UK Council Reorganisations 1832 - 1998

Introduction

From the end of the 1700s, as the development of towns and cities took place during the Industrial Revolution, the government's of the day were persuaded to give more & more power to local bodies, mainly for tax collection and through that to provide civic amenities which have included street lighting, sewage removal, piped water, local transport, council-owned housing complexes, parks & other leisure facilities including swimming & washing baths centres.

One major part of all this development has been the need to reorganise council areas to initially maximise tax collection areas and later as freedoms were extended to large groups of society, to provide the means for representation.

The first major council area reorganisation (of the Victorian era) took place in1832 and the latest (of the modern age) happened in 1998.

All have had a major influence on where records were made & kept and on the addresses people had.

I do not claim to provide all the answers for all of England or Wales here but I will attempt to clarify the addresses for places associated with my ancestral families - Hyde, Davies, Priday & Sheward and all the others connected by marriage.

Birmingham, UK

The place we know of as Birmingham existed certainly from 1100 but probably much before too (when it would have been a small village in the Anglo Saxon Kingdom of Mercia). However, in 1100 it was in Warwickshire (the county name created by William the Conqueror) and stayed that way until the late 1800s when expansion took place and places historically in Staffordshire & Worcestershire became suburbs of extended Birmingham. 

  • Until the 1760s, Birmingham was administered by manorial and parish officials, most of whom served on a part-time and honorary basis. It's address would have been (name of local area, for example Digbeth), Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. The word "county" is not used in peoples addresses in the UK,
  • The Reform Act of 1832 gave Birmingham its first representation in Parliament initially with only two MPs but this has been gradually expanded.
  • Municipal Borough status was gained by Birmingham in 1838. (Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974). The municipal borough was still within Warwickshire county. And there, its address would have still been (name of local area), Birmingham Warwickshire, England.
  • In 1889, Birmingham became a county borough (the modern term is "unitary authority") and a city. No longer part of Warwickshire, from this point on, until 1974, Birmingham was both the city & the county. And the persons address would now (officially) be Digbeth (for example), Birmingham, England - we do not duplicate the city name (as is the practice in the US and Canada and possibly other countries). **
  • 1974 saw the creation of the West Midlands County Council, into which Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield moved, along with these other places - Coventry and part of Meriden, Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge, Sandwell, Warley and West Bromwich, Solihull and part of Stratford upon Avon district, Walsall, Aldrige and Brownhills and Wolverhampton. This area included all of the small places that formed the Black Country, as well as rural and metropolitan locations. The postal address for each place now within the new county council is their place followed by West Midlands, for example Digbeth, Birmingham, West Midlands (and then the postal code/zip code).
  • 1986 & the West Midlands County Council is abolished and its powers transferred to the cities & towns, with each becoming a unitary body (for tax-raising|). The postal address remained West Midlands.
    2016 - The West Midlands Combined Authority was created & took over certain powers for transport, economic development, skills and planning. This also paved the way for the election of a mayor for the county. The postal address remains West Midlands.

** I personally use Warwickshire after Birmingham for my ancestral persons addresses (on Ancestry & other such sites) for the period 1889 until 31 Dec 1973, simply because I find it easier. **

Aston (Birmingham)

The story of Aston is complicated by its location and by its Church of England parish association. The parish of Aston incorporated many other districts including Ashted, Aston Manor, Bordesley, Deritend, Duddeston, Nechells, Saltley & Small Heath to name but a few. The parish formed part of the Diocese of Lichfield (and Lichfield was in Staffordshire).

  • The place Aston and all its many parts were wholly in Warwickshire county until the mid-1800s but not fully within the city of Birmingahm until 1911. So its address until 1911 would have been (local area name, for example Ashted - dropping the St James - that is the parish not the persons address), Aston Warwickshire, England
  • Ashted St James was formed as a chapelry in Aston on 7 Sept 1810 and by 1848 had an estimated population of 25,000. Ashted was finally absorbed into Birmingham in 1911 along with Aston Manor.
  • In 1838, Bordesley (not to be confused with Bordesley Green), Deritend & Small Heath (all parts of Aston) were incorporated into Birmingham. Bordesley became part of Nechells Green & Deritend became part of Digbeth. Small Heath became a suburb on its own. All were still in Warwickshire at that time. At the time their address would have become:
    • Bordesley, Nechells Green, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
    • Deritend, Digbeth, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
    • Small Heath, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
  • 1864, Aston Hall in Aston park becomes the first municipally owned country house. Aston was still independent of Birmingham at that time. Its address would have been Aston Hall, Aston, Warwickshire, England.
  • Saltley became part of Birmingham in 1891. And its address became Saltley, Birmingham, England (Birmingham had become a city and county borough in 1889).
  • In 1903, Aston became an Urban District with its own elected council. Its address remained Aston, Warwickshire, England.
  • Aston Manor & the Urban District (the final part of the parish) became part of Birmingham in 1911. And the local addresses changed to (street name), Aston, Birmingham, England.

