Kabir Kaul FRSA is an Old Fullerian, studying at WBGS between 2016-2023. Between 2022-2023 he worked with the Greater London Authority, the devolved administration of London led by the Mayor of London. Since 2020 he has been Director of Environment & Conservation at Middlesex Heritage, a non-political organisation which promotes the history and heritage of the historic county of Middlesex.
Website: kabirkaul.com
Twitter: @Kaulofthewilduk
The flag of Middlesex: a red field with a Saxon crown above three swords, ‘seaxes’. Photo: Wikipedia.
Introduction
Since time immemorial, counties have given a sense of identity to villages, towns and cities across England, instilling a great sense of local pride. The various functions of counties impact us on a daily
basis. Whether it be the council we pay our taxes to, the addresses we write on envelopes, the flags flying from council offices or the food we eat, one is never far from the social, cultural, geographical or political influence of counties. “The tapestry of England’s counties binds our nation together”, Conservative politician Eric Pickles once said when he was Communities Secretary.
For most of history, this identity had been largely limited to a single type of county, the historic county. But in the late 19th Century, reforms were introduced, creating new administrative counties. This is arguably when new identities started to form, no longer limited to the ancient historic counties. However, in recent years, reforms have yet again shifted this identity, particularly in 1965. Since then, it has been rather unclear what type of county people have had the greatest affinity for. Several individuals have researched the particular impact on people’s lives when county boundary changes are proposed, but there is no clear consensus on which type of county, the historic or local government county, as a consequence of these changes, has the strongest identity today. This article will explore if the historic county of Middlesex or the local government county of Greater London has the strongest identity today. It will not be investigating why local government boundary changes have occurred, only their effect on identity.
I became interested in exploring recent changes in county identity for several reasons. Firstly, I was born and raised in several London boroughs, but wrote my county as ‘Middlesex’ on my address. Secondly, I have always been fascinated by London’s changing boundaries, and this is due to living near them myself; crossing London borough boundaries and county boundaries on a daily basis has had an effect on my sense of place and identity, identifying more with a certain side of the boundary. As a result, I wanted to learn more about county identity in Middlesex and Greater London, to help enrich my understanding of county identity’s shape and form in these areas today.
Before county identity in Middlesex and Greater London is discussed, it is necessary to define and outline the history of London and Middlesex as counties.
Counties and their relevance in London and Middlesex
A county is a territorial subdivision of the UK which can have social, geographical, cultural or political functions. Different types of counties exist in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. In England, there are three types of county, but only two, the historic county and local government county, are relevant here.
The historic county
In the context of historic counties, ‘London’ only refers to the ancient City of London, but in this article ‘London’ will refer to the local government area of Greater London.
Photo: Association of British Counties.
These are the original and oldest form of county in England. Historic counties have geographical and cultural functions today, but are not governed as political entities. They arose from old Anglo-Saxon and Norman territories and are based on natural boundaries. For instance, Middlesex was founded as a Saxon province in 704 AD, and is bounded by rivers to the south, east and west, and a line of hills to the north.
During the late 19th Century, the Local Government Act 1888 transferred the administrative functions of historic counties to new local government counties. These new counties often had similar boundaries to the historic counties. More boundary changes took place during the late 20th Century, further separating historic and local government counties.
Historic counties’ modern existence has sometimes been disputed, with some arguing that their lack of administrative functions means that they no longer have any role today. However, in 2013 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport dispelled this argument, affirming their existence and stating that the historic counties were never formally abolished in 1888.
Today, besides their official geographical function, historic counties have great cultural significance. For instance, the historic county of Middlesex has given its name to addresses on envelopes, several societies, its County Cricket Club, the building of the UK Supreme Court (Middlesex Guildhall) and areas used to record wildlife sightings, to name just a few examples.
The local government county
The local government County of Middlesex (yellow) and the local government County of London (purple) (1889-1965). Most of the southern part of the historic county of Middlesex was administered as the northern part of the County of London. Each local government county was governed by a County Council.
Areas where ‘Middlesex' and ‘London’ addresses are used today roughly cover the same areas as these two former local government areas. Photo: Wikipedia.
The local government area of Greater London (1965-), often simply referred to as ‘London’. It is governed by the Greater London Authority. The area is divided into 33 districts: the 32 London boroughs and the ancient City of London. Photo: Kabir Kaul.
