Plymouth, Local Government, East Stonehouse

PLYMOUTH
DATA

The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

EAST STONEHOUSE

It is believed that the Manor of East Stonehouse is at least as old as Plymouth. Prehistoric and Roman remains have been found there but not at Devonport. This possibly accounts for the name as only the Romans are known to have erected stone houses.

By the time of the Domesday Book, the Manor was held by Robert the Bastard, who also held Efford. In 1368 it passed to Stephen Durnford and sometime around 1493, when the Durnford heiress, Joan, married Sir Piers Edgcumbe it passed, along with the Cremyll, West Stonehouse and Maker, to the Edgcumbe family. West Stonehouse was on what is now the Cornish side of the river, which was part of Devon originally.

The coat of arms of East Stonehouse, between the Boroughs of Devonport and Plymouth

By the Reform Act 1832, East Stonehouse and Devonport were formed into a single parliamentary borough.

In 1877/78 East Stonehouse was an Urban Sanitary Authority consisting of 24 members, namely:- Messrs C Bulteel (chairman), J Deacon, J Head, W E Harris, H Perry, R R Rodd, J Moore, and Captain Wheeler, RN, CB, who al retired in April 1879; Messrs T S Bayly, R L Blight, J Friend, J Perry, G L Lake, G Phillips, E Sloggett, and Thomas Taylor junior, who retired in April 1880; and Messrs J Brown, J Goad, S Hyne, R Oram, J Treverton, J Taylor, G E Tippetts and J C Wills, who retired in 1881. The officers of the Authority were Mr J Edward Curtis, clerk; Mr J L Hodge, surveyor; Mr Thomas Leah, medical officer of health; Mr J Roberts, sanitary inspector; Mr W H Wood, collector of rates; and Mr Jago, turncock.

The East Stonehouse Sanitary Authority and Devonport Corporation were responsible for draining Stonehouse Lake, putting the new drainage system beneath Durnford Street to outfall at Furstone Bay. The engineer in charge of the work was Sir Joseph Bazalgette, CB.

Both the Urban Sanitary Authority and the Poor Law Union were abolished by the Local Government Act 1894 and replaced by the East Stonehouse Urban District Council. It was responsible direct to the County Council. The new Act made them also responsible for parks, cemeteries and local planning in their area. As public health was a major concern for urban areas like Stonehouse, it also had more powers and funding to deal with the housing problems in the area.

By the Local Government Board Provisional Order Confirmation No. 18, East Stonehouse Urban District became amalgamated into the Borough of Plymouth in 1914.

CLICK HERE for a list of chairmen of the East Stonehouse Urban District Council 1894 to 1914.

For more information on the amalgamation see the Amalgamation of the Three Towns page.