The Tower Division was a liberty

Liberty (division)

Originating in the Middle Ages, a liberty was traditionally defined as an area in which regalian rights were revoked and where land was held by a mesne lord...

, a historical form of local government, in the ancient county of Middlesex

Middlesex

Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...

, 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...

. It was also known as the Tower Hamlets, and took its name from being under the special jurisdiction of the Constable of the Tower of London. The name "Tower Hamlets" was subsequently used for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...

 created in 1965.

The Tower Division was one of four divisions of the Hundred

Hundred (division)

A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...

 of Ossulstone

Ossulstone

Ossulstone was an ancient hundred in the south east of the county of Middlesex, England. Its area has been entirely absorbed by the growth of London; and now corresponds to the part of Inner London that is north of the River Thames and, from Outer London, parts of the London boroughs of Barnet,...

. The other divisions were named Finsbury

Finsbury division

The Finsbury Division was one of four divisions of the Hundred of Ossulstone, in the county of Middlesex, England.The other divisions were named Holborn, Kensington and Tower...

, Holborn

Holborn division

The Holborn Division was one of four divisions of the Hundred of Ossulstone, in the county of Middlesex, England.The other divisions were named Finsbury, Kensington and Tower....

 and Kensington

Kensington division

The Kensington Division was one of four divisions of the Hundred of Ossulstone, in the county of Middlesex, England.The other divisions were named Finsbury, Holborn and Tower...

. Unlike the other divisions, the Tower Division was outside the jurisdiction of the Lord Lieutenant

Lord Lieutenant

The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...

 of Middlesex, with the Constable of the Tower exercising lieutenancy powers ex-officio. The area's special status ceased in 1889 with the creation of 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 the creation of a Lord Lieutenant for the new county.

In 1829 the Tower Division contained the following "parishes, townships, precincts and places":

• The parish of St Mary, Whitechapel
  Whitechapel
  Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
  
  
• The parish of Christchurch, Spitalfields
  Spitalfields
  Spitalfields is a former parish in the borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London, near to Liverpool Street station and Brick Lane. The area straddles Commercial Street and is home to many markets, including the historic Old Spitalfields Market, founded in the 17th century, Sunday...
  
  
• The parish of St Leonard, Shoreditch
  Shoreditch
  Shoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney in England. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located east-northeast of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
  
  
• The liberty of Norton Folgate
  Liberty of Norton Folgate
  Norton Folgate or Liberty of Norton Folgate may refer to:* Norton Folgate, a street in central London* Liberty of Norton Folgate, an ancient administrative area in central London...
  
  
• The parish of St John, Hackney
  Hackney (parish)
  Hackney was a parish in the historic county of Middlesex. The parish church of St John-at-Hackney was built in 1789, replacing the nearby former 16th century parish church dedicated to St Augustine . The original tower of that church was retained to hold the bells until the new church could be...
  
  
• The parish of St Matthew, Bethnal Green
  Bethnal Green
  Bethnal Green is a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with the far northern parts falling within the London Borough of Hackney. Located northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney,...
  
  
• The hamlet of Mile End Old Town
• The hamlet of Mile End New Town
  Mile End New Town
  Mile End New Town is a former hamlet within the East End of London. Its area is now part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.Following a period of rapid growth it became a hamlet within the large ancient parish of Stepney from 1690, and was split off as a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1841...
  
  
• The parish of St Mary, Stratford Bow
• The parish of Bromley St Leonard
• The parish of All Saints, Poplar
  Poplar, London
  Poplar is a historic, mainly residential area of the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is about east of Charing Cross. Historically a hamlet in the parish of Stepney, Middlesex, in 1817 Poplar became a civil parish. In 1855 the Poplar District of the Metropolis was...
  
  
• The parish of St Anne, Limehouse
  Limehouse
  Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....
  
  
• The hamlet of Ratcliff
  Ratcliff
  Ratcliff or Ratcliffe is a former hamlet lying by the north bank of the River Thames between Shadwell and Limehouse. It is now a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and is located to the south of Stepney.-Etymology:...
  
  
• The parish of St Paul, Shadwell
  Shadwell
  Shadwell is an inner-city district situated within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets located on the north bank of the Thames between Wapping to the south and Ratcliff to the east...
  
  
• The parish of St John, Wapping
  Wapping
  Wapping is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. It is situated between the north bank of the River Thames and the ancient thoroughfare simply called The Highway...
  
  
• The liberty of East Smithfield
  East Smithfield
  East Smithfield is the name of a road in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London, part of the A1203 road. It was historically an alternative name for the liberty and parish of St Botolph without Aldgate....
  
  
• The precinct of St Catherine
• The liberty of His Majesty's Tower of London
  Liberties of the Tower of London
  The Liberties of the Tower, or the Tower Liberty was an area adjoining the Tower of London, which was outside the jurisdiction of either the City of London or the County of Middlesex....
  
   consisting of:
  • The liberty of the Old Artillery Ground
    Old Artillery Ground
    The Old Artillery Ground is an area of land in Spitalfields, London formerly designated one of the Liberties of the Tower of London and Crown Land....
    
    
  • The parish of Trinity, Minories
    Minories
    The Minories is the name of both an area and street in the City of London close to the Tower of London. The street called Minories runs north-south between Aldgate and Tower Hill underground stations...
    
    
  • The Old Tower precinct
  • The precinct of The Tower Within
  • The precinct of the Well Close

External links

• Map of Divisions of Ossulstone Hundred