County Borough of Warley
Encyclopedia
Warley was a county borough
and civil parish forming part of the West Midlands conurbation
, England
, and geographical county
of Worcestershire
. It was formed in 1966 by the combination of the existing county borough of Smethwick
with the municipal boroughs of Oldbury
and Rowley Regis
(along with small sections of Birmingham
, Dudley
, Tipton
, West Bromwich
and Halesowen
as well as an unpopulated fragment of Brierley Hill), by recommendation of the Local Government Commission for England
. It was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972
, with its area passing to the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell.
appointed a Local Government Commission to review administrative structures and boundaries in England outside London. The Act designated a "West Midlands Special Review Area" as one of five conurbations in which urgent reform was felt to be needed. The commission made its report in July 1961, recommending that the Black Country
area of the West Midlands should be administered by five large county boroughs. The proposal to merge the boroughs of Oldbury, Rowley Regis and Smethwick as one of the new authorities was initially suggested by the three councils involved. The government announced that it accepted the proposals in November 1962, and it was originally intended that the County Borough of Warley should come into being on 1 April 1964. The reforms were delayed when five district councils in the review area took legal action in an attempt to prevent their implementation. The legal process was finally concluded in the Court of Appeal in July 1965, with the court ruling in the government's favour.
The Local Government (West Midlands) Order 1965 was made on 3 November 1965, with the changes to come into effect on 1 April 1966. The Order was debated in the House of Commons on 2 December 1965. John Horner, the Labour
MP
for Oldbury and Halesowen
stated that while the boroughs of Oldbury and Rowley Regis had supported the creation of the new county borough in 1961, they no longer did so. In contrast, Peter Griffiths
, Conservative
member for Smethwick
stated that the working party consisting of councillors for the three boroughs had given up their opposition, and were trying to make a success of the new county borough. The group did, however, have objections to boundary changes which caused the transfer of an estate of council houses to West Bromwich.
The borough took its name from the ancient Manor
of Warley, listed in the Domesday Survey
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).
Smethwick and Rowley Regis had been part of Staffordshire
, while Oldbury was part of Worcestershire
(having been transferred from Shropshire
in 1844). The new county borough was placed entirely in the geographical county of Worcestershire. The Oakham area of Dudley
and Tividale
area of Tipton
were also incorporated into Warley
.
Source:Vision of Britain
On creation, the county borough was included in the area of the West Midlands Constabulary
, which was formed to cover the five Black Country county boroughs formed in 1966. Warley was included in the area of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
in 1969, and nominated one member of the transport authority.
:
The political composition of the borough council was as follows following each election from 1967 to 1972:
granted the new county borough armorial bearings
. The design incorporated features from the arms of the three merged boroughs. The blazon
of the arms was as follows:
Per saltire vert and or, two lions rampant in pale or, in fess of either flank a club in bend sinister surmounted by a caduceus
in bend proper; on a chief or a lion passant vert. And for a crest: Issuant from a Saxon crown or, a demi lion rampant double queued vert holding with the dexter paw an arrow barb downwards proper. Supporters: on the dexter side a lion gules in the mouth an arrow proper; on the sinister side a dragon gules in the mouth an anchor or.
The "chief" or upper third of the shield bearing a lion passant came from the arms of Rowley Regis, and the "per saltire" division of the arms and green and gold colouring was found in Oldbury's insignia. The gold lions on a green background were from the arms of the Robsart family, while the crossed club and caduceus were the arms of James Watt
. The crest featured a Saxon crown from which rose a green double-tailed lion, emblem of the Suttons, mediaeval lords of Dudley. The lion held an arrow from tha arms of Matthew Boulton
. The supporters
of the arms were a red lion and dragon. The lion was from the armorial bearings of Sir James Timmins Chance
, while the dragon was intended to represent the ancient Britons, founders of the "old burh" or Oldbury. Both animals held objects in their mouths as heraldic differences: an arrow (as in the crest) and an anchor (for Cradley Heath's traditional industry). The motto
chosen by the borough was "Unity and Progress".
