[edit] Administrative counties
The table shows the area and population of administrative counties in Wales and Monmouthshire as recorded at the censuses of 1891 and 1961.[1][2]
Administrative county |
Area 1891
(Statute acres)
|
Population 1891 |
Area 1961
(Statute acres)
|
Population 1961 |
Anglesey |
175,836 |
50,098 |
176,694 |
51,705 |
Brecknockshire |
469,894 |
51,393 |
469,281 |
55,185 |
Cardiganshire |
443,071 |
63,467 |
443,189 |
53,648 |
Carmarthenshire |
587,816 |
130,566 |
588,271 |
168,008 |
Caernarvonshire(1) |
360,138 |
117,233 |
364,108 |
121,767 |
Denbighshire |
424,235 |
118,843 |
427,978 |
174,151 |
Flintshire |
164,051 |
77,277 |
163,707 |
150,082 |
Glamorgan |
505,815 |
467,954 |
468,808 |
523,253 |
Merionethshire |
427,810 |
49,212 |
422,372 |
38,310 |
Monmouthshire(2) |
342,548 |
203,347 |
346,779 |
336,556 |
Montgomeryshire |
510,111 |
58,003 |
510,110 |
41,165 |
Pembrokeshire |
392,710 |
88,296 |
393,008 |
94,124 |
Radnorshire |
301,164 |
21,791 |
301,165 |
18,471 |
(1)Renamed from Carnarvonshire, July 1, 1926[3]
(2)Monmouthshire's status as a county of Wales was ambiguous until 1974.
[edit] County Boroughs
There were also a number of administratively independent county boroughs (not shown):
- Cardiff created in 1889 (associated with Glamorgan)
- Swansea, created in 1889 (associated with Glamorgan)
- Newport, separated from Monmouthshire in 1891
- Merthyr Tydfil, separated from Glamorgan in 1908
County borough |
Area 1911
(Statute acres) |
Population 1911 |
Area 1961
(Statute acres) |
Population 1961 |
Cardiff |
6,373 |
182,259 |
15,085 |
256,582 |
Merthyr Tydfil |
17,761 |
80,990 |
17,760 |
59,039 |
Newport |
4,504 |
83,691 |
7,691 |
112,298 |
Swansea |
5,202 |
114,663 |
21,600 |
167,322 |
[edit] Local Government Act 1972: Counties and districts
In 1974, the existing administrative counties and county boroughs were abolished and replaced by eight new two-tier authorities, instead called 'counties' by the Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c. 70). These counties were sub-divided into lower-tier districts.
The counties were all given names in Welsh only, apart from the three in Glamorgan, which had English names as well as Welsh. The creation of these new administrative areas effectively separated the administrative function from the traditional counties, although in reality this had occurred in 1889.
When these two-tier counties were abolished in 1996, their names and areas were retained with slight modifications for some purposes such as Lieutenancy, and became known as the preserved counties of Wales. These were further amended in 2003 by S.I. 2003/974 to ensure that each unitary area is wholly within one preserved county.
[edit] Counties
[edit] Districts
-
The counties were sub-divided into districts, these were:
- Clwyd — Alyn and Deeside, Colwyn, Delyn, Glyndwr, Rhuddlan, Wrexham Maelor
- Dyfed — Carmarthen, Ceredigion, Dinefwr, Llanelli, Preseli Pembrokeshire (named Preseli until 1987), South Pembrokeshire
- Gwent — Blaenau Gwent, Islwyn, Monmouth, Newport, Torfaen
- Gwynedd — Aberconwy, Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd, Anglesey
- Mid Glamorgan — Cynon Valley, Ogwr, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda, Rhymney Valley, Taff–Ely
- Powys — Brecknock, Montgomery, Radnor
- South Glamorgan — Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan
- West Glamorgan — Lliw Valley, Neath, Port Talbot (named Afan until 1986), Swansea
The redistribution of these districts into the current unitary authorities is as follows:
Unitary authority |
Previous districts |
Anglesey |
Anglesey |
Blaenau Gwent |
most of Blaenau Gwent |
Bridgend |
most of Ogwr |
Caerphilly |
Islwyn, Rhymney Valley |
Carmarthenshire |
Carmarthen, Llanelli, Dinefwr |
Cardiff |
Cardiff, part of Taff–Ely |
Ceredigion |
Ceredigion |
Conwy |
Aberconwy, most of Colwyn |
Denbighshire |
Rhuddlan, parts of Glyndwr and Colwyn |
Flintshire |
Alyn and Deeside, Delyn |
Gwynedd |
Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd |
Merthyr Tydfil |
Merthyr Tydfil |
Monmouthshire |
Monmouth, part of Blaenau Gwent |
Neath Port Talbot |
Neath, Port Talbot, parts of Lliw Valley |
Newport |
Newport |
Pembrokeshire |
Preseli Pembrokeshire, South Pembrokeshire |
Powys |
Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire, Brecknock, part of Glyndwr |
Rhondda Cynon Taf |
Rhondda, Cynon Valley, most of Taff-Ely |
Swansea |
Swansea, parts of Lliw Valley |
Torfaen |
Torfaen |
Vale of Glamorgan |
most of Vale of Glamorgan |
Wrexham |
most of Wrexham, parts of Glyndwr |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Census of England and Wales 1891, Vol. I, Table III. Administrative Counties and County Boroughs; Area, and Houses and Population in 1891 (Historic GIS Project, Queen's University, Belfast)[1]
- ^ 1961 Census England and Wales: County Reports (www.visionofbritain.org.uk) [2]
- ^ 1931 Census of England and Wales, county report for Caernarvonshire
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