Municipal Borough of Willesden
Encyclopedia
Willesden was a local government district in the county of Middlesex
, England
from 1874 to 1965. It formed part of the Metropolitan Police District
and London postal district
. Willesden was part of the built-up area of London and bordered the County of London
to the east and south.
It was formed as a Local government district
in 1874, became an urban district in 1894 and was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1933. In 1901 the population was 114,811. The population peaked in 1931 at 184,434 and by 1961 it had fallen to 171,001. It occupied 4384 acres (17.7 km²) in 1911 and 4633 acres (18.7 km²) in 1961. It included the districts of Kilburn, Harlesden
, Neasden
, Willesden
, Cricklewood
, Dollis Hill
and Brondesbury
. The district was abolished in 1965 and its former area transferred to Greater London
, merging with the Borough of Wembley
to form the London Borough of Brent
.
The offices of the local board were established at Dyne Road, Kilburn in 1891. These were later enlarged to become Willesden Town Hall. Following the formation of the London Borough of Brent, administration was transferred to Wembley, and the town hall was demolished in 1972.
gained a majority, with Progressive
and Labour
councillors forming the opposition.
By 1921, Labour was having an increased influence on the council and this led to the formation of an anti-Labour Ratepayers Association, who held power until 1933. From 1933 to abolition in 1965 the borough council was Labour-controlled for all but one year.
was as follows:
Gules a Chevron between in dexter chief an Orb ensigned with a Cross-crosslet Or and in sinister chief and two Swords in saltire proper hilts and pomels Or and in base three Lilies in a Pot all within a Bordure also Or charged with eight Pellets and for a Crest Issuant from a Saxon Crown two Wings Or each charged with a Cinquefoil Gules.
And for Supporters: On either side a Dragon Azure gorged with a Saxon Crown Or and charged on the shoulder with two Seaxes in saltire proper hilts and pomels Or.
The Latin
motto
was Labore est Orare or To Work is to Pray.
Around the chevron in the centre of the shield were symbols representing the history of Willesden. The orb
was from the attributed arms of King Athelstan
. His granting of the manors
of Neasden-cum-Willeseden to the monastery of St Arkenwold is one of the earliest historical references to the area. The crossed swords were taken from the arms of the Diocese of London
. This records the fact that the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral
held the manor of Willesden at the time of the Domesday Book
. The pot of lillies are the symbol of the St Mary, patron saint of the ancient parish. The border (or bordure) bore eight black discs or pellets, one for each of the manors into which Anglo-Saxon
Willesden was divided.
The crest above the arms was composed of two wings from the arms of Richard Bancroft
, Archbishop of Canterbury
1604 - 1610. Bancroft's family held the Manor of Mapesbury
. The wings were charged with red cinquefoils or five leaved figures. These were taken from the arms of All Souls College, Oxford
. The college owned much land in the Willesden area.
There does not seem to have been any significance in the choice of supporters, which were two blue dragons. Around the neck of each dragon was a gold Saxon crown, and they bore on the shoulder crossed seaxes or notched swords. These emblems were derived from the arms of Middlesex County Council.
Most of the elements of Willesden's arms were incorporated in those of the successor London Borough of Brent in 1965.
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from 1874 to 1965. It formed part of the Metropolitan Police District
Metropolitan Police District
The Metropolitan Police District is the police area which is policed by London's Metropolitan Police Service. It currently consists of Greater London, excluding the City of London.-History:...
and London postal district
London postal district
The London postal district is the area in England, currently of , to which mail addressed to the LONDON post town is delivered. The area was initially devised in 1856 and throughout its history has been subject to periodic reorganisation, contraction and division into increasingly smaller postal...
. Willesden was part of the built-up area of London and bordered 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...
to the east and south.
It was formed as a Local government district
Local board of health
Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
in 1874, became an urban district in 1894 and was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1933. In 1901 the population was 114,811. The population peaked in 1931 at 184,434 and by 1961 it had fallen to 171,001. It occupied 4384 acres (17.7 km²) in 1911 and 4633 acres (18.7 km²) in 1961. It included the districts of Kilburn, Harlesden
Harlesden
Harlesden is an area in the London Borough of Brent, northwest London, UK. Its main focal point is the Jubilee Clock which commemorates Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee....
, Neasden
Neasden
Neasden is an area in northwest London, UK. It forms part of the London Borough of Brent.-History:The area was recorded as Neasdun in 939 AD and the name is derived from the Old English nēos = 'nose' and dūn = 'hill'. It means 'the nose-shaped hill' referring to a well-defined landmark of this area...
, Willesden
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
, Cricklewood
Cricklewood
Cricklewood is a district of North London, England whose northeastern part is in the London Borough of Barnet, western part is the London Borough of Brent and southeastern part is in London Borough of Camden.-History:...
