The Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey was a metropolitan borough in the County of London, created in 1900 by the London Government Act 1899. It was abolished and its area became part of the London Borough of Southwark in 1965.

History

The borough replaced the parish vestries of Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, and the St Olave's District Board of Works (consisting of the two parishes of St John Horsleydown and St Olave & St Thomas' Southwark)

The town hall was on Spa Road, SE16, and was bombed during World War 2. After the war a neighbouring building was used and this is now used as offices for Southwark Council. The population declined sharply after the Second World War, being cut by about half from 1931 to 1951.

Coat of arms

The borough was granted a coat of arms in 1901. The design included references to the three constituent authorities. The lion, crozier and two letters B represent Bermondsey vestry, and are derived from the insignia of Bermondsey Abbey. The crown and axe were the emblem of St Olave's District Board of Works, and were derived from the royal arms of Norway, Saint Olave being the anglicised name of King Olaf II of Norway. The ship represented Rotherhithe and the Surrey Commercial Docks.

The Latin motto adopted by the borough was Prosunt gentibus artes or "Arts profit the people", and was adapted from Ovid's Metamorpheses.

Statistics

The area of the Borough was . The population from the Census returns was:

St Olave's District Board of Works and Civil Parishes 1801-1899

Year	1801	1811	1821	1831	1841	1851	1861	1871	1881	1891
Population	46,281	49,397	57,148	62,637	68,701	85,308	101,913	122,398	134,632	136,660

Metropolitan Borough 1900-1961

Year	1901	1911	1921	1931	1941	1951	1961
Population	130,760	125,903	119,452	111,542		60,638	51,860

Politics

In the first election to the borough council, held on November 1, 1900 the Moderates (supported by the Conservative party) gained a majority. The opposition group was formed by the Progressive Party. The Moderates retained their majority at the 1903 elections. In 1906 the Moderate group was renamed Municipal Reform. In 1909 The Progressives won 27 seats and the Independent Labour Party 1 to the Municipal Reform's 26 seats, but the latter party retained power through the aldermanic elections. They regained an overall majority of councillors at the 1912 elections.

Local elections were postponed during the First World War, with the next poll held in 1919. The results were a major reverse for the Municipal Reform party with just two councillors elected. The Progressives formed the largest party with 27 seats, followed by the Labour Party with 24. There was one independent councillor. At the 1922 elections Labour gained a majority with 38 seats. The opposition was formed by a Ratepayers Association with 14 councillors. Labour held the council at the subsequent elections, holding all the seats from 1934 to 1945 and from 1949 until the borough's abolition.

References

• A Vision of Britain

External links

• Bermondsey coat of arms