Editing London Borough of Barnet (section)

==History==
The area covered by the modern borough has a long history. Evidence of first-century Roman pottery manufacturing has been found at Brockley Hill<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/libraries/archives/archives-histories/archives-edgwarehistories/archives-edgware-brockleyhill.htm|title=Brockley Hill|publisher=Barnet Council|access-date=7 February 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607174334/http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/libraries/archives/archives-histories/archives-edgwarehistories/archives-edgware-brockleyhill.htm|archive-date=7 June 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and Roman coins from the third and fourth centuries were found at [[Burnt Oak]]. Both sites are on the Roman road [[Watling Street]] from London ([[Roman London|Londinium]]) to [[St Albans]] ([[Verulamium]]) which now forms the western border of the borough.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/libraries/archives/archives-histories/archives-edgwarehistories/archives-edgware-burntoak.htm|title=Burnt Oak|publisher=Barnet Council|access-date=7 February 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090719235439/http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/leisure-culture/libraries/archives/archives-histories/archives-edgwarehistories/archives-edgware-burntoak.htm|archive-date=19 July 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Hendon is mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=26881&strquery=hendon%20domesday|title=A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5|last=Baker|first=T F T|year=1976|publisher=Victoria County History|access-date=20 February 2010}}</ref> but the districts of Barnet, Edgware and Finchley were not referred to, possibly because these areas were included in other manors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43288&strquery=barnet%20domesday|title=A History of the County of Hertford: volume 2|last=Page|first=William|year=1908|publisher=Victoria County History|access-date=20 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22454&strquery=edgware%20domesday|title=A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4|last=Baker|first=T F T|year=1971|publisher=Victoria County History|access-date=20 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22502&strquery=finchley%20domesday|title=A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 6|last=Baker|first=T F T|year=1980|publisher=Victoria County History|access-date=20 February 2010}}</ref>

In 1471 the [[Battle of Barnet]] was fought in [[Monken Hadley]], just within the present borough's boundary. It was here that [[Yorkist]] troops led by King [[Edward IV of England|Edward IV]] killed the "Kingmaker" [[Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick]] and his brother, [[John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu]].

===Administrative history===
A [[Local board of health#Local Government Act 1858|local government district]] called [[Barnet Urban District|Barnet]] was created in 1863 covering the town of Barnet, also known as [[Chipping Barnet]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22776|page=4745|date=2 October 1863}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Kelly's Directory of Hertfordshire |date=1914 |page=32 |url=https://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4/id/59211/rec/7 |access-date=17 May 2024}}</ref> Such districts were subsequently also created for [[East Barnet Urban District|East Barnet Valley]] in 1874,<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Board's Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 4) Act 1874 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/37-38/152/contents/enacted |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref> [[Municipal Borough of Finchley|Finchley]] in 1878,<ref>{{cite book |title=Annual Report of the Local Government Board |date=1879 |page=442 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8RcwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA442 |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref> [[Municipal Borough of Hendon|Hendon]] in 1879,<ref>{{cite book |title=Annual Report of the Local Government Board |date=1880 |page=501 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wBcwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA501 |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref> and [[Friern Barnet Urban District|Friern Barnet]] in 1883.<ref>{{cite book |title=Annual Report of the Local Government Board |date=1884 |page=370 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=khYwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA370 |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref> Barnet and East Barnet Valley both straddled [[Hertfordshire]] and [[Middlesex]] until 1889 when they were placed entirely in Hertfordshire; Hendon, Finchley and Friern Barnet were all in Middlesex.<ref>[[Local Government Act 1888]]</ref>

All five districts were converted into [[Urban district (England and Wales)|urban districts]] under the [[Local Government Act 1894]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1894|year=1894|chapter=73|access-date=12 April 2024}}</ref> Barnet was enlarged in 1914 to take in [[Totteridge]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Totteridge Chapelry / Civil Parish |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10149101#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Barnet Urban District |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10042082 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=17 May 2024}}</ref> and Hendon was enlarged in 1931 to take in [[Edgware]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Edgware Chapelry / Civil Parish |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10218457 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref> Hendon was made a [[municipal borough]] in 1932,<ref>{{cite web |title=Hendon Urban District / Municipal Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10042161 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref> as was Finchley in 1933.<ref>{{cite web |title=Finchley Urban District / Municipal Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10054990#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref> East Barnet Valley was renamed East Barnet in 1935.<ref>{{cite web |title=East Barnet Urban District |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10001699 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref>

The modern borough was created in 1965 under the [[London Government Act 1963]], covering the combined area of the former boroughs of Finchley and Hendon and urban districts of Barnet, East Barnet and Friern Barnet. The area was transferred from Middlesex and Hertfordshire to Greater London, to become one of the 32 London boroughs.<ref>{{cite book | first=Frederic |last=Youngs | title=Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England | volume=I: Southern England | year=1979 | publisher=Royal Historical Society | location=London | isbn=0901050679}}</ref>

The 1963 Act did not include a name for the new borough. A joint committee of the councils due to be amalgamated suggested "Northgate" or "Northern Heights".<ref>{{cite news|title=Where Judgment Of Solomon Will Be Needed Minister To Have Final Word On Names Of New London Boroughs|date=8 August 1963|newspaper=The Times|pages=5|location=London}}</ref> [[Keith Joseph]], the Minister of Housing and Local Government, eventually chose Barnet.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chelsea Name Retained New Decisions On Three Boroughs|date=3 January 1964|newspaper=The Times|pages=5|location=London}}</ref> The place name Barnet is derived from the [[Old English]] ''bærnet'' meaning "land cleared by burning".<ref>{{Cite book|title=A Dictionary of British Place-Names|editor=A. D. Mills|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2003|chapter=Barnet, Chipping|isbn=0-19-852758-6}}</ref> The old Barnet Urban District had been the least populous of the five predecessor districts at the 1961 census; nearly half the new borough's population lived in the old borough of Hendon.<ref>{{cite web |title=1961 Census of England and Wales, County Report |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/census/table/EW1961COU_M3 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=13 April 2024}}</ref>

When the present borough was created, it included part of [[Elstree]]. On 1 April 1993 Barnet's northern boundary was altered and some of its more rural northern parts, including Elstree, were transferred to [[Hertfordshire]] (and its district of [[Hertsmere]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/elstree%20and%20potters%20bar.html|title=Elstree and Potters Bar|publisher=UK Births, Marriages and Deaths|access-date=8 November 2021}}</ref>