In 1835 the Municipal Corporations Act came into force. Amongst its provisions was the introduction of a system of elected Councillors and Aldermen, the former being elected to represent areas, or Wards, within the Borough. In Portsmouth these were defined as St. Thomas, St. George, St. John, All Saints, St. Mary and St. Paul's Wards. In 1837 a Parliamentary Commission reported on the boundaries of the wards in each of the Boroughs in England. The extract reprinted below shows the proposals for Portsmouth in which the Wards of All Saints, St. Mary's and St Pauls's were to be replaced by Tipner, Copner and South Sea Wards. Hansard reports that several Boroughs presented petitions to Parliament requesting that the Commissioners review the proposals. In the case of Portsmouth, Revising Barristers revisited the Town and presented their report which recommended that the boundaries stay much as they were. Although the original proposlas were not adopted it is interesting to see how the Commissioners viewed their task in respect of Portsmouth and how the Borough would have been affected had the proposals become law.
REPORT upon the Proposed Municipal Boundary and Division
into Wards of the Borough of Portsmouth
THE limits of the Municipal Borough of Portsmouth, previous to the late Act for the regulation of Corporations, comprehended the Parish of Portsmouth, that part of the Parish of Portsea which is called the Liberty, and the entire of Portsmouth Harbour.
By the Parliamentary Boundary Act the remainder of the Parish of Portsea was added to the Borough for Parliamentary purposes; and by tbe recent Act above alluded to, the Parliamentary Boundary is also to he taken for Municipal purposes. We are instructed that these limits are considered satisfactory, and that no further alteration is intended to be made in them. They include the whole of the Island of Portsea, except a small portion which belongs to the Parish of Wimmering, and the Salterns, which is extra-parochial, and in these there is very little population.
Although the inhabitants of Gosport are of the same description as those of Portsmouth, and derive the same benefit with them from the public establishments, still they are completely separated, being situated on opposite sides of the Harbour, which in high winds is sometimes scarcely passable, and we understand that to place the former Town under the jurisdiction of the Borough of Portsmouth, would be a very unpopular measure with the Inhabitants of both. Gosport, however, does not appear to be of sufficient size or importance to entitle it to separate Municipal institutions.
The Report on this Borough from the Commissioners on Municipal Corporations gives a full account of the Borough Rate, and of the Rates levied for the general Police of the Town.
And the Tables at the end of this Report show the general condition of the Borough with respect to the number of houses and the amount of the Poor Rates.
The Population, which in 1831 amounted to 50,389, has been steadily increasing since that period.
With respect to the mode in which the Borough has been divided into Wards, it is evident that the Towns of Portsmouth and Portsea being respectively enclosed by fortifications, no part of them could well be united to any portion of the suburbs. We concur therefore in the division which has been made of these into three Wards, and in the number of Councillors that are assigned to each. The Town of Portsmouth from its greater wealth and importance, is, fairly entitled to three more Councillors than either of the two Wards into which the Town of Portsea is divided.
The remainder of the Borough has been divided into three other Wards, to two of which nine Councillors are assigned each, and to the third Ward three Councillors. The latter one contains a very small portion of the suburbs of the town, the greater part of it being an agricultural district on which there are only a few housses. It appears to us objectionable where it can be avoided, to make so great an inequality in the size of, and in the number of Councillors allotted to two adjoining Wards, as exists in the present case between the adjoining Wards of All Saints and St. Mary, and which are in must respects similarly circumstanced. It will also be seen from the description of these Wards that the lanes dividing them are complicated and irregular. Instead therefore of the three Wards into which the remainder of the Borough is at present divided, we think it will be better so to divide it as to make one Ward with nine, and the remaining two Wards with six Councillors eacb, which may he effected by giving to each Ward a more equal proportion of the houses in the suburbs. The Lines of Division between the Wards we shall propose have likewise the advantage of being simple and well defined, being formed almost entirely by the Portsea and Arundel Canal, and the High Road to London.