and Warley West
. The constituencies were first used at the 1974 general election
, shortly before the abolition of the borough. They were abolished in 1997, although the borough's name lives on in the modern Warley constituency
which consists of Oldbury
and Smethwick
(formerly Warley East). The old Warley West seat was divided between the new constituency of Halesowen and Rowley Regis
and an expanded West Bromwich West
.
metropolitan county
in 1974, the county borough of Warley merged with the county borough of West Bromwich
to form the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell.
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
and civil parish forming part of the West Midlands conurbation
West Midlands conurbation
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the English West Midlands....
, 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...
, and geographical county
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. It was formed in 1966 by the combination of the existing county borough of Smethwick
Smethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
with the municipal boroughs of Oldbury
Oldbury, West Midlands
Oldbury is a town in the West Midlands in England. It is a part of the Black Country and the administrative centre of the borough of Sandwell.-Local government:...
and Rowley Regis
Rowley Regis
Rowley Regis is a town in the Sandwell metropolitan borough of the West Midlands county and a part of the Black Country in the United Kingdom. Being part of the Black Country, locals speak with the traditional dialect, though in a form regarded by many as the quickest and the hardest to...
(along with small sections of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
, Tipton
Tipton
Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47,000. Tipton is located about halfway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is a part of the Black Country....
, West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
and Halesowen
Halesowen
Halesowen is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands, England.The population, as measured by the United Kingdom Census 2001, was 55,273...
as well as an unpopulated fragment of Brierley Hill), by recommendation of the Local Government Commission for England
Local Government Commission for England (1958 - 1967)
The Local Government Commission for England was established by the Local Government Act 1958 to review the organisation of local government, and make "such proposals as are hereinafter authorised for effecting changes appearing to the Commissions desirable in the interests of effective and...
. It was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, with its area passing to the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell.
Formation
The Local Government Act 1958Local Government Act 1958
The Local Government Act 1958 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom affecting local government in England and Wales outside London...
appointed a Local Government Commission to review administrative structures and boundaries in England outside London. The Act designated a "West Midlands Special Review Area" as one of five conurbations in which urgent reform was felt to be needed. The commission made its report in July 1961, recommending that the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
area of the West Midlands should be administered by five large county boroughs. The proposal to merge the boroughs of Oldbury, Rowley Regis and Smethwick as one of the new authorities was initially suggested by the three councils involved. The government announced that it accepted the proposals in November 1962, and it was originally intended that the County Borough of Warley should come into being on 1 April 1964. The reforms were delayed when five district councils in the review area took legal action in an attempt to prevent their implementation. The legal process was finally concluded in the Court of Appeal in July 1965, with the court ruling in the government's favour.
The Local Government (West Midlands) Order 1965 was made on 3 November 1965, with the changes to come into effect on 1 April 1966. The Order was debated in the House of Commons on 2 December 1965. John Horner, the 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...
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 Oldbury and Halesowen
Oldbury and Halesowen (UK Parliament constituency)
Oldbury and Halesowen was a parliamentary constituency in the West Midlands, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until it was abolished for the February 1974 general election....
stated that while the boroughs of Oldbury and Rowley Regis had supported the creation of the new county borough in 1961, they no longer did so. In contrast, Peter Griffiths
Peter Griffiths
Peter Harry Steve Griffiths is a retired English Conservative Party politician. He is best known for controversially gaining the Smethwick seat in the 1964 general election against the national trend.-Life:...
, Conservative
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...
member for Smethwick
Smethwick (UK Parliament constituency)
Smethwick was a parliamentary constituency, centred on the town of Smethwick in Staffordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system....
stated that the working party consisting of councillors for the three boroughs had given up their opposition, and were trying to make a success of the new county borough. The group did, however, have objections to boundary changes which caused the transfer of an estate of council houses to West Bromwich.
