Changes in the English Counties, 1972
by Fred Hodgson (3177)

Genealogists often encounter problems with place names particularly in relation to a county. It should not be a problem but prior to industrialization there were no large towns so even what are now large cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester fell into their respective counties. (Or did not even exist as an entity.) This situation was made much worse by the Heath Government of 1972 which (in addition to taking the UK into Europe and metrication without any mandate) also messed about with traditional boundaries for 'ease of Administration'.

As a result several counties disappeared. (Rutland, Westmoreland, Cumberland, and the Ridings of Yorkshire to focus on Hodgson strongholds) and others were severely tampered with. What was Westmoreland, Cumberland and the Furness district of Lancashire was pushed into a new County of 'Cumbria'. New counties sprang up to cover Conurbations such as 'Greater Manchester' which swallowed up parts of Lancashire and Cheshire. 'West Midlands' got parts of Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire, and "tyneside' parts of County Durham and Northumberland where they bordered the Tyne. Durham was also butchered further south where 'Teesside' claimed Billingham and Hartlepool as well as the Middlesborough area of North Yorkshire. Yorkshire was also hit by the creation of 'Humberside' and the invention of 'South Yorkshire' as well as the new area around Leeds Bradford and Huddersfield. As a native, the ultimate sin was to give the Saddleworth district of Yorkshire to the Lancastrians.

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