Editing City of Westminster (section)

===Administrative history===
The area was historically part of the county of [[Middlesex]]. Whilst an important centre of royal authority from [[History of Anglo-Saxon England|Saxon]] times, Westminster was not formally incorporated as a [[Borough status in the United Kingdom|borough]] for local government purposes until 1900. However, it was declared a city in 1540 on the elevation of Westminster Abbey to being a [[cathedral]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857: Volume 7 |date=1992 |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |location=London |pages=65–67 |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1541-1847/vol7/pp65-67 |access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref> From at least 1545 there was also a [[Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)|Westminster parliamentary borough]] (constituency).<ref>{{cite web |title=Westminster |url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/constituencies/westminster |website=The History of Parliament |access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref> The [[Anglican Diocese of Westminster]] was short-lived, being absorbed back into the [[Diocese of London]] in 1550. Despite having no borough corporation and having ceased to be the seat of a diocese, Westminster continued to be described as a city. In 1585 the [[Westminster Court of Burgesses]] was established to administer certain judicial powers in an area known as the [[City and Liberty of Westminster]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Leigh |first1=Samuel |title=Leigh's New Picture of London |date=1827 |pages=82–85 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ym0VAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA82 |access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Westminster Council House - geograph.org.uk - 6119890.jpg|thumb|Westminster Council House, also known as [[Marylebone Town Hall]]: Completed 1920 for the old St Marylebone Borough Council and now serves as main meeting place of Westminster City Council.]]
From 1856 the area was also governed by the [[Metropolitan Board of Works]], which was established to provide services across the [[metropolis]] of London. In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the [[County of London]]. From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised various [[List of London vestries and district boards|parish vestries and district boards]]. Within the City and Liberty of Westminster, the three parishes of [[St George Hanover Square]], [[St James Piccadilly]] and [[St Martin in the Fields (parish)|St Martin-in-the-Fields]] were governed by their [[vestries]], whilst the parishes covering the central part of Westminster formed the [[Westminster District (Metropolis)|Westminster District]] and the parishes and territories adjoining the border with the [[City of London]] formed the [[Strand District (Metropolis)|Strand District]]. Beyond the liberty to the north, the two parishes of [[Paddington]] and [[St Marylebone]] were also governed by their vestries.<ref>[[Metropolis Management Act 1855]] (18 & 19 Vict. c. 120)</ref> The Westminster District was renamed the St Margaret and St John Combined Vestry in 1887, and unsuccessfully petitioned to be incorporated as a borough in 1897.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=26815|page=337|date=19 January 1897}}</ref>

In 1900 the lower tier of local government within the County of London was reorganised into [[Metropolitan boroughs of the County of London|metropolitan boroughs]]. The parish of Paddington became the [[Metropolitan Borough of Paddington]], and the parish of the St Marylebone became the [[Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone]]. The various territories within the old City and Liberty of Westminster became the [[Metropolitan Borough of Westminster]].<ref>[[London Government Act 1899]] (62 & 63 Vict. c. 14)</ref> The new boroughs came into being on 1 November 1900; a few days ahead of that a [[royal charter]] was issued conferring city status on the new borough of Westminster from its creation.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27242|page=6613|date=30 October 1900}}</ref> The Court of Burgesses, which had ceded most practical powers to the newer authorities, was finally abolished in 1901.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Webb |first1=Beatrice |title=The Manor and the Borough |date=1963 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-62048-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tgCaDwAAQBAJ&dq=westminster%20%22court%20of%20burgesses%22%201901&pg=PT264 |access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref>

The modern borough was created in 1965 under the [[London Government Act 1963]]. It was a merger of the old Paddington, St Marylebone and Westminster metropolitan boroughs, and Westminster's city status was transferred to the enlarged borough.<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=0-901050-67-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Grant of title of city: London Borough of Westminster, 1964 |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3514376 |website=The National Archives |access-date=1 May 2024 |ref=LCO 6/2762}}</ref> In 1966 the city was granted the right to appoint a [[lord mayor]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=43921|page=2704|date=11 March 1966}}</ref>