How big was/is London really?

[coombs]

London is one city that the true size of can be called into dispute. Some say anything within the M25, or anything within the County Of London, or just the London past districts.

In our ancestors times, until early 1889, apart from the City of London, the rest of "London" was in the counties of Middlesex or Surrey. But London was a conurbation long before 1889, so surely the word London must have applied to the built up area which by the 1850s stretched out to Haggerston, Kensington, Peckham etc. In 1851 an ancestor living in Westminster said he was born "London Middlesex". In a London book it says that until the 1840s Camberwell was a place of gentility and even rusticity.

My great, great grandfather was born a few hundred yards north of Oxford Street in 1860, the Tottenham Court Road sub district, the most inner city district of the borough. I myself would go for "St Pancras, London, Middlesex" rather than "St Pancras, Middlesex" as it was an inner city street.

[andrewalston]

You're forgetting the bits of "London" which were in Essex or Kent!

As a Lancastrian with only vague knowledge of London's geography, I had trouble sorting out a tree for a friend of the family whose ancestors came mostly from the East End.

I had to get myself a map showing the old parishes to make sense of the addresses. I found that Hoxton and Haggerston were in Shoreditch, and Mile End was in Stepney.

I ditched the concept of "London", except for "City of London". I occasionally use it as a temporary marker where a person quotes it as, say, a place of birth, until I can locate a closer location.

[coombs]

You're forgetting the bits of "London" which were in Essex or Kent!

As a Lancastrian with only vague knowledge of London's geography, I had trouble sorting out a tree for a friend of the family whose ancestors came mostly from the East End.

I had to get myself a map showing the old parishes to make sense of the addresses. I found that Hoxton and Haggerston were in Shoreditch, and Mile End was in Stepney.

I ditched the concept of "London", except for "City of London". I occasionally use it as a temporary marker where a person quotes it as, say, a place of birth, until I can locate a closer location.

Oh yes such as Greenwich, Plumstead once in Kent or West Ham, once in Essex. In EastEnders world, Walford was probably once Walford, Essex. The current county of London was created in 1965 and now places like Dagenham and Romford are within the county but many people from them still call themselves Essex people. Even if born in the County Of London, which Dagenham and Romfordcome under.

[ScouseBoy]

London has not always been the Capital has it?

[KGarrad]

2 things!

You forgot to mention parts of Hertfordshire!
e.g. Barnet and Potters Bar.

And there is no current County of London; it was abolished in 1965, and replaced by Greater London.

[ScouseBoy]

Am I correct in believing that the Greater London County Council was abolished?

[KGarrad]

Am I correct in believing that the Greater London County Council was abolished?

In 1965 London County Council was abolished and replaced with Greater London. (as I said!)
There has never been a Greater London County Council

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_of_London

[Rena]

When my ancestors lived in London late 1700s the only county it had spread into was Middlesex.

I've found a map dated 1300 - laughably the measurements are per 250 metres which gives an inkling of how small it was in those days.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London#/media/File:Map_of_London,_1300.svg

[davidft]

Am I correct in believing that the Greater London County Council was abolished?

In 1965 London County Council was abolished and replaced with Greater London. (as I said!)
There has never been a Greater London County Council

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_of_London

But there was a Greater London Council 1965-1986  and is a
 Greater London Authority from 2000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_London_Council