Harborne (Birmingham)

The history of Harborne is not simple and historically there was more than one place called Harborne within what we know call Harborne, the Birmingham suburb.

Harborne (as it is known today) was originally 5 places:

  • Harborne Hill - from the Edgbaston border to the Chad Brook
  • Harborne Heath - from the Chad Brook to mid High St (around modern site of the Junction public house) incorporating Metchley Abbey lands. Harborne High St was, until 1883, called Heath St or Heath Road
  • Harborne Village (sometimes called Harborne Town) - was at the top of present High St, based around what is now called Princes Corner (which was believed to be the site of the village green). The lands incorporated the grounds that are now playing fields & the Harborne Cricket ground, off Harborne Park Rd, St Peter's church are its surroundings and extended to the Kings Head on the boundary with Bearwood - The village lockup/jail was behind one of the shops that were between Seperntine Road & Ravenhurst Rd (the block that is now residential retirement dwellings).
  • At the bottom of what is now called War Lane, was Harts Green, named after a farm rented by Joseph Hart in 1733. The term green usually denotes an area of common grazing land and may be medieval.  
  • Camomile Green, referred to a green near Harborne at the junction of Tennal Road and Queens Park Road. By 1834 it was recorded on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map which shows a tiny rural hamlet here. The hamlet was known in the 19th century as a centre of nail making.

All were at one time in the county of Staffordshire.

Changes

The “southern” part of Harborne – Harborne Hill & Harborne Heath, voted to become part of Birmingham in 1891 (and therefore transferred into Warwickshire). So the addresses would have become (house name/number, street name), Harborne (the Hill & Heath were both officially dropped), Birmingham, England.

By the end of the 18th century housing had spread away from the old village centre around the St Peter's church and along Harborne High Street. Even so, in 1834 Harborne was still only a small string of houses at the western end of the High Street, with isolated hamlets at Camomile Green and Harts Green.

Residential development spread to Harts Green during the late 19th century with the expansion of Harborne. The 19th-century buildings of Harts Green Farm survived near the junction of War Lane and Vicarage Lane until the 1930s when the Harts Green housing estate was built. The name is no longer in use, the area being considered part of Harborne.

The population of Harborne increased steadily in the early 19th century but much more slowly than other suburban areas outside Birmingham's town boundary. From a thousand residents in 1800, the population rose to some 1500 by the middle of the century.

By 1850 lower-middle-class houses had been built in South Street, Bull Street and York Street, with many of the occupants working in central Birmingham. But with the opening of the Harborne railway line from Birmingham in 1874 the village expanded considerably especially north of the High Street. At this time the name was frequently mis-spelt as "Harbourn".

At the beginning of the 20th century, this was still a rural village surrounded by farmland and separated from Edgbaston and Birmingham by the Chad Valley and Metchley Park. By this time the focus of the village had clearly shifted to the High Street, off which in St John's Road St John's church was built in 1858 (destroyed in 1940 by German bombing), Harborne Methodist church in 1868 in nearby South Street, St Mary's Roman Catholic church in 1877 and Harborne Baptist church c1905.

The parish of Harborne (parish church was always/still is St Peter’s), until 1905, was part of the diocese of the Bishop of Lichfield and firmly in Staffordshire (the parish of Harborne incorporated all of Smethwick, leading to many ancestral records mistakes). In 1905 the Bishop of Birmingham was created & Harborne parish transferred to Birmingham.

The rest of Harborne became part of Birmingham as part of the Municipal expansion of districts in 1911.

King's Norton (Birmingham)

King's Norton historically was a small village outside of Birmingham and part of Worcestershire county.

