Bridge Without

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Bridge Without was a ward of the City of London from 1550 to 1899, located south of the River Thames. Today the area is part of the London Borough of Southwark. It was named to distinguish it from Bridge Within, the ward on London Bridge and the north bank of the Thames. Since 1978, the combined ward is officially called Bridge and Bridge Without.

In 1550, Bridge Without was created to govern the City’s Southwark holdings, including the Guildable Manor, King’s Manor, and the Great Liberty. The alderman for Bridge Without was appointed by the Court of Aldermen; there were never any Common Councilmen elected from this ward because the manors ran their own Courts Leet.

The part of the ward on the bridge itself became Bridge Within. By the mid-1800s, City control over Without had faded as metropolitan government expanded. In 1899 the area was no longer inside the City’s boundaries, but the ward remained in law and the Court of Aldermen continued to appoint an alderman by co-option (often the senior emeritus lord mayor) until 1978.

In 1978, Bridge Without merged with Bridge Within to form the present-day Bridge ward, although the combined area is still officially called “Bridge and Bridge Without.” This did not change representation on the Court of Common Council, because Without never had Councilmen.

The terms “Without” and “Within” refer to whether an area lay outside or inside the old London Wall; Bridge Without lay beyond the gate to London Bridge, rather than beyond London Wall itself.

For many centuries, London Bridge itself was lined with houses and formed part of Bridge Within. Southwark was outside the City’s control and was known as a place where criminals and free traders operated outside City regulation. In 1327 the City obtained control of the town of Southwark, then called the Guildable Manor. Later, lands from Bermondsey Priory and the Archbishop were taken by the City, and in 1550 Southwark was incorporated into the City as The Ward of Bridge Without. The ward included the Guildable Manor and church properties known as King’s Manor and Great Liberty, which kept their own courts and officers, meeting annually in November under the High Steward (the Recorder of London).

The ward and its manors continued to have their own courts, and from 1750 to 1978 Southwark had two City officers (the alderman and the recorder) who were chosen by the Court of Aldermen, not by local voters. The manorial courts were preserved by later legislation, and in 1978 the ward was merged with Bridge Within.