We recommend therefore, that in the place of the existing Wards called St. Paul's,
All Saints and St. Mary's, there be three, to be respectively called the "Tipner Ward," the "Copner Ward" and the "South Sea Ward", and to contain and be bounded as follows:
Tipner WardFrom the North western Angle of Portsmouth Dock Yard, in a atraight Line drawn due West to the Point at which auch straight Lino cuts the Boundary of the Borough; thence, Northward, along the Boundary of the Borough to the Point at which the same crosses the London Road; thence, Southward, along, the London Road to the Point at which the same meets the Crescent; thence along the Crescent to the Point at which the same meets the Mile End Road ; thence, along the Mile End Road to the point at which the same meets the Commercial Road; thence along the Commercial Road to the Point at which the same meets Union Road; thence, along Union Road to the Point at which the same meets Lion Gate Road ; thence, along Lion Gate Road to the Point at which the same meets the Eastern Front of the Fortifications of the Town of Portsea; thence, Northward, along the Eastern Front of the said Fortifications to the Point at which the same meets the High Water Mark of Portsmouth Harbour ; thence, Westward, along the High Water Mark of Portsmouth Harbour to the Point at which the same meets the Northern Wall of Portsmouth Dock Yard: thence, Westward, along the Northern Wall of Portsmouth Dock Yard to the Point first described.
Copner Ward From the Point at which the Boundary of the Borough crosses the London Road, Southward along the London Road to the Point at which the same meets the Crescent; thence along the Crescent to the Point at which the same meets the Mile End Road; thence along the Mile End Road to the Point at which the same meets the Commercial Road; thence along the Commercial Road to the Point at which the same meets Union Road; thence along Union Road to the Point at which the same meets the Arundel and Portsea Canal; thence, Eastward, Along the Arundel and Portsea Canal to the Point at which the same meets the Boundary of the Borough; thence, Northward, along the Boundary of the Borough to the Point first described.
South Sea Ward - From the Point at which Lion Gate Road meets the Eastern Front of the Fortifications of the Town of Portsea, Eastwards, along Lion Gate Road to the Point at which the same meets Union Road; thence, Northward along Union Road to the Point at which the same meets the Arundel and Portsea Canal; thence, Eastward along the Arundel and Portsea Canal to the Point at which the same meets the Boundary of the Parish of Portsea; thence, Southward,along the Boundary of the Parish of Portsea to the Point at which the same meets the Southernmost Angle of the Fortifications of the Town of Portsmouth; thence, Northward along the Eastern Front of the Fortifications of the Town of Portsmouth to the Point at which at which the same meets the Fortifications of the Town of Portsea; thence, Northward, along the Eastern Front of the Fortifications of the Town of Portsea to the Point first described.
And we recommend that Nine Councillors be assigned to the South Sea Ward; and Six Councillors each to the Tipner and Copner Wards.
The Table No. 1 at the end of this report shows the number of Rate-Payers, and the amount of the rates and assessments in each of the Wards as they are at present arranged, and the Table No. 2 shows the same facts according to the arrangement we have recommended.
G. B. Lennard.
J. W. Pringle
PORTSMOUTH. REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONERS:
Division of PORTSMOUTH by the REVISING BARRISTERS.
WE divide the Borough of Portsmouth into Six Wards, to be called respectively the Ward of St. Thomas, the Ward of St. George, the Ward of St. John, the Ward of All Saints, the Ward of St. M ary, and the Ward of St. Paul ; and we do determine and set out the
Extent, Limits and Boundary Lines of such Wards, and what Portions of the said Borough shall be included therein respectively, in manner following ; that is to say,
St. Thomas's Ward :
That the Ward of St. Thomas shall contain the Town of Portsmouth and the Fortifications thereof, extending to the Northward as far as the Drawbridge, near to and beyond the King's Mill, and including the New Gun Wharf, and also such portion of the Harbour of
Portsmouth as is contained between the Southern Boundaiy of the Old Borough of Portsmouth, and a Line to be drawn Westward from the most Northerly part of Portsmouth Dock Yark.
St. George's Ward,
and that the Ward of St. George shall contain such part of the Town of Portsea and of the Fortifications thereof, as lies on the South side of a Line to be drawn from the Eastern Extremity of the Fortifications of the Town of Portsea at Lion Gate, through the centre of the Road and Gate to Queen Street, and through the centre of Queen Street, in a straight Line, until such straight Line shall fall upon the Southern Wall of Portsmouth Dock Yark, and from thence along the outside of the said Wall to the higher Water Mark, and shall be bounded on the South by the said Draw Bridge, near to the King's Mill, and shall include the Old Gun Wharf.
