The was a
Liberty in the ancient
County of
Middlesex . It was also known as the '''Tower Hamlets''', and took its name from being under the special jurisdiction of the
Constable Of The Tower Of London . The name "Tower Hamlets" was subsequently used for the
London Borough of
Tower Hamlets created in 1965.
The Tower Division was one of four divisions of the
Hundred of
Ossulstone . The other divisions were named
Finsbury ,
Holborn and
Kensington . Unlike the other divisions, the Tower Division was outside the jurisdiction of the
Lord Lieutenant of
Middlesex , with the Constable of the Tower exercising lieutenancy powers ''ex-officio''. The area's special status ceased in 1889 with the creation of the
County Of London , and the creation of a Lord Lieutenant for the new county.
In 1829 the Tower Division contained the following "parishes, townships, precincts and places":
- The parish of St Mary, Whitechapel
- The parish of Christchurch, Spitalfields
- The parish of St Leonard, Shoreditch
- The liberty of Norton Folgate
- The parish of St John, Hackney
- The parish of St Matthew, Bethnal Green
- The hamlet of Mile End Old Town
- The hamlet of Mile End New Town
- The parish of St Mary, Stratford Bow
- The parish of Bromley St Leonard
- The parish of All Saints, Poplar
- The parish of St Anne, Limehouse
- The hamlet of Ratcliffe
- The parish of St Paul, Shadwell
- The parish of St John, Wapping
- The liberty of East Smithfield
- The precinct of St Catherine
- The liberty of His Majesty's Tower Of London , consisting of:
- ---The liberty of the Old Artillery Ground
- ---The parish of Trinity, Minories
- ---The Old Tower precinct
- ---The precinct of The Tower Within
- ---The precinct of the Well Close
