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Over the centuries a great many colourful characters have made their mark on this great ancient city, some well known - Sarah Siddons, Edward Elgar, 'Woodbine Willie', Vesta Tilley; others, like Milberrow-Doelittle and Mouth-Organ Annie, long forgotten. It is this rich mixture of people, and the way they lived and worked, that forms the basis of this Web-Site.
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Changes in the City Boundaries
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The ancient boundaries of the City comprised 318 acres, and had remained unchanged since medival times, but in 1835 the Municipal Reform Act brought great changes in the government of the City, and in 1837 the Liberties were absorbed into the City and its boundary extended by 966 acres, thus the urban area was at a stroke more than quadrupled, From 318 acres the urban area of the City had become 1284 acres and the municipal boundary went from Salt Lane to Barbourne Brook in Claines parish. In St.Martin's Parish the boundaries extended from the bottom of Tallow Hill to a line on Shrub Hill and St. Catherine's Vale. The next move to change the boundaries was in 1867 when a Commission of Enquiry was held, resulting in the following year (1868) in the Parliamentary Representation Boundary being extended by 2,000 acres, and it brought into the Parliamentary boundaries parts of Hallow, Claines, St.John's, St.Martin's and St. Peter's, but it was not until 1885 that it was sought to make the municipal boundaries the same. In 1914, a further 500 acres were added to the City, chiefly in the area of Bromwich Road and S.W. of the City. In 1931, Lower Wick, Dines Green, part of Nunnery Wood and Perry Wood were absorbed, taking in 3,700 acres; and in 1951, the City boundary was extended to include the rest of Nunnery Wood and the Astwood area, making the area nearly 15 times larger than the old walled City.
The development is best seen tabulated thus:
- Before 1837 - 318 acres
- After 1837 - 1284 acres
- 1885 2000 acres
- 1901 3185 acres
- 1931 3700 acres
- 1951 4450 acres
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| Posted: 04/11/2002 10:15:22
Last Updated: 01/07/2005 12:12:40
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