, Dollis Hill
Dollis Hill
Dollis Hill is an area of north-west London. It lies close to Willesden, in the London Borough of Brent. As a result, Dollis Hill is sometimes referred as being part of Willesden, especially by the national press...
and Brondesbury
Brondesbury
Brondesbury is an area of Kilburn in London, England. It is shared between the boroughs of Brent and Camden.-Nearest places:* Kilburn* Willesden* Kensal Green* Cricklewood-Nearest tube stations:* Kilburn * West Hampstead...
. The district was abolished in 1965 and its former area transferred to Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
, merging with the Borough of Wembley
Municipal Borough of Wembley
Wembley was an urban district and later a municipal borough in Middlesex, England from 1894 to 1965.Wembley Urban District was created by the Local Government Act 1894 from part of the existing Hendon Rural Sanitary District, and originally consisted of two civil parishes: Kingsbury and Wembley...
to form the London Borough of Brent
London Borough of Brent
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 5,646 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased...
.
The offices of the local board were established at Dyne Road, Kilburn in 1891. These were later enlarged to become Willesden Town Hall. Following the formation of the London Borough of Brent, administration was transferred to Wembley, and the town hall was demolished in 1972.
Politics
The urban district council elections were not conducted on party political lines until 1910, when pro-Conservative ModeratesMunicipal Reform Party
The Municipal Reform Party was a local party allied to the parliamentary Conservative Party in the County of London. The party contested elections to both the London County Council and metropolitan borough councils of the county from 1906 to 1945.-Formation:...
gained a majority, with Progressive
Progressive Party (London)
The Progressive Party was a political party based around the Liberal Party that contested municipal elections in the County of London.It was founded in 1888 by a group of Liberals and leaders of the labour movement. It was also supported by the Fabian Society, and Sidney Webb was one of its...
and Labour
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...
councillors forming the opposition.
By 1921, Labour was having an increased influence on the council and this led to the formation of an anti-Labour Ratepayers Association, who held power until 1933. From 1933 to abolition in 1965 the borough council was Labour-controlled for all but one year.
Coat of arms
On incorporation in 1933 the borough council was granted a coat of arms. The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
was as follows:
Gules a Chevron between in dexter chief an Orb ensigned with a Cross-crosslet Or and in sinister chief and two Swords in saltire proper hilts and pomels Or and in base three Lilies in a Pot all within a Bordure also Or charged with eight Pellets and for a Crest Issuant from a Saxon Crown two Wings Or each charged with a Cinquefoil Gules.
And for Supporters: On either side a Dragon Azure gorged with a Saxon Crown Or and charged on the shoulder with two Seaxes in saltire proper hilts and pomels Or.
The Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
was Labore est Orare or To Work is to Pray.
Around the chevron in the centre of the shield were symbols representing the history of Willesden. The orb
Orb
The word "Orb", from the Latin orbis 'circle', is another name for a round object, especially a disk or a sphere.-Orb as a word:Orb may refer to:...
was from the attributed arms of King Athelstan
Athelstan of England
Athelstan , called the Glorious, was the King of England from 924 or 925 to 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder, grandson of Alfred the Great and nephew of Æthelflæd of Mercia...
. His granting of the manors
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Neasden-cum-Willeseden to the monastery of St Arkenwold is one of the earliest historical references to the area. The crossed swords were taken from the arms of the Diocese of London
Diocese of London
The Anglican Diocese of London forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.Historically the diocese covered a large area north of the Thames and bordered the dioceses of Norwich and Lincoln to the north and west. The present diocese covers and 17 London boroughs, covering most of Greater...
. This records the fact that the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
held the manor of Willesden at the time of the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. The pot of lillies are the symbol of the St Mary, patron saint of the ancient parish. The border (or bordure) bore eight black discs or pellets, one for each of the manors into which Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
Willesden was divided.
The crest above the arms was composed of two wings from the arms of Richard Bancroft
Richard Bancroft
Archbishop Richard Bancroft, DD, BD, MA, BA was an English churchman, who became Archbishop of Canterbury and the "chief overseer" of the production of the authorized version of the Bible.-Life:...
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
1604 - 1610. Bancroft's family held the Manor of Mapesbury
Mapesbury
Mapesbury is a residential area of northwest London, England. It forms one of twenty one electoral wards of the London Borough of Brent.-Geography:The ward covers parts of the Kilburn and Cricklewood areas...
. The wings were charged with red cinquefoils or five leaved figures. These were taken from the arms of All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
. The college owned much land in the Willesden area.
There does not seem to have been any significance in the choice of supporters, which were two blue dragons. Around the neck of each dragon was a gold Saxon crown, and they bore on the shoulder crossed seaxes or notched swords. These emblems were derived from the arms of Middlesex County Council.
Most of the elements of Willesden's arms were incorporated in those of the successor London Borough of Brent in 1965.