Municipal Borough of Bebington

Bebington was a local government district on the Wirral Peninsula, in Cheshire, England.

Bebington
Bebington Municipal Borough within Cheshire in 1970
Area
• 1931	12,284 acres
• Coordinates	53.350°N 3.003°W / 53.350; -3.003
Population
• 1931	31,877
History
• Created	1922
• Abolished	1974
• Succeeded by	Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
Status	urban district (1922-37) municipal borough (1937-74)
Government
• Motto	Civitatis Fortuna Cives - The fortune of the state depends on the citizens.

It was the local authority for the towns of Bebington and Bromborough. New Ferry and Port Sunlight were also within its boundaries. The district included the civil parishes of Brimstage, Eastham, Poulton cum Spital, Raby, Storeton and Thornton Hough.^[1]

Created in 1922 as an urban district, it absorbed Bromborough Urban District, Higher Bebington Urban District and Lower Bebington Urban District. The new jurisdiction was known as Bebington and Bromborough Urban District. Its name was changed to Bebington Urban District in 1933, shortly before being incorporated as a municipal borough in 1937.^[2]

The coat of arms of Bebington was granted on 3 January 1934. The shield featured two wheatsheaves, an emblem of the county of Cheshire, and a ship to represent the borough's proximity to the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. The saltire of St. Andrew in the upper-centre depicts the dedication of Bebington parish church. Bromborough Cross is featured at the top of the crest.^[3]

On 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, the municipal borough was abolished and its area was absorbed into the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside.

References

1. "Bebington MB/UD". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
2. "Bebington". GENUKI UK & Ireland Genealogy. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
3. "Bebington Borough Council". Civic Heraldry of England, Wales & Northern Ireland. Retrieved 8 March 2021.