Editing Lanarkshire (section)

==History==
[[File:A new map of Scotland with the roads (8643653080).jpg|thumb|left|Map of [[Provinces of Scotland|Scottish provinces]] in 1689, with Lanarkshire labelled as "Clydesdale".]]
It is not known exactly when the shire of Lanark was created; it seems likely that it was created by [[David I of Scotland|David I]] (reigned 1124–1153) who was generally responsible for introducing shires as part of his [[Davidian Revolution|introduction of Anglo-Norman style administration]] to Scotland. However, the first documented reference to Lanarkshire dates from the reign of David's successor, [[Malcolm IV of Scotland|Malcolm IV]] (reigned 1153–1165).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chalmers |first1=George |title=Caledonia: Volume III |date=1824 |publisher=T. Cadell |location=London |page=574 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ac5aAAAAcAAJ&pg=574 |access-date=11 January 2023}}</ref>

Lanarkshire covered much of the basin of the River Clyde, and took its name from the town of [[Lanark]], which is near the geographic centre of the county and served as the first county town. When first created the shire included on its western side an area south of the Clyde stretching out to the [[Firth of Clyde]]. This western area was made the separate county of [[Renfrewshire (historic)|Renfrewshire]] in the early fifteenth century. The remainder of Lanarkshire was then divided into two wards, each with their own [[sheriff-substitute]]: Over Ward was administered from Lanark, and Nether Ward was administered from [[Rutherglen]] and [[Hamilton, South Lanarkshire|Hamilton]] at different times.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottish-places.info/counties/countyhistory17.html |title=Historical perspective for Old County of Lanarkshire |publisher=Scottish-places.info |access-date=12 November 2012}}</ref> In the mid-eighteenth century the two wards were replaced with three wards: Upper Ward based in Lanark, Middle Ward based in Hamilton, and Lower Ward based in Glasgow.<ref>Chalmers, 1824, pp. 568–569</ref><ref name=vob>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/17447|title=Lanarkshire Scotland|website=[[Great Britain Historical GIS#A Vision of Britain through Time|A Vision of Britain through Time]]|via=[[University of Portsmouth]] |access-date=15 August 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Former Union Bank, Ingram Street (geograph 2879061).jpg|thumb|The former headquarters of Lanark County Council at [[Corinthian Club|Lanarkshire House]] in Glasgow]]
Elected county councils were created in 1890 under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889]]. Lanarkshire County Council covered the combined area of the three wards, but excluding the three [[burgh]]s of [[Airdrie, North Lanarkshire|Airdrie]], Glasgow and Hamilton, which were deemed capable of running their own affairs. Glasgow was subsequently made a [[county of city|county of itself]] in 1893, also removing the city from the rest of Lanarkshire for judicial and [[lieutenancy areas of Scotland|lieutenancy]] purposes.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=County of the City of Glasgow Act 1893|year=1893|chapter=188|accessdate=11 January 2023}}</ref> Reforms to county council powers in 1930 saw Airdrie and Hamilton brought within the administrative area of the county council.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929|year=1929|chapter=25|accessdate=11 January 2023}}</ref>

[[File:SouthLanarkshireCouncilHQ.JPG|thumb|[[Lanark County Buildings|County Buildings]], Hamilton: County Council's headquarters after 1964.]]
Lanarkshire County Council was initially based at [[Old Sheriff Court, Glasgow|County Buildings]] in Wilson Street in Glasgow; whilst the city was outside the area controlled by the county council, it was found to be the most accessible meeting place for the councillors. From 1930 the county council was based at [[Corinthian Club|Lanarkshire House]] in Ingram Street in Glasgow.<ref>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num= LB32735|desc=Corinthian Club (former Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court), 191 Ingram Street, Glasgow|access-date=18 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=18108|page=65|date=25 January 1963|city=e}}</ref> Lanark County Council relocated to [[Lanark County Buildings]] in [[Hamilton, South Lanarkshire|Hamilton]] in 1964.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/building_full.php?id=401734 |title=Lanark County Buildings|publisher=Dictionary of Scottish Architects|access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=18940|page=1060|date=8 December 1970|city=e}}</ref>

In 1975, the [[county council]] was abolished under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]], which established a new system of upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Lanarkshire was included within the [[Strathclyde]] [[Local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996|region]], and the county council's former area was divided between seven districts:
*[[Clydesdale (district)|Clydesdale]] (called Lanark District until 1980)
*[[East Kilbride (district)|East Kilbride]]
*[[City of Glasgow (1975–1996)|Glasgow]]
*[[Hamilton (Scottish district)|Hamilton]]
*[[Monklands (district)|Monklands]]
*[[Motherwell (district)|Motherwell]]
*[[Strathkelvin]]

For [[lieutenancy areas of Scotland|lieutenancy]] purposes, the last [[Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire]] was made [[lord-lieutenant]] for the combined area of the Clydesdale, East Kilbride, Hamilton, Monklands, and Motherwell districts when the reforms came into effect in 1975.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Lord-Lieutenants Order 1975|year=1975|number=428|accessdate=18 January 2023}}</ref>

Further reforms in 1996 under the [[Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994]] saw the regions and districts abolished and replaced by all-purpose unitary [[council area]]s. Since then Lanarkshire has straddled the modern council areas of:
*[[East Dunbartonshire]]
*[[Glasgow City Council|Glasgow]]
*[[North Lanarkshire]]
*[[South Lanarkshire]]

The Lanarkshire lieutenancy area was redefined at the same time to cover all of South Lanarkshire and most of North Lanarkshire, but excluding the area around [[Cumbernauld]] and [[Kilsyth]], with the excluded area roughly corresponding to the parts of North Lanarkshire which had been in [[Dunbartonshire]] and [[Stirlingshire]] prior to 1975.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Lord-Lieutenants (Scotland) Order 1996|year=1996|number=731|accessdate=25 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lieutenancy map |url=https://www.lanarkshirelieutenancy.org.uk/lieutenancy-map/ |website=Lieutenancy of Lanarkshire |access-date=18 January 2023}}</ref>

North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire have a joint board for valuation and electoral registration. There is also a joint health board, which does not cover [[Rutherglen]] and the surrounding area in South Lanarkshire. The boundaries of the historic county of Lanarkshire, excluding the city of Glasgow, are still used for some limited official purposes connected with land registration, being a [[registration county]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ros.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/14921/LandMassCoverageReport2015-proofed.pdf |title=Land Mass Coverage Report |publisher=Registers of Scotland |access-date=2015-05-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232505/https://www.ros.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/14921/LandMassCoverageReport2015-proofed.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>