  • In 1616, King James granted permission to hold markets and fairs at King's Norton.
  • King's Norton was the scene of a couple of minor incidents during the English Civil War.
  • In 1796, the Worcester and Birmingham Canal was built through King's Norton, linking Birmingham to the River Severn.
  • In 1898 King's Norton became part of the King's Norton and Northfield urban district (still in Worcestershire).
  • In 1911, King's Norton and Northfield urban district (but not all of Northfield itself, just the outlying areas covered by the King's Norton & Northfield urban district) was incorporated into Birmingham (city and urban district), so their addresses became (house name or number, street name), King's Norton, Birmingham, England or (house name or number, street name), Northfield, Birmingham, England.
  • Northfield was originally a small village (mentioned in Domesday Book) in Worcestershire. Throughout the early part of the 19th century, Northfield was known for its nail making industry based in cottages and small workshops next to the church. Northfield (village) itself was not made part of Birmingham until 1919. Therefore, there was confusion for non residents as to the accurate addresses for some steets in Northfield from 1911 until 1919 (I have to check the prcise locations each time and I know the area/history).

Balsall Heath was historically part of King's Norton and therefore was in Worcestershire. Balsall Heath became part of Birmingham in 1891 and became part of Birmingham urban borough so its addresses would have changed to (house name or number, street name), Balsall Heath, Birmingham, England.

Selly Oak was originally part of Worcestershire and administered by King's Norton. Selly Oak was recorded in Domesday Book as Escelie. The name Selly is derived from variants of "scelf-lei" or shelf-meadow, that is pasture land on a shelf or terrace of land. Selly Oak has a rich history going back to the Bronze Age. It became part of Birmingham in 1911.

Stirchley was historically part of King's Norton. The earliest reference to Stirchley was in 1658 in a deed concerning a "tenement and lands at Stretley Streete in the Parish of King’s Norton". Stirchley was the site of a number of mills, alongside the then wider River Rea. By the Industrial Revolution and beyond, these mills made paper, India-rubber products (later chemicals), steel wire, corn & rye flour and one made steam to drive other engines in other mills. Prior to 1 Jan 1911, Stirley's addresses would have been in this format:

  • House name and/or number, street name, Stirchley, King's Norton, Worcestershite England.

Stirchley became part of Birmingham in 1911. And from then (until 1974), Stirchley addresses would have become:

  • House name and/or number, street name, Stirchley,Birmingham, England.

Worcestershire

Worcestershire county (the traditional county for want of a better term) was formed following the Norman conquest.

Worcestershire County Council came into existence following the Local Government Act 1888 and covered the historic traditional county, except for two designated county boroughs at Dudley and Worcester (although both Dudley & Worcester were within the traditional Worcestershire County).

Dudley (Worcestershire)

Dudley began as a Saxon village. It was originally called Dudda’s leah. The Saxon word leah meant a clearing in a forest. Following the Norman invasion of 1066, the County of Worcestershire was created and Dudley found itself in that county. Apart from a very short time in more modern times, Dudley was never in any other county until the 1974 council reformations.

In the 11th century, a castle was built at Dudley. At first, it was made of wood but in the 12th century, it was rebuilt in stone. In 1647 after the civil war between king and parliament Dudley castle was ‘slighted’ or damaged to prevent it from ever being used by the royalists. A fire damaged the remains of Dudley Castle in 1750.

In the Middle Ages Dudley also had a priory or small monastery nearby.

Dudley was changed from a village to a town in the 13th century when the Lord of the Manor started a market there. In the Middle Ages, there were very few shops and anyone who wished to buy or sell anything had to go to a market. Dudley soon grew into a flourishing little community. In the Middle Ages, the area was already known for its coal mines. By the 16th century, Dudley was known for nail making. In 1562 a grammar school was founded in Dudley.

In 1685 Dudley was granted the right to hold 2 annual fairs. (Fairs were like markets but tended to specialize in one commodity like horses. People would come from far and wide areas to buy and sell at Dudley fair). In the 17th and 18th centuries, Dudley was a quiet market town known for its nail making and chain making. There was also a glass industry in Dudley.

In 1791 an Act of Parliament formed a body of men called the Town Commissioners. They had the power to pave the streets of Dudley and to clean and light them (with oil lamps). After 1821 the streets of Dudley were lit with gas. A ‘scavenger’ was appointed to collect household rubbish. The commissioners also created a piped water supply (for those who could afford to be connected) and they numbered the houses. St Thomas’s church was rebuilt in 1818 and in 1834 Dudley was provided with a horse-drawn fire engine.

Despite some improvements, Dudley was, like all towns in the early 19th century, a dirty and unsanitary place. There were outbreaks of cholera in Dudley in 1832 and in 1848. As a result, a Board of Health was formed in Dudley in 1852. Furthermore, in 1865 the government of the town was reformed and Dudley was made a borough and given a corporation (it was still part of Worcestershire).

  • At that time, any address is the town would have been called house name or number, street name, Dudley, Worcestershire, England.