The borough took its name from the ancient Manor
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 Warley, listed in the Domesday Survey
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...
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
Warley, West Midlands
Warley is a place in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom.A civil parish of Warley was created in 1884 by the merger of the Warley Salop parish with parts of the parishes of Warley Wigorn, Ridgacre and Oldbury.In 1908 the parish was abolished, becoming...
in 1884, but later divided between the boroughs of Oldbury and Smethwick (Warley Woods).
Smethwick and Rowley Regis had been part of Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, while Oldbury was part of Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
(having been transferred from Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
in 1844). The new county borough was placed entirely in the geographical county of Worcestershire. The Oakham area of Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
and Tividale
Tividale
- History :The village was in the parish of St Michael named after the church built there. It was created in 1878 as an extension of the town of Tipton in the county of Staffordshire, England...
area of Tipton
Tipton
Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47,000. Tipton is located about halfway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is a part of the Black Country....
were also incorporated into Warley
Warley
Warley is the name of several places in the United Kingdom:In the West Midlands:*County Borough of Warley*Warley, West Midlands*Warley *Warley High School*Warley WoodsIn Essex:*Great Warley*Little Warley...
.
Areas transferred
| Existing local authority | Area (acres) | Population 1961 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rowley Regis MB, Staffordshire | 1,483 | 47,831 | Remainder of borough was divided between West Bromwich CB (44 acres, pop 43) and Halesowen MB (2 acres, pop 150) |
| Oldbury MB, Worcestershire | 1,231 | 51,902 | Remainder of borough was divided between West Bromwich CB (11 acres, pop 43) and Halesowen MB (95 acres, pop 2,003) |
| Smethwick CB | 988 | 67,501 | Remainder of borough was divided between West Bromwich CB (20 acres, pop 889) and Birmingham CB (3 acres, pop 0) |
| Birmingham CB | 50 | 1,820 | |
| Halesowen MB, Worcestershire | 37 | 525 | |
| West Bromwich CB | 32 | 169 | |
| Dudley CB | 10 | 317 | |
| Tipton MB, Staffordshire | 1 | 95 | Borough was abolished, the remainder becoming part of West Bromwich CB |
| Brierley Hill UD, Staffordshire | 1 | 0 | Urban District was abolished, most going to Dudley CB |
Source:Vision of Britain
On creation, the county borough was included in the area of the West Midlands Constabulary
West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England.Covering an area with nearly 2.6 million inhabitants, which includes the cities of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and also the Black Country; the force is made up...
, which was formed to cover the five Black Country county boroughs formed in 1966. Warley was included in the area of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive , sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation responsible for certain transport services in the West Midlands county in England....
in 1969, and nominated one member of the transport authority.
Borough council
The first elections to Warley Borough Council were in February 1966, with those elected being a "shadow council" until coming into full powers on 1 April. The Labour Party initially held power, losing it to the Conservatives in 1968. Labour regained control in 1972 at the final borough election before abolition. The county borough was divided into fifteen wards, each returning three councillors and one aldermanAlderman
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...
:
- Abbey
- Bearwood
- BrandhallBrandhallBrandhall is a suburb of Oldbury in the south-west of Sandwell near the borders with Birmingham and Halesowen in the West Midlands. The development of the area commenced during the 1930s with the construction of several hundred private houses along the Hagley Road and Wolverhampton Road, as well as...
- Bristnall
- Cradley HeathCradley HeathCradley Heath is a town in the Black Country, located in Sandwell metropolitan borough, England. The name is usually pronounced "Craid-ley", not "Crad-ley", but in the Black Country accent, it may even sound like "Craig-ley Aith"...
