Enfield was a local government district in

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

from 1850 to 1965.

History

The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

of Enfield adopted the

Public Health Act 1848 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 environment ...

in 1850, and formed a

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 environmenta ...

of 12 members to govern the area. The local board's area was reconstituted by the

Local Government Act 1894 The Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level un ...

, and became Enfield

Urban District Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (his ...

.''Enfield - Local Government'' in 'Victoria County History of Middlesex'', Vol.5 (British History Online), accessed January 28, 2008
/ref> Enfield Urban District Council replaced the local board, and was divided into four wards each returning three councillors: Town, Chase & Bull's Cross, Ordnance and Green Street & Ponders End. In 1909 two new wards, Bush Park and Hadley Wood & Cockfosters were formed and the UDC increased to 18 councillors. The urban district council successfully petitioned for a charter of incorporation in 1955, becoming a

municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...

, with a corporation consisting of a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

, ten

aldermen 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 the ...

and thirty councillors replacing the urban district council. The municipal borough was divided into ten wards, each returning three councillors: Bush Hill Park, Cambridge Road, Chase, Enfield Wash, Green Street, Ordnance, Ponders End, Town, West and Willow. The borough was abolished under the

London Government Act 1963 The London Government Act 1963 (c. 33) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which created Greater London and a new local government structure within it. The Act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the ...

was merged with the Municipal Borough of Southgate and the Municipal Borough of Edmonton to form the

London Borough of Enfield The London Borough of Enfield () is a London borough in North London. It borders the London boroughs of Barnet to the west, Haringey to the south, and Waltham Forest to the southeast. To the north are the districts of Hertsmere, Welwyn Hat ...

on 1 April 1965. The borough included what is now known as Enfield Town, along with other settlements such as

Brimsdown Brimsdown is a neighbourhood of eastern Enfield in the London Borough of Enfield, north London, on the west side of the mid-to-lower Lea Valley. Geography The east of Brimsdown, that is, east of the eastern Lea Valley line is one of the boro ...

Enfield Wash Enfield Wash is an area in the London Borough of Enfield, North London. It is approximately located in the area either side of Hertford Road between Ordnance Road/Turkey Street and Bell Lane/Hoe Lane. History Enfield Wash was where Elizab ...

and

Ponders End Ponders End is the southeasternmost part of Enfield, north London, centred on the Hertford Road. Situated to the west of the River Lee Navigation, it became industrialised through the 19th century, similar to the Lea Valley in neighbouring E ...

. The urban district council was granted a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

by the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sover ...

in 1946. This featured an " enfield" (a rare heraldic beast) and a green chief with silver and blue wavy bars representing the New River, the Metropolitan Green Belt areas and open spaces. The crest was a stag representing

Enfield Chase Enfield Chase is an area of Enfield that is named for a former royal hunting ground. Much of the former area of the Chase has been developed, but a large part survives between Cockfosters in the west and Enfield in the east as Trent Count ...

with a red rose for the

Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is the private estate of the British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster. The principal purpose of the estate is to provide a source of independent income to the sovereign. The estate consists of a portfolio of lands, properti ...

. On incorporation as a borough, the council was eligible for a further grant of

supporters In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals. However, unlike the c ...

, and a stag and an enfield were added on either side of the shield.''Civic Heraldry of England and Wales - Enfield Borough Council'', accessed January 28, 2008
/ref> Much of the same symbolism was carried over to the new

coat of arms of the London Borough of Enfield The coat of arms of the London Borough of Enfield is the official heraldic arms of the London Borough of Enfield, granted on 15 August 1966. The main charge on the shield is a mythological animal sometimes used in heraldry. This beast is called a ...

when the London Borough was created.

References

External links

Enfield Chronology (Enfield Council), accessed January 28, 2008

Vision of Britain
{{DEFAULTSORT:Enfield, Municipal Borough of History of the London Borough of Enfield Districts abolished by the London Government Act 1963 Districts of England created by the Local Government Act 1894 Municipal boroughs of England History of local government in Middlesex Municipal Borough of