Municipal Borough of Bexley

The parish of Bexley adopted the Local Government Act 1858 in 1880, and a local board of 15 members was formed to govern the area.{{cite book |title=Annual Report of the Local Government Board |date=1881 |page=494 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZBcwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA494 |access-date=2 May 2024}} The local board established offices at Oxford Place, High Street, Bexley.{{cite web |url=http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/makepdf.asp?fn=E:\ZYIMAGE\DATA\HISTDIR\TIF\IHR11013Atif\0000CRC7.TIF |title=Bexley, with Blendon, Bridgen, Halfway Street, Hurst and Upton |accessdate=2008-06-18 |date=1891 |work=Kelly's Directory of Kent, Surrey & Sussex, Part 1 |publisher=Historical Directories}}

The Local Government Act 1894 reconstituted the local board's area as an urban district.{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/56-57/73/contents |title=Local Government Act 1894|publisher=Legislation.co.uk|accessdate=1 May 2020}} Bexley Urban District Council replaced the board. In 1902 the urban district was enlarged by absorbing the neighbouring parish of East Wickham, formerly in Dartford Rural District. The enlarged urban district was divided into three wards: Christ Church (returning 8 councillors), St Mary's (5) and East Wickham (2). The Council offices moved to Oak House on the south side of the Broadway, Bexleyheath in 1903.{{cite web |url=http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/makepdf.asp?fn=E:\ZYIMAGE\DATA\HISTDIR\TIF\BCL8014Atif\0000D2NL.TIF|title=Bexley, with Blendon, Bridgen and Hurst |accessdate=2008-06-18 |date=1913 |work=Kelly's Directory of Kent, Part 1 |publisher=Historical Directories}}F A Youngs, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol. I: Southern England, London 1979{{cite web|url=https://www.bexley.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2018-08/Oak-House-Bexleyheath-local-history-article.pdf|title=Oak House, Bexleyheath|publisher=London Borough of Bexley|accessdate=27 April 2020}}

The urban district council ran its own tram services until they became the responsibility of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933.Reed, J., London Tramways, (1997)

The town was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1935. The royal charter was presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Kent in a ceremony held in Danson Park on 30 September.New Borough in Kent – Charter presented to Bexley, The Times, 1 October 1937, p. 13 A corporation consisting of a mayor, 6 aldermen and 18 councillors replaced the UDC, with the first elections being held on 1 November.

In 1965 the municipal borough was abolished by the London Government Act 1963 and its former area transferred to Greater London from Kent. Its former area was combined with that of other districts to form the present-day London Borough of Bexley.{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1963/33/contents|title=Local Government Act 1963|publisher=Legislation.gov.uk|accessdate=25 April 2020}}

==Borough council==

The borough council was initially controlled by independents. In 1945 the Labour Party gained a majority.The Municipal Elections, The Times, 2 November 1945 p. 8 The Conservative Party took control in 1950, which they held until 1958.The Municipal Elections, The Times, 12 May 1950, p. 4 The size of the council had been increased to 24 councillors and 8 aldermen in 1954, and in 1958 the council was evenly divided between Labour and Conservatives.Labour captures more boroughs, The Times, 9 May 1958, p. 6 The Conservatives regained control in 1959, holding it until 1963.Election results in the boroughs, The Times, 8 May 1959, p. 8 At the final election before the borough's abolition in 1965, Labour took control.Election results in the boroughs, The Times, 10 May 1963

A coat of arms was granted to the Bexley UDC on 16 October 1937 and inherited by the borough. The blazon was as follows:

Per fesse vert and Or a fesse wavy barry wavy of four argent and azure in chief an eagle displayed between two apples leaved and slipped of the second and in base an oak tree eradicated proper. Crest: Upon heather proper within a coronet of four fleur-de-lis set upon a rim Or a horse forcene argent.{{cite web |url=http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/kent_ob.html#bexley%20bc |title=Bexley Borough Council |accessdate=2008-06-18 |work=Civic Heraldry of England and Wales }}

The green and gold colouring of the arms represented the cornfields and grasslands which covered the area before the town grew up. The oak tree continued this theme, and also depicted the town's parks. The blue and silver waves or "becks" referred to the name "Bexley". Gold apples stood for traditional fruit-growing and the eagle came from the arms of Nicholas Vansittart, 1st Baron Bexley, one time chancellor of the exchequer. The crown was included in the crest as the arms were granted in the year of the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The crest was the white horse of Kent on a mound of heather for former heath lands of Bexleyheath.

The Latin motto was Non Nobis Sed Communitati or "Not for ourselves but for the community".C Wilfrid Scott-Giles, Civic Heraldry of England and Wales, 2nd edition, London, 1953

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071001020834/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10107970 A Vision of Britain – Bexley MB]

{{London Government Act 1963}}

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Category:History of Kent

Category:History of the London Borough of Bexley

Category:Districts of England created by the Local Government Act 1894

Category:Local Government Districts created by the Local Government Act 1858

Category:Districts abolished by the London Government Act 1963

Category:Municipal boroughs of England