The Local Government Act 1888 established these counties, whose functions were exercised by new county councils. Across England, these counties often had the same names as historic counties and covered the same area. In the South East of England, the 1888 Act established the administrative counties of London and Middlesex. The extent of the new administrative County of London overlapped with parts of several historic counties, including the southern part of historic Middlesex. As a result, Middlesex’s administrative form did not overlap with all of its historic form.
The two administrative counties of London and Middlesex existed until 1965. Both had their own county council which would govern their respective areas. When the London Government Act came into force in 1965, both administrative counties were abolished, and the new local government county of Greater London replaced them.
Parts of the previous administrative counties of Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire and Surrey were also absorbed into the new Greater London area. While the County of London’s area became part of Greater London entirely, administrative Middlesex’s did not; most was absorbed into the new area, but parts of Middlesex were ceded to the local government areas of Hertfordshire and Surrey.
The London Government Act also established London’s 32 local authorities, known as the London Boroughs, each with their own council. Governing the area as a whole was the Greater London Council, abolished in 1986 and replaced by the Greater London Authority in 2000. The GLA is headed by the Mayor of London, currently Sadiq Khan.
Identities in Greater London and Middlesex
The degree of affinity for one type of county or another may vary vastly between individuals. Some may have a greater affinity for Greater London, others for Middlesex, equally for both or for neither of them. There is a lack of data available on this subject, so it is difficult to measure any precise figures for different county identities. Therefore, the exploration of factors affecting county identity will be covered in a more general sense.
Many factors may determine one’s county identity. Middlesex Heritage is an organisation which advocates for the Middlesex identity, and promotes this county’s history and heritage. According to its Historical Advisor Stephen Fenn, county identity may depend on factors such as where one lives, what county name their local sports team may use, or in the case of immigrants, which year they moved to Britain. Importantly, Fenn states a primary factor is age. People who can remember the 1965 boundary changes will likely feel more ‘nostalgic’ and have a greater affinity for Middlesex than Greater London, whereas younger people will not have lived through these changes and are likely to know more about Greater London. Additionally, young people may think that since the Middlesex local government area has been abolished, so too has the historic county of Middlesex, contrary to the Government’s official position.
The London identity
There are currently around 9 million people living in the area covered by Greater London, with the ceremonial and local government counties of the same name covering the same area. Data from the London-based think tank the Centre for London suggests the majority of those living in Greater London identify as Londoners. In fact, the high percentage of those with this identity has increased. In 1977, individuals living in the recently-formed Greater London were asked if they were a Londoner, and 73% agreed. In 2017, 89% of participants agreed. The think tank argues this increase in support for the London identity has occurred because of two factors: generational changes and international migration.
In regards to generational changes, put simply, fewer people who were born before 1965 are alive today than in 1977. 1965 saw the abolition of the local government area of Middlesex, and its replacement by the Greater London area. Steve Fenn was born before the 1965 changes, so his affinity is much stronger with Middlesex, and does not consider himself a Londoner. He was born in Potters Bar, then administered by Middlesex County Council. With this, he argues that one of the most important factors besides age in determining county identity is the local authority an individual has grown up under. Although there may be fewer people today with a stronger Middlesex identity than 60 years ago, the Centre for London believes there is no correlation at all between age and affinity for London. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the strongest affinity for London, both 18-24 years olds and over 65s surveyed in 2017 had an average score of 8.0.
International migration has also increased support for the London identity. While there is insufficient data available to definitively state that migration is always greater to Inner than Outer London, this has been the case in recent years. For instance, in 2020 alone, 6483 more 20-24 year olds migrated to Inner London compared to Outer London. The boroughs of Inner London were all once part of the local government County of London. A ‘London’, not a ‘Middlesex’ authority has administered the area covered by Inner London since 1889, including culturally-diverse areas like Camden, Bethnal Green and Paddington. Because of this, there are far more indicators of London there, such as ‘London’ addresses, ‘London’ Victorian street signs, and many institutions bearing the London name (such as the London School of Economics, founded after the 1889 changes).
