Editing Hounslow (section)

== Governance ==
Hounslow forms part of the London Borough of Hounslow, governed by [[Hounslow Council]] based at [[Hounslow House]] at 7 Bath Road. As part of Greater London it is also covered by the [[London Assembly]] and [[Mayor of London]] for certain strategic functions.

The original settlement of Hounslow grew up on the boundary between the [[ancient parish]]es of [[Heston]] and [[Isleworth]], both in the [[Isleworth Hundred]] of [[Middlesex]]. Hounslow was made its own [[ecclesiastical parish]] in 1835, whilst continuing to straddle Heston and Isleworth for [[civil parish|civil purposes]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=19356|page=309|date=16 February 1936}}</ref>

In 1875 a [[Local board of health#Local Government Act 1858|local government district]] was created covering the whole of the two civil parishes, governed by an elected local board. The district was initially divided into three [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral wards]]: Heston, Hounslow and Isleworth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Board's Provisional Orders Confirmation (Abingdon, &c.) Act 1975 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/38-39/176/contents/enacted |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=18 April 2024}}</ref> Such local government districts were converted into [[Urban district (England and Wales)|urban districts]] under the [[Local Government Act 1894]].<ref name=sr>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22269 |title=Parishes in the medieval hundred of Isleworth, with map |editor=Susan Reynolds  |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |date=1962 |work=A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 3|accessdate=27 October 2014 }}</ref>

A referendum of local electors was held in 1927 on whether to change the urban district's name from Heston and Isleworth to Hounslow. A significant majority of those who voted supported the change of name (6,778 in favour, 3,775 against), but it was vetoed by [[Middlesex County Council]].<ref>{{cite news |title=A change of name |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=The Citizen |date=30 June 1927 |location=Gloucester |page=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ealing News |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=West Middlesex Gazette |date=9 July 1927 |location=Ealing |page=2}}</ref> The urban district was incorporated to become the [[Municipal Borough of Heston and Isleworth]] in 1932.<ref>{{cite web |title=Heston and Isleworth Urban District / Municipal Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10213526#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref><ref name=HICP>{{cite web |title=Heston and Isleworth Civil Parish |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10183959#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Cranford Ancient Parish / Civil Parish |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10183285#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=19 April 2024}}</ref>

The borough of Heston and Isleworth was abolished in 1965. Its area was transferred from Middlesex to Greater London and merged with the abolished [[Municipal Borough of Brentford and Chiswick]] and [[Feltham Urban District]] to become the London Borough of Hounslow.