 1909–1919 | William Regester | |
| 1919–1924 | Cecil Fane De Salis | Made a Knight Commander of the Bath Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath... in 1935. |
| 1924–1927 | Benjamin Todd | |
| 1927–1930 | Charles Pinkham Charles Pinkham (Conservative politician) Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Pinkham, C.B.E., M.P., J.P., D.L., C.A., was an English conservative politician between the end of the XIX century and the beginning of the XX century.-Biography:... OBE |
Knighted 1928 Former MP Member of Parliament A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,... for Willesden West Willesden West (UK Parliament constituency) Willesden West was a borough constituency in the parliamentary county of Middlesex, adjoining the County of London and forming part of the London conurbation. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.... 1918–1922 |
| 1930–1933 | George Marlow Reed | |
| 1933–1936 | Howard Button | Knighted 1936. Former MP for Wrekin 1922–1923 |
| 1936–1937 | Sir William Prescott Sir William Prescott, 1st Baronet Sir William Henry Prescott, 1st Baronet CBE, DL was a British engineer and Conservative Party politician.The son of John Prescott, he initially studied law and was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1909... |
Created a baronet in 1938. Former MP for Tottenham North Tottenham North (UK Parliament constituency) Tottenham North was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Municipal Borough of Tottenham, in North London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:... 1918–1922 |
| 1937–1940 | Forrester Clayton | |
| 1940–1943 | Sir Gilfrid Gordon Craig | |
| 1943–1946 | William Reginald Clemens | |
| 1946–1947 | Bernard Harry Rockman | |
| 1947–1948 | Frederick Messer Frederick Messer Sir Frederick Messer CBE 12 May 1886–8 May 1971 was a British trade unionist and Labour politician. He was a member of the House of Commons and Chairman of Middlesex County Council.... |
First member of the Labour Party Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... to hold the chair. MP for Tottenham South Tottenham South (UK Parliament constituency) Tottenham South was a parliamentary constituency in Tottenham, in North London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:... 1929–1931, 1935–1950. and Tottenham Tottenham (UK Parliament constituency) Tottenham is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :... 1950–1959. Knighted 1953. |
| 1948–1949 | William John Irving | |
| 1949–1951 | Albert Henry Farley | |
| 1951–1953 | William Josiah Grimshaw | Knighted 1953 "for political and public services in Middlesex" |
| 1953–1954 | Sir Archer Hoare | |
| 1954–1955 | Albert Noel Hansel Baines | |
| 1955–1956 | Stanley Graham Rowlandson | Knighted 1956 |
| 1956–1957 | Christopher George Armstrong Cowan | Knighted 1958 |
| 1957–1958 | William Rendel Myson Chambers | |
| 1958–1959 | Thomas Henry Joyce | |
| 1959–1960 | George Albert Pargiter | MP for Spelthorne Spelthorne (UK Parliament constituency) -Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1970s:-Elections in the 1960s:... 1945–1950, Southall Southall (UK Parliament constituency) Southall was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Southall district of west London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.... 1950–1966. Created "Baron Pargitter of Southall in the London Borough of Ealing" in 1966. |
| 1960–1961 | Muriel Rose Forbes | |
| 1961– 1962 | Sir Joseph Haygarth | |
| 1962 – 1963 | James Henry Knaggs | |
| 1963 – 1964 | Frances Timpson | |
| 1964–1965 | John Wilfred Barter John Barter John Wilfred Barter was a British Conservative Party politician.He was Member of Parliament for Ealing North from 1955 until he retired from the House of Commons at the 1964 general election.- References :... MP |
MP for Ealing North |