By contrast, those who have migrated to the suburbs north and north-west of Inner London may be surrounded by both the ‘Middlesex’ and ‘London’ names; for example, they will pay taxes to a ‘London’ borough, but have a ‘Middlesex’ address. So identity in the suburbs is less-clear cut. The impact of addresses on county identity, especially in these suburbs, will be revisited in a later section. Overall, however, with Inner London having a greater influence on the London identity than Outer London suburbs, more new arrivals may become acquainted with a London identity rather than a Middlesex one.
Of course, there are limitations of the Centre for London’s data. It is not known if the participants in the 1977 and 2017 surveys had a Middlesex identity as well, and if so, what proportion. Equally, it is not known how many participants rejected the Middlesex identity in either survey. But, with generational changes, it is probably the case that the proportion of participants with some Middlesex identity at all would have been reduced.
Another factor that has helped cement the ‘London’ identity is the establishment of the Greater London Authority. This is the regional devolved government of Greater London, consisting of the Mayor of London, his team, and the London Assembly, a body which holds the Mayoralty accountable for its actions. Both Mayoral and Assembly elections are held every four years. The Authority was created in 2000, with powers over transport, policing, firefighting and planning. It coordinates activities between, and grants some funding to, the 33 districts of London.
Through the use of these powers, successive mayors have publicised their public services, such as the London Fire Brigade, Metropolitan Police, and especially Transport for London. The latter has expanded massively in the past twenty years, with a cable car, more bus routes, cycle superhighways and the new Elizabeth line. All of these greatly reinforce the connectivity within the geographical area the Authority governs, greatly enhancing the imagery of ‘London’. What’s more, at the same time the Authority has done little so far to promote the Middlesex identity, or indeed the identities of the other historic counties that Greater London overlaps with.
The Mayor’s public campaigns have instilled pride and cohesion among and between residents in London. These include the ‘London is Open’ campaign, which encouraged European residents to stay in the city in the wake of the EU referendum in 2016, and the 2019 London National Park City campaign, promoting London’s natural environment. The Mayor has also observed city-wide celebrations, such as Ramadan, Christmas and St George’s Day. So the Greater London Authority’s influence has stretched far beyond Middlesex, aiming to unite residents through a city-wide identity, as opposed to concentrating on amplifying identities of four or five separate historic counties.
Finally, there is the influence of the media. Names used by television and radio have embraced the London identity. TV channels operating in the South East include BBC London, ITV London, and the local channel London Live. There is BBC Radio London, the online newspaper MyLondon, the London Evening
Standard, the list goes on. Over the past twenty years, platforms such as YouTube have gained popularity - the history, culture, transport and governance of the city have been covered extensively on countless channels, such as those of Londonist, railway expert Geoff Marshall and comedian Jay Foreman. If there is a mention of Middlesex in the content of these media, it is usually in an historical sense; the history of Middlesex is often included as part of the history of London.
While many forms of media choose to use the London, not the ‘Middlesex’ name and serve Greater London and its environs, some of their attitudes towards both identities differ. For example, BBC News has written several articles on the confusing geography of England’s counties, but informs readers that both the London and Middlesex identities exist alongside each other. In a 2014 article it writes: “Middlesex dates back to the 8th Century but Middlesex County Council was abolished in 1965. Middlesex County Cricket Club and Middlesex University live on. So too does the historic county of Middlesex even though most of its inhabitants now live in the ceremonial county of Greater London”. On the other hand, Jay Foreman on YouTube has talked about how “Middlesex is no longer a thing” after Middlesex County Council was abolished, and the county “only exists on envelopes and in cricket”. Here he mentions the existence of the Middlesex identity to some extent, but confusingly, not Middlesex itself. In 2017 MyLondon declared that Middlesex did not exist, much like Foreman did, but was met with a chorus of complaints from readers with a strong Middlesex identity. Therefore, it appears that the media is divided over the very existence of the historic county of Middlesex, but does at least accept there are people identifying with it.
London identity is firmly established in a number of ways today. Generational changes, international migration, local authorities and the media have reinforced the London name and its attributes, obscuring the historic Middlesex identity that was once dominant before the 1960s. Despite this, the last vestiges of this identity remain strong in suburbia, north of the Thames, east of the Colne and west of the Lea.
