From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lambeth

County of London
Status:	Metropolitan borough
Admin. HQ:	Brixton Hill
Created:	1900
Abolished:	1965
Successor:	London Borough of Lambeth

The Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth was a metropolitan borough under London County Council from 1900 to 1965.

It covered the area of the former Lambeth parish vestry. In addition to the historic riverside area of Lambeth, this included Kennington, Vauxhall, Stockwell, Brixton, the western part of Herne Hill, Tulse Hill and Norwood.

In 1965 the borough was amalgamated with the Streatham and Clapham parts of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth to form the new London Borough of Lambeth.

Contents 1 Statistics 2 Town hall 3 Politics 4 Coat of arms 5 References

The area of the borough in 1901 was 4,080 statute acres (16.5 square kilometres). By 1961 it had increased slightly to 4,089 acres (16.6 km²). The borough was more than seven miles (11.3 kilometers) north to south, but only Two and three quarter miles (4.4 km²) at its widest east to west. The population of the metropolitan borough as recorded at each census was as follows: ^[1]

• 1801: 27,985
• 1811: 41,644
• 1821: 57,638
• 1831: 87,856
• 1841: 115,888
• 1851: 139,325
• 1861: 162,044
• 1871: 208,342
• 1881: 253,699
• 1891: 275,203
• 1901: 301,895
• 1911: 298,058
• 1921: 302,863
• 1931: 296,147
• 1951: 230,240
• 1961: 223,763

Lambeth Town Hall was built in Brixton in 1906 - 1908. It replaced the former vestry Hall at Kennington Green.^[2] The building is constructed of red brick and Portland stone, with a 41 metre high clock tower. Since 1965 it has formed the headquarters of the successor London Borough.

The borough council was controlled by the Municipal Reform Party (allied to the Conservatives) until 1937, when the Labour Party gained power. Labour retained control until abolition in 1965.

For elections to parliament, the borough was divided into four constituencies:

• Lambeth, Brixton
• Lambeth, Kennington
• Lambeth, North
• Lambeth, Norwood

In 1950 the borough's representation was reduced the three seats:

• Lambeth, Brixton
• Lambeth, Norwood
• Lambeth, Vauxhall

When the borough was created in 1900, the corporation adopted a seal which was used in place of a coat of arms. The device was derived from that of the borough's forerunner, Lambeth Vestry.

At the base of the seal was a lamb, a play on the name "Lambeth", and a symbol long used to represent the parish.

The two shields were those of the Diocese of Canterbury and the Duchy of Cornwall. The first referred to Lambeth Palace, residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The second was to show that the Duchy owned estates in the Kennington area of the boroigh.

The design was completed by the cypher of Queen Victoria, and the year of the borough's founding.

This device can still be seen in the circular hall of Lambeth Town Hall.

In 1922 the borough obtained an official grant of arms from the College of Arms.

The lamb was moved to the crest, on top of the helm. It was transformed into a paschal lamb supporting a pennon of St George. As a number of other crests featured a paschal lamb, a silver and blue wave, for the River Thames, was added.

The arms themselves retained references to the Duchy of Cornwall (the black border charged with bezants or gold discs) and the Archbishop of Canterbury (the mitre and crozier). The red cross in the first quarter was taken from the arms of the London County Council, showing that the borough was in the county. The fourth quarter contained a gold and blue chequered pattern, the arms of the de Warennes, Earls of Surrey. This was included to show that Lambeth lay in the county of Surrey until 1889. The ermine patterning in the other quarter was said to stand for "purity and honour".^[3]

The motto adopted was Spectemur Agendo, a motto common to many local authorities in England. Although this is generally rendered in English as Judge us by our deeds, the official translation in Lambeth has traditionally been the more ponderous Let us be regarded according to our conduct.

On February 22, 1966 the arms were transferred by royal licence to the London Borough of Lambeth. On registration at the College of Arms, two gold stars were added in the second and third quarters to depict the addition of Clapham and Streatham to Lambeth.

1. ^ Statistical Abstract for London, 1901 (Vol. IV). Census Tables for the Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth, from the Vision of Britain
2. ^ Lambeth Town Hall History
3. ^ Richard Crosley, London's Coats of Arms, 1928