Middlesex
Historic English county, largely absorbed into Greater London.
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Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England, second smallest after Rutland, with boundaries largely defined by the rivers Thames, Lea, and Colne, and a line of hills to the north. Its name derives from the Middle Saxons, and its former area now lies almost entirely within Greater London, with smaller parts in Hertfordshire and Surrey.
Lore & Background
When county councils were introduced in 1889, about twenty per cent of the historic county's area and a third of its population were incorporated into the new administrative County of London. The remainder formed the administrative county of Middlesex, governed by Middlesex County Council.
Reader's Guide
Middlesex is significant as one of the historic counties of England, its name and boundaries reflecting early medieval Saxon settlement. Its gradual absorption into the expanding metropolis of London illustrates the challenges of urban growth and local government reform. The county's division into hundreds, the autonomy of the Tower Division, and the separate status of the City of London highlight the complex administrative history that preceded modern Greater London.
Did You Know?
- The county's name means 'territory of the middle Saxons', from Old English 'middel' and 'Seaxe'.
- The Tower Division (Tower Hamlets) had its own Lord Lieutenant, independent of the Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex.
- The seax, a type of knife, appears in the ceremonial emblems of both Middlesex and Essex.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the name 'Middlesex' come from?
The name identifies the territory as the home of the Middle Saxons, the Anglo-Saxon tribe that settled the area in the early Middle Ages. It is essentially a tribal-geographic label rather than a descriptive one.
What were Middlesex's internal divisions?
The county was split into six hundreds: Edmonton, Elthorne, Gore, Hounslow (also known as Isleworth), Ossulstone, and Spelthorne. These hundreds functioned as the primary administrative and judicial subdivisions within the county.
Also in the Codexery
More in Regions Of England
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Middlesex (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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