The Middlesex identity
The historic county of Middlesex is home to around 4 million people. Most of the county overlaps with Greater London, except for Potters Bar and South Mimms in the north and the borough of Spelthorne in the south. These overlap with the local government areas of Hertfordshire and Surrey respectively. Between 1889 and 1965, the London County Council administered the southern part of the historic county, between Hammersmith and Bow. As mentioned before, there is currently little data to show what percentage of the population living in Greater London identify as Middlesaxons.
Fenn believes that long-term historic county identity has been threatened by councils, ‘transitory entities’ which seek to foster their own identity. Indeed, the historic county of Middlesex has existed since 704 AD and has never changed boundaries, whereas administratively it has been governed by countless parishes, vestries, boards of works, county councils and authorities over the centuries. Even so, for most of its existence up until 1965 the county had been governed by an authority with the ‘Middlesex’ name in it. Today, no local authority uses the ‘Middlesex’ name, with much of the historic county being administered by ‘London’ boroughs and the ‘Greater London’ Authority.
It was partly because of examples like this in many parts of England that in 2013 Communities Secretary Eric Pickles expressed concern for traditional identities: “Administrative restructuring by previous administrations has sought to suppress and undermine [[these identities]]”. For this reason, the Government officially recognised the continued existence of England’s historic counties that year. In
addition, every year since 2019, the Communities Department has promoted historic counties with Historic County Flags Day. Flags of the counties are flown once a year at Parliament Square in Westminster to celebrate the traditional identities of England, Scotland and Wales, including that of Middlesex.
Apart from this recent recognition and celebration of Middlesex and other historic counties by the Government, the Middlesex identity has been promoted in numerous other ways. According to Fenn, aside from local authorities, postal addresses are the most important long-term factor in determining county identity. Counties on addresses were first added sometime near to the 1889 boundary changes. As a result, people in the new County of London would have had ‘London’ addresses, and those living in the new local government area of Middlesex would have had ‘Middlesex’ addresses. In 1965, in spite of the abolition of these two local government areas, the postal addresses remained the same. Postal county names were formally abolished in 1996, but many still write ‘London’ or ‘Middlesex’ on envelopes. Fenn argues that addresses are “the overriding factor” in county identity, as although Middlesex County Council was abolished and replaced by Greater London, the remaining ‘Middlesex’ postal address prevented an immediate change among residents to a London identity. After the 1965 changes, residents would now have to pay taxes to a ‘London’ borough, such as Harrow - ironically, though, taxes would be paid by post to ‘Harrow, MIDDLESEX’, not ‘Harrow, LONDON’.
The Middlesex identity today has been underpinned by these addresses, but as mentioned earlier, factors such as generational changes and international migration have distorted the sense of traditional county identity that was once prevalent in the area formerly governed by Middlesex County Council. As well as addresses, there are a few other factors that still do reinforce the Middlesex identity, irrespective of one’s age or place of birth. One of these is sporting organisations. There is Middlesex County Cricket Club, Middlesex County Football League, and the Middlesex Bowls Association to name a few groups. Some of these were created before the 1965 changes, so for decades, many sports fans have been united under a name reflecting their historic county. Notably, there are few famous sports teams with the name ‘London’ or ‘Greater London’.
It cannot be forgotten that countless charities, businesses and others use Middlesex in their name, regardless of whether they intend to consciously promote the traditional identity or not. A quick search on Google Maps yields results such as the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Middlesex Lighting in Uxbridge, the Middlesex Arms in South Ruislip and Middlesex University in Hendon. Certain groups like the Scouts have also used the Middlesex name: the scout county area covering Middlesex is called ‘Greater London Middlesex West’. Many of these businesses and groups use emblems based on the traditional Middlesex flag or coat of arms. Both consist of a red field with a Saxon crown above three Saxon swords (‘seaxes’). This common imagery, combined with the use of the Middlesex name, can increase and restore affinity among residents to their historic county, through shopping, working or simply supporting a sports team. However, it can also be said that several services in the area formerly administered by Middlesex County Council bear the ‘London’ name, further distorting county identity.
