West Sussex Administrative County (pre-1974)

Created: 1889   Abolished: 1974

Statistics

Population

Population

Densities and rates of growth. Age structure: concentrations of young people, and of the old.
Industry

Industry

How people made their living: identifying farming communities, pit villages, mill towns and so on.
Social Structure

Social Structure

Social class and socio-economic groups. Concentrations of professionals, and of unskilled labourers.
Learning & Language

Learning & Language

How many people were at school. The distribution of graduates, and of the unqualified.
Agriculture & Land Use

Agriculture & Land Use

How we use the land; crops and farm animals.
Life & Death

Life & Death

Numbers of babies born. Deaths, especially infant deaths. Causes of death by age and gender.
Work & Poverty

Work & Poverty

Unemployment rates and poor relief. What proportions of men and of women did paid work?
Housing

Housing

Numbers of houses. Overcrowding: persons per room. Amenities: central heating, baths and WCs.
Birthplace & Religion

Birthplace & Religion

Numbers going to church, and the kinds of churches they went to. The different religions of modern Britain.
Place marker map of Great Britain and Ireland

The following alternate names exist for this unit:

Name Status Language Start End Authority
WEST SUSSEX Preferred English     F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 691.
SUSSEX WEST Alternate English     1951 Census of England and Wales, Table 3, 'Acreage, Population, Private Households and Dwellings', for 'AC, MB, UD, RD; Wards of CB, MB; CP, NT'.

This unit contained the following units:

Name Type Start End Authority
CHICHESTER Inc/RegD Poor Law Union/Reg. District     Ministry of Health, Persons in Receipt of Poor-Law Relief (England and Wales) (H.M.S.O.)
EAST PRESTON RegD/PLU/Inc Poor Law Union/Reg. District     Ministry of Health, Persons in Receipt of Poor-Law Relief (England and Wales) (H.M.S.O.)
HORSHAM RegD/PLU Poor Law Union/Reg. District     Ministry of Health, Persons in Receipt of Poor-Law Relief (England and Wales) (H.M.S.O.)
MIDHURST RegD/PLU Poor Law Union/Reg. District     Ministry of Health, Persons in Receipt of Poor-Law Relief (England and Wales) (H.M.S.O.)
PETWORTH RegD/PLU Poor Law Union/Reg. District     Ministry of Health, Persons in Receipt of Poor-Law Relief (England and Wales) (H.M.S.O.)
THAKENHAM RegD/PLU Poor Law Union/Reg. District     Ministry of Health, Persons in Receipt of Poor-Law Relief (England and Wales) (H.M.S.O.)
WESTBOURNE RegD/PLU Poor Law Union/Reg. District     Ministry of Health, Persons in Receipt of Poor-Law Relief (England and Wales) (H.M.S.O.)
WESTHAMPNETT RegD/PLU Poor Law Union/Reg. District     Ministry of Health, Persons in Receipt of Poor-Law Relief (England and Wales) (H.M.S.O.)
ARUNDEL MB Local Government District 1835 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 693.
BOGNOR REGIS UD Local Government District 1894 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
CHANCTONBURY RD Local Government District 1933 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
CHICHESTER RD Local Government District 1933 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
CHICHESTER MB Local Government District 1835 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 693.
CRAWLEY UD Local Government District 1856 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
CUCKFIELD RD Local Government District 1894 1908 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 697.
EAST PRESTON RD Local Government District 1894 1933 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
HORSHAM UD Local Government District 1894 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
HORSHAM RD Local Government District 1894 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
LITTLEHAMPTON UD Local Government District 1894 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
MIDHURST RD Local Government District 1894 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
NEW SHOREHAM UD Local Government District 1894 1910 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
PETWORTH RD Local Government District 1894 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
SHOREHAM BY SEA UD Local Government District 1910 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
SOUTHWICK UD Local Government District 1899 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
STEYNING WEST RD Local Government District 1894 1933 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
THAKENHAM RD Local Government District 1894 1933 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 698.
WESTBOURNE RD Local Government District 1894 1933 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 699.
WESTHAMPNETT RD Local Government District 1894 1933 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 699.
WORTHING RD Local Government District 1933 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 699.
WORTHING MB Local Government District 1890 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 694.
CRAWLEY New Town     London Gazette, No. 37849, p. 231, 10 January 1947; Crawley New Town (Designation) Order, 1947.
BOGNOR REGIS Urban Labour Market     Great Britain Historical GIS Project
CHICHESTER Urban Labour Market     Great Britain Historical GIS Project
CRAWLEY Urban Labour Market     Great Britain Historical GIS Project
HORSHAM Urban Labour Market     Great Britain Historical GIS Project
LITTLEHAMPTON Urban Labour Market     Great Britain Historical GIS Project
SHOREHAM Urban Labour Market     Great Britain Historical GIS Project
WORTHING Urban Labour Market     Great Britain Historical GIS Project

This unit was associated with the following other units:

Nature of association Other unit involved Type of unit Authority
was succeeded by WEST SUSSEX Modern (post 1974) County Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)

This unit was part of the following units:

Name Type Start End Authority
ENGLAND Dep Country 1889 1974 F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 691.

This unit was affected by the following changes:

Date Type of change Other unit involved Area transferred Authority
01 Apr 1953 was enlarged by gaining part of EAST SUSSEX part of Cuckfield RD Area: 3347 acres.   1961 Census of England and Wales, Table 4, 'Intercensal Changes of Boundary (between 8th April, 1951 and 23rd April, 1961)', for 'LAA, CP'.; The East Sussex and West Sussex (Alteration of boundaries) Order, 1953

Boundary Map of West Sussex Administrative County (pre-1974)

If the boundaries of the Administrative County changed over time, this map will show all the different boundaries.

Maps Census reports

How to reference this page:

GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, West Sussex Administrative County (pre-1974) through time, A Vision of Britain through Time.

URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10001201

Date accessed: 08th April 2026