St. John's Ward,
and that the Ward of St. John shall contain such part of the Town of Portsea, and of the Fortifications thereof, as lies to the North of the Ward of St. George, including Portsmouth Dock Yard.
All Saints Ward,
and that the Ward of All Saints shall be bounded by a Line drawn from the Eastern Extremity of the Fortifications of the Town of Portsea at Lion Gate, through the centre of Lion Gate Road to the centre of Union Road ; and from thence, North-eastward, along the centre of Union Road to Lake Lane ; and from thence, North-eastward, along the centre of Lake Lane to the termination of Lake Lane at Buckland ; and from thence, Southward, along the centre of the Road there unto Deadman's Lane; and from thence, along the centre of Deadman's Lane, to the centre of the Road leading from Milton to Copner; and from thence, Northward, along the centre of the Road leading through Copner to Gatcombe, to the North-eastern Extremity of the New Borough of Portsmouth at Gatcombe ; and from thence, Westward, along the Northern Boundary of the New Borough of Portsmouth, to the North-western and Western Boundary of the New Borough of Portsmouth, at the Extremity of Portsmouth Harbour; and from thence, Southward, along the Western Boundary of the New Borough of Portsmouth, unto the Point at which the said Western Boundary intersects a Line to be drawn Westward from the most Northerly part of Portsmouth Dock Yard, and including the whole of Portsmouth Harbour lying within the said Borough to the Northward of the Line so to be drawn as aforesaid.
St. Mary's Ward,
and that the Ward of St. Mary shall be bounded towards the East by the Eastern Boundary of the Parish of Portsea, towards the North by such part of the Northern Boundary of the said Parish of Portsea as lies to the Eastward of the said Road so leading
through Copner to Gatcombe, and towards the West by the said Ward of All Saints from the Point at which the Northern Boundary of the Parish of Portsea meets the centre of the Road so leading through Copner to Gatcombe, Southward, to Deadman's Lane; and from
thence, Westward, through the centre of Deadman's Lane to the centre of the Road leading from Buckland to Fratton; and from thence, Southward, along the centre of the said Road to Fratton; and from thence, Westward, and South-westward, along the centre of Green Lane to Park Lane ; and from thence along the centre of Park Lane in a straight Line to the Boundary of the Old Borough of Portsmouth, and from thence along the Boundary of the Old Borough of Portsmouth to High Water Mark; and from thence, South-eastward, along the Southern Boundary of the Parish of Portsea to the Eastern Boundary thereof.
St. Paul's Ward,
and that the Ward of St. Paul shall be bounded by a Line drawn from the Eastern Extremity of the Fortifications of the Town of Portsea at Lion Gate through the centre of Lion Gate Road to the centre of Union Road ; and from thence, North-eastward, through the centre of Union Road to Lake Lane; and from thence, North-eastward, along the centre of Lake, Lane to the termination of Lake Lane at Buckland ; and from thence, Southward, along the centre of the Road to Fratton ; and from thence, Westward and South-westward, along the centre of Green Lane to Park Lane ; and from thence, South-westward, along the centre of Park Lane, in a straight Line to the Boundary of the Old Borough of Portsmouth ; and from thence, along the Boundary of the Old Borough of Portsmouth to High Water-mark ; and from thence, North-westward, along High Water Mark to the outside of the Fortifications of the Town of Portsmouth, and from thence along the outside of the Fortifications of the Town of Portsmouth, and along the outside of the Fortifications of the Town of Portsea, to the Line so drawn from the Eastern Extremity of the Fortifications of the Town of Portsea at Lion Gate.
Number of Persons Rated ; And having regard as well to the number of persons rated to the relief of the Poor in each Ward, as to the aggregate amount of the Sums at which all the said persons are so rated, we do assign Nine Councillors to the Ward of St. Thomas, Six Councillors to the Ward of St. George, Six Councillors to the Ward of St. John, Nine Councillors to the Ward of All Saints, Three Councillors to the Ward of St. Mary, and Nine Councillors to the Ward of St. Paul.
James Manning.
Chas. Dacres Bcvan.
Disapproved by His Majesty in Council.
Wm. L. Bathurst.