Guest Hospital was built in 1867 with money provided by a man of that name. Also in 1867, The Earl of Dudley donated a fountain to the town. A statue of the Earl was erected in Dudley in 1888. The first public library in Dudley opened in 1878.

The railway reached Dudley in 1850 and in 1880 horse-drawn trams began running through the streets.

During the 19th century the iron industry in Dudley continued to boom and boilers, fenders and vices were made as well as chains and anchors. The glassmaking industry also continued. In the 19th century, there was also a straw hat-making industry in Dudley and a brick-making industry.

In the 1920s trams in Dudley were replaced by trolleybuses (which ran on overhead wires like trams but did not need rails). In turn, the trolleybuses were replaced by motor buses. The last trolleybus ran in 1967.

Fountain Arcade was built in 1926. The War Memorial Clock was built in 1928. Dudley Town Hall was also built in 1928. Also in 1928, the boundaries of Dudley were extended to include the priory and castle, which, curiously had always been outside the boundaries of the town. The Council House was built in 1935. Dudley Zoo opened in 1937.

In the 1920s the council began slum clearance in Dudley. New houses were built to replace the slums. The Priory Estate was built between 1929 and 1939. In 1941 a new fire station and new police station were built in Dudley. The council built many more houses after 1945.

Dudley was enlarged in 1926 when it purchased (part of) Sedgley & Dudley Castle - Sedgley was in Staffordshire & after amalgamation with Dudley became part of Worcestershire.

In 1966, Dudley expanded beyond its historical boundaries and took in the remainder & bulk of Sedgley and Brierley Hill and the south of Coseley as well as a small section of Amblecote. The now expanded County Borough of Dudley became part of Staffordshire at the same time. (the only time Dudley was ever in the Country of Satffordshire). 

  • Therefore (after 1966 and up to 31 Dec 1973), places/address became house name/number, street name, local are (e.g. Amblecote, Dudley, Staffordshire, England.

Dudley eventually became part of the West Midlands County in 1974.

  • And all places/addresses became: House name/number. street name, local place name, Dudley, West Midlands, England.

Redditch (Worcestershire)

In 1964, Redditch had been designated a "New Town" and became its own council but remained within Worcestershire. Therefore its addresses would have been in the format, house name/number, street name, local area name, Redditch, Worcestershire, England.

Warley (West Midlands)

The borough took its name from the ancient Manor of Warley, listed in the Domesday Book as covering much of the area. This was subsequently divided into two parts: Warley Salop (in Shropshire) and Warley Wigorn (in Worcestershire).

This was united as the civil parish of  Warley in 1884, but later divided between the boroughs of Oldbury and Smethwick (Warley Woods).

The County Borough of Warley was formed, in 1966, (in Worcestershire). It was an amalgamation of Oldbury Urban District, Rowley Regis Urban District, the County Borough of Smethwick and parts of Dudley and Tipton and needless to say all those places moved into Worcestershire county at that time (Smethwick historically was part of Harborne parish and Staffordshire county and Tipton historically was in Staffordshire). Warley eventually became part of the West Midlands County in 1974.

Hereford & Worcester County

The old county of Worcestershire (county town Worcester) and the old county of Herefordshire (county town Hereford) was merged into one new authority called Hereford & Worcester in 1974.

At the same time, a number of smaller localised councils were newly created within the new county of Hereford & Worcester:

Wyre Forst District Council - includes Areley Kings, Bewdley, Blakedown, Broome, Chaddesley Corbett, Churchill, Cookley, Kidderminster, Kidderminster Foreign, Ribbesford, Rock, Rushock, Stone, Stourport-on-Severn, Upper Arley, Wilden and Wolverley.

New Frankley and the area around Bartley Green Reservoir transferred from Bromsgrove District to Birmingham in April 1995, whilst the rest of Frankley remained in Worcestershire.

In 1998 the UK local government reform, the county of Hereford & Worcester was abolished and the old counties of Herefordshire & Worcestershire resurfaced. However, Wyre Forest remained as a council area.

Frankley and the area around Bartley Green Resvervoir were returned back to Birmingham in 1995.

Conclusion

As stated at the begining, this is but a brief overview of the changes in my local area. Similar changes happened all over England & Wales during the same time periods. Hope it helps those who are either new to the area or live in distant lands and have struggled to understand the addressing formats of places in the English Midlands.

Scotland has always looked after its own affairs with regard to councils and addressing.

Northen Ireland came into being in 1921, following the Irish Civil War and subsequent creation of Eire (Republic of Ireland).