Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey
| Bermondsey | |
|---|---|
|
Bermondsey Town Hall |
|
 Bermondsey within the County of London |
|
| Area | |
| • 1911 | 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) |
| • 1931 | 1,503 acres (6.08 km2) |
| • 1961 | 1,504 acres (6.09 km2) |
| Population | |
| • 1911 | 125,903 |
| • 1931 | 111,542 |
| • 1961 | 51,860 |
| Density | |
| • 1911 | 84/acre |
| • 1931 | 74/acre |
| • 1961 | 34/acre |
| History | |
| • Origin |
Bermondsey parish Rotherhithe parish St Olave District |
| • Created | 1900 |
| • Abolished | 1965 |
| • Succeeded by | London Borough of Southwark |
| Status | Metropolitan borough |
| Government | Bermondsey Borough Council |
| • HQ | Spa Road |
| • Motto | Prosunt gentibus artes (Arts profit the people) |
 Coat of arms of the borough council |
|
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.
The borough was formed from four civil parishes: St Mary Magdalen Bermondsey, St Mary Rotherhithe, Southwark St John Horsleydown and Southwark St Olave and St Thomas. In 1904 these four were combined into a single civil parish called Bermondsey, which was conterminous with the metropolitan borough.
Previous to the borough's formation it had been administered by three separate local bodies: St Olave District Board of Works, Bermondsey Vestry and Rotherhithe Vestry.
The Victorian town hall on Spa Road, SE16, was bombed during World War 2. After the war the neighbouring Municipal Offices (1928, designed by H Tansley) took over the role. Bermondsey Town Hall continued to house civic offices, latterly for Southwark Council, until being sold off in 2012.
The population declined sharply after the Second World War, being cut by about half from 1931 to 1951.
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 symbolism in the coat of arms were incorporated into a sculpture called The Bermondsey Lion that was unveiled in The Blue in 2011.
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