Yes and No.
It all depends on how you define the word county.
The Registration Counties created in the 1830s and 1840s were very
different and far more logical and sensible then the ancient counties.
For example, Dudley in the ancient county of Worcester was in
Staffordshire registration county, and Latchford in the ancient county
of Cheshire was (as a part of Warrington) in the Registration County of
Lancashire.
The registration counties existed for statistical purposes only however.
Why the Victorians did not do the sensible thing and make them into the
basic unit of local government at county level I just don't know and if
time permitted I would like to research the topic more fully.
If you read the 1821 and 1831 census reports you'll find discussions of
the origins of the counties there. The impression I get was that there
was a general feeling that the county borders could not be changed. I
suspect that if you researched the works of that truly great Victorian
genius Edwin Chadwick you'll find he had some sensible comments to make
on the matter as he did on so many other matters.
Remember however that some border areas were disputed but in that age
(before the Poor Law Amendment Act) it probably mattered little in which
county you lived (the parish was more important) and few people probably
bothered their heads about such matters.
David
-----Original Message-----
From: Frank Sharman [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 14 September 2004 18:10
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: County Boundaries
Does anyone know if any county boundaries changed in the early 19th
century?
I get the impression that county boundaries never changed. Parish
boundaries did and you could end up with a parish split between two
counties.
I cannot think of any mechanism for changing county boundaries other
than by statute. (The use of the royal prerogative would, surely, have
been unacceptable by the 19th century). I can think of enclosure Acts
which changed parish boundaries but I have never heard of one changing
county boundaries. And I can find no general legislation doing it. In
any event, I strongly suspect that in the early 19th century the county
was not sufficiently important for anyone to worry about their
boundaries. I would guess that the first time anyone did anything was
when county councils were set up in 1888.
Nevertheless Ivor Noel Hume tells me, in a current email correspondence,
that the 1851 census refers to Alveley in Staffordshire, when everyone
knows it is, and always has been, in Shropshire. Is it likely that the
local inhabitants, and the census taker, were mistaken about what county
they were in? Or did the boundaries in fact change?
All advice and suggestions would be happily received. (The reason we
want to know about this is that Noel is trying to get details of a large
jug, made by a previously unknown maker in Bradley, near Bilston, and
inscribed to another John Bacon, who appears to live in Alveley. Trying
to track down this man when it is unclear where Alveley is, is proving
tricky).
With thanks and best wishes to all,
Frank Sharman
Wolverhampton
01902 763246
The information in this email is confidential and is intended solely for
the addressee. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorised.
If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying,
distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on
it, except for the purpose of delivery to the addressee, is prohibited
and may be unlawful. Kindly notify the sender and delete the message and
any attachment from your computer.
|