A reminder and celebration of Middlesex’s identity, history and heritage is the annual Middlesex Day. Though it is little-known among residents, it is celebrated by several borough councils and the Government on 16 May. It commemorates the Battle of Albuhera in 1811, when the Middlesex Regiment held back Napoleon’s advance into Portugal from Spain. In commemoration of the regiment’s victory, churches, residents and even the ‘London’ boroughs of Hillingdon, Harrow and Hounslow fly the Middlesex flag each year. This is one activity that one organisation which, in multiple incarnations, has conducted to bring more attention to Middlesex - Middlesex Heritage.
Middlesex Heritage seeks to raise awareness of the historic county and its existence, and was founded in 2019. First founded in 1987 by astrologer Russell Grant as the Friends of the County of Middlesex, its main message is that although Middlesex County Council and its administrative area were abolished in 1965, the historic county of Middlesex was never abolished, so there is still a reason to be proud of and celebrate traditional identity no matter what local government changes have taken place. One of the Friends’ first campaigns in the 1990s was to ensure the London boroughs supported Middlesex identity by erecting ‘County of Middlesex' signs on the historic county’s boundary. As a result of this, Hillingdon, Harrow, Hounslow and Enfield councils added these signs. Over time most were removed to make way for roadworks and were never replaced; nonetheless, a couple remain in Harrow and Enfield today, greeting motorists as they enter the historic county.
The Friends would often launch campaigns against media outlets which used ‘London’ instead of ‘Middlesex’ when referring to place names. A large number of letters and emails would be sent to TV channels whom the group saw as incorrectly describing a place, and subsequently ITV began to use the ‘Middlesex’ name more often on its news programmes. While the BBC did not respond to the Friends’ demands, more contestants on TV game shows did say they were from Middlesex, and continue to do so today - Fenn believes this is a result of the Friends’ activities. Much of the Friends’ work was given publicity by local newspapers around the historic county, leading to greater traction, momentum and many new members signing up at various local fetes. Ultimately the organisation was voluntary, so Grant, Fenn and the other members could not give all their time to running the group and momentum slowed.
Since 2019 Middlesex Heritage has been based on Facebook, where over 3000 members discuss and celebrate the history, culture, people, places and environment of the county. Members are encouraged to write ‘Middlesex’ on their addresses, even if they live in areas with ‘London’ ones, and fly the county flag. Most impressively, the group successfully petitioned 10 Downing Street to raise the flag on Middlesex Day, which it has done since 2022. Considering the group has only been active for four years, they have already gained some support for historic county identity in flying the flag for Middlesex (no pun intended). Even though it is those that are most passionate about county history and identity that are active members, the campaigns of both the Friends of the County and the current organisation have allowed promotion of the traditional identity to become more widespread among residents, communities and institutions within the county.
Affinity for the historic county of Middlesex has dwindled in recent decades, but local sports organisations, businesses, addresses and official recognition all serve to remind residents north and west of the Thames of their traditional identity. Administrative boundaries may have changed often during Middlesex’s 1300-year history; even still, many Middlesaxons remain passionate and proud of their county, even if the London identity has become more prominent in the suburbs.
Conclusion
On balance, it is Greater London that has the stronger identity today. The UK capital’s administrative area has had its identity reinforced since 1965 by many factors, especially changing demographics and the work of its mayors. With local authorities being a central part of county identity, many people today would have grown up seeing the expansion and promotion of services like Transport for London, but also would have accessed new online media which uses the ‘London’ name and informs viewers about ‘London’ news, history and geography.
The traditional identity of Middlesex has managed to survive the waves of administrative changes in 1889 and 1965, now largely restricted to suburban areas which Middlesex County Council once governed. Postcodes are arguably the greatest factor in helping this identity survive, and businesses, charities and sporting organisations all ensure that affinity for the county does not exclusively lie with those who grew up living under a Middlesex authority.
If the traditional identity is to survive and become stronger in the future, it is crucial that younger generations, who would have grown up under a Greater London authority, are educated on the difference between historic and local government counties that exist today. With an ever-growing London influence and population, the identity of its local government area is set to grow even more. If more young people can at least acknowledge the existence of Middlesex and learn a bit more about its history, they will gain a better understanding of both identities as a result. Only then will Middlesex's identity have the potential to be more prominent, if not as prominent as London’s in the coming decades.
Kabir Kaul
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Gov.uk, Association of British Counties. Many thanks to Middlesex Heritage Historic Adviser Stephen Fenn for his help on the history of Middlesex and efforts to promote county identity.