- Langley
- Old HillOld HillOld Hill is a locality in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell in West Midlands, England. It is a district of Cradley Heath.-General description:...
and Blackheath - Rounds Green
- Rowley
- St Paul's
- Sandwell
- Soho
- Tividale
- Uplands
- Victoria
The political composition of the borough council was as follows following each election from 1967 to 1972:
| Year | Labour | Conservative | Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
Independent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 31 | 26 | 1 | 2 |
| 1968 | 17 | 39 | 1 | 3 |
| 1969 | 10 | 47 | 1 | 2 |
| 1970 | 17 | 41 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971 | 26 | 32 | 1 | 1 |
| 1972 | 39 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
Coat of arms
On 30 June 1966, the College of ArmsCollege of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
granted the new county borough armorial bearings
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
. The design incorporated features from the arms of the three merged boroughs. The blazon
Blazon
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...
of the arms was as follows:
Per saltire vert and or, two lions rampant in pale or, in fess of either flank a club in bend sinister surmounted by a caduceus
Caduceus
The caduceus is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by Iris, the messenger of Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings...
in bend proper; on a chief or a lion passant vert. And for a crest: Issuant from a Saxon crown or, a demi lion rampant double queued vert holding with the dexter paw an arrow barb downwards proper. Supporters: on the dexter side a lion gules in the mouth an arrow proper; on the sinister side a dragon gules in the mouth an anchor or.
The "chief" or upper third of the shield bearing a lion passant came from the arms of Rowley Regis, and the "per saltire" division of the arms and green and gold colouring was found in Oldbury's insignia. The gold lions on a green background were from the arms of the Robsart family, while the crossed club and caduceus were the arms of James Watt
James Watt
James Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
. The crest featured a Saxon crown from which rose a green double-tailed lion, emblem of the Suttons, mediaeval lords of Dudley. The lion held an arrow from tha arms of Matthew Boulton
Matthew Boulton
Matthew Boulton, FRS was an English manufacturer and business partner of Scottish engineer James Watt. In the final quarter of the 18th century the partnership installed hundreds of Boulton & Watt steam engines, which were a great advance on the state of the art, making possible the...
. The supporters
Supporters
In heraldry, supporters are figures usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects...
of the arms were a red lion and dragon. The lion was from the armorial bearings of Sir James Timmins Chance
Chance Brothers
Chance Brothers and Company was a glassworks originally based in Spon Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands , in England. It was a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glassmaking technology....
, while the dragon was intended to represent the ancient Britons, founders of the "old burh" or Oldbury. Both animals held objects in their mouths as heraldic differences: an arrow (as in the crest) and an anchor (for Cradley Heath's traditional industry). The 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...
chosen by the borough was "Unity and Progress".
Parliamentary constituencies
The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 divided the county borough into two parliamentary constituencies: Warley EastWarley East (UK Parliament constituency)
Warley East was a parliamentary constituency in the borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands of England.It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
and Warley West
Warley West (UK Parliament constituency)
Warley West was a parliamentary constituency in the borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands of England.It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. The constituencies were first used at the 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
, shortly before the abolition of the borough. They were abolished in 1997, although the borough's name lives on in the modern Warley constituency
Warley (UK Parliament constituency)
Warley is a borough constituency in the West Midlands 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...
which consists of Oldbury
Oldbury
Oldbury may refer to:*Oldbury, Western Australia, a district south of Perth, Australia*Oldbury, Shropshire, a village near Bridgnorth, England, UK*Oldbury, South Gloucestershire, a village south of Bridgnorth, England, UK...
and Smethwick
Smethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
(formerly Warley East). The old Warley West seat was divided between the new constituency of Halesowen and Rowley Regis
Halesowen and Rowley Regis
Halesowen and Rowley Regis 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 :...
and an expanded West Bromwich West
West Bromwich West
- Elections in the 2000s :- Elections in the 1990s :-Notes and references:...
.
Abolition
On the formation of the West MidlandsWest Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
metropolitan county
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
in 1974, the county borough of Warley merged with the county borough of West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
to form the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell.
External links
- Vision of Britain - Warley County Borough