Mike Fry wrote: > Dear Millennia, > > Please be aware that the General Register Office is in Southport, > Lancashire. Not Merseyside! Merseyside is not, to the best of my > knowledge, a city in Lancashire. > > I noticed this when attempting to assign a Repository to a > SourceWriter-generated Master Source item. When looking at the > details, I found that the supplied address is:- > > General Register Office > PO Box 2 > Southport > Merseyside > Lancashire > PR8 2JD > > On the GRO website, the address is given as > > General Register Office > PO Box 2 > SOUTHPORT > PR8 2JD
Mike, You are almost correct! Historically Southport has always been in Lancashire, however, in 1974 we did have a local government reorganisation which created a number of metropolitan "counties", of which Merseyside was one, and Southport was included included in it. However, due to their rebellious nature and lack of cost inhibitions, all these they were abolished during the 1990s and their powers devolved to their consitituent metropolitan districts. Southport was in the Metropolitan District of Sefton and still is, despite much local opposition. Even prior to 1974 Southport was a county borough, so did not come under the administration of Lancashire County Council, although it was within the county boundaries. Thus, where it is now becomes one of those typical British Fudges! Merseyside no longer exists, so it isn't there and it does not come under the governance of Lancashire, but that of Sefton. However the traditional county boundary is still recognised for civil and ceremonial purposes and hence includes Southport, but, then so does Liverpool where a Liverpudlian would say that they are from Merseyside (which doesn't exist). So Southport is not in Merseyside, but is run by Sefton Metropolitan District Council, and not by Lancashire County, but for all other purposes is in Lancashire. The postal code (Zip) reference, "PR" is that of Preston, Lancashire, which is the administrative centre for Lancashire, despite the fact that Lancaster is still the county town. Well there we go! Ron Ferguson _____________________________________________________ Now completely revised and expanded: http://www.fergys.co.uk Includes the family tree for Alan J Grimshaw And The Fergusons of N.W. England ____________________________________________________ Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup@legacyusers.com/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergr...@legacyfamilytree.com/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
