Municipal Borough of Bromley
Encyclopedia
Bromley was a local government district in northwest Kent
from 1867 to 1965 around the town of Bromley
. The area was suburban to London, and formed part of the Metropolitan Police District
and from 1933 was included in the area of the London Passenger Transport Board
.
of Bromley adopted the Local Government Act 1858, and a local board
of twelve members was formed to govern the town. The Local Government Act 1894
reconstituted the area as Bromley Urban District. An urban district
council of 16 members replaced the local board.
to become a municipal borough
in 1903. The granting of the charter was celebrated by a public holiday in the town on 2 September 1903. The charter was brought by train to Bromley South station
where it was handed to the charter mayor. The mayor then rode in procession led by units of the Royal Horse Artillery
and the Royal West Kent Regiment, accompanied by mayors and mace bearers of boroughs in Kent and the County of London
and watched by an estimated crowd of 20,000. A sports day and carnival was held at Queen's Mead.
Under the charter a town council consisting of a mayor
, six aldermen
and eighteen councillors replaced the UDC.
added parts of the abolished Bromley Rural District
(Hayes
and part of Keston
). The council was subsequently enlarged to seven aldermen and twenty-one councillors.
In 1965 the municipal borough was abolished by the London Government Act 1963
and its former area transferred to Greater London
from Kent. Its former area was combined with that of other districts to form the present-day London Borough of Bromley
.
councillors forming an opposition group. There was a single Communist
councillor from 1945 to 1947. The Conservative Party
began to contest elections in 1947, and gained a majority in 1950. At the final election prior to abolition the Conservatives lost their overall majority with 14 councillors and aldermen against 6 independents, 4 Labour and 4 Liberal
members.
were granted to the borough by the College of Arms
on April 19, 1904. The blazon
was as follows:
Quarterly gules and azure, on a fesse wavy argent three ravens volant paroper, between in the first quarter two branches of broom slipped of the third, in the second a sun in splendour, in the third an escallop shell or, and in the fourth a horse forcene argent. Crest: On a wreath of the colours, upon two bars wavy azure and argent, an escalllop shell as in the arms, between two branches of broom proper.
The sprigs of broom were in allusion to the name "Bromley". The silver wave bearing three ravens represented the River Ravensbourne
, while the sun was for Sundridge
. The scallop
shell was derived from the arms of the diocese of Rochester
, granted the manor
of Bromley at the time of King Ethelbert
. The arms were completed by a white rearing horse, the emblem of Kent.
The Latin
motto
adopted by the council was Dum Cresco Spero or "While I grow I hope".
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
from 1867 to 1965 around the town of Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
. The area was suburban to London, and 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 from 1933 was included in the area of the London Passenger Transport Board
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
.
Local board and urban district
Bromley Local Government District was formed in 1867 when the parishCivil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Bromley adopted the Local Government Act 1858, and a local board
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...
of twelve members was formed to govern the town. The Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 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 under the Local Government Act 1888...
reconstituted the area as Bromley Urban District. An urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
council of 16 members replaced the local board.
Incorporation
The town was granted a charter of incorporationRoyal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
to become a municipal borough
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...
in 1903. The granting of the charter was celebrated by a public holiday in the town on 2 September 1903. The charter was brought by train to Bromley South station
Bromley South railway station
Bromley South railway station is a major interchange and station in Bromley town centre within the London Borough of Bromley in southeast London. It is in Travelcard Zone 5, and the station and all trains are operated by Southeastern...
where it was handed to the charter mayor. The mayor then rode in procession led by units of the Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
and the Royal West Kent Regiment, accompanied by mayors and mace bearers of boroughs in Kent and 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...
and watched by an estimated crowd of 20,000. A sports day and carnival was held at Queen's Mead.
Under the charter a town council consisting of a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, six aldermen
Alderman
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...
and eighteen councillors replaced the UDC.
Boundary changes
The area of the borough was increased in 1934, when a county review orderLocal Government Act 1929
The Local Government Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made changes to the Poor Law and local government in England and Wales....
added parts of the abolished Bromley Rural District
Bromley Rural District
Bromley was a rural district in north-west Kent, England from 1894 to 1934. Its area now forms part of the London Borough of Bromley in Greater London. It did not include the main settlement of Bromley; which constituted the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
(Hayes
Hayes, Bromley
Hayes is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, south-east London, England. It has two main areas of activity: the ancient village and suburban Hayes.-The ancient village of Nimrods :...
and part of Keston
Keston
Keston is a part suburban, part rural area of the London Borough of Bromley, England. It lies on the edge of Hayes Common, to the northwest of Greater London's border with Kent.-History:...
). The council was subsequently enlarged to seven aldermen and twenty-one councillors.
In 1965 the municipal borough was abolished by the London Government Act 1963
London Government Act 1963
The London Government Act 1963 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which recognised officially the conurbation known as Greater London and created a new local government structure for the capital. The Act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the area,...
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...
from Kent. Its former area was combined with that of other districts to form the present-day London Borough of Bromley
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
.
Borough council
The borough council was initially controlled by independents, with a handful of Labour partyLabour 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 an opposition group. There was a single Communist
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
councillor from 1945 to 1947. The Conservative Party
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...
began to contest elections in 1947, and gained a majority in 1950. At the final election prior to abolition the Conservatives lost their overall majority with 14 councillors and aldermen against 6 independents, 4 Labour and 4 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...
members.
Coat of arms
Armorial bearingsCoat 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...
were granted to the borough by the College of Arms
College 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...
on April 19, 1904. 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...
was as follows:
Quarterly gules and azure, on a fesse wavy argent three ravens volant paroper, between in the first quarter two branches of broom slipped of the third, in the second a sun in splendour, in the third an escallop shell or, and in the fourth a horse forcene argent. Crest: On a wreath of the colours, upon two bars wavy azure and argent, an escalllop shell as in the arms, between two branches of broom proper.
The sprigs of broom were in allusion to the name "Bromley". The silver wave bearing three ravens represented the River Ravensbourne
River Ravensbourne
The River Ravensbourne is a tributary of the River Thames in South London, England. It flows into the River Thames on the Tideway at Deptford, where its tidal reach is known as Deptford Creek.- Geography :...
, while the sun was for Sundridge
Sundridge
Sundridge may mean:* Sundridge, Ontario, a village in Ontario, Canada* Sundridge, Kent, a village in Kent, England* Sundridge, London, suburb in the London Borough of Bromley southeast London....
. The scallop
Scallop
A scallop is a marine bivalve mollusk of the family Pectinidae. Scallops are a cosmopolitan family, found in all of the world's oceans. Many scallops are highly prized as a food source...
shell was derived from the arms of the diocese of Rochester
Diocese of Rochester
The Diocese of Rochester is a Church of England diocese in South-East England and forms part of the Province of Canterbury. It is an ancient diocese, having been established in 604; only the neighbouring Diocese of Canterbury is older in the Church of England....
, granted the 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 Bromley at the time of King Ethelbert
Ethelbert
Æthelberht, Aethelbert or Ethelbert, is an Anglo-Saxon male name, from the Old English eþel meaning "noble" and berht meaning "bright". It may refer to:*King Æthelbert of Kent Æthelberht, Aethelbert or Ethelbert, is an Anglo-Saxon male name, from the Old English eþel meaning "noble" and berht...
. The arms were completed by a white rearing horse, the emblem of Kent.
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...
adopted by the council was Dum Cresco Spero or "While I grow I hope".