Many will not know this, but the 16th May is designated Middlesex Day. In 1965 the creation of the Great London Council finally wiped-out Middlesex County Council as an administrative authority, which, indeed, had only existed as such from 1889. The postcode changes were finally completed in 1974 which obviated the need for addresses to be labelled as Harrow, Middlesex or Twickenham, Middlesex as an example. HA or TW were sufficient which then abrogated the need for a County suffix. However, those sturdy Middle Saxons would not have it and to them Twickenham, Harrow, Uxbridge and all places in between still use the County name in their addresses.
The name was first recorded in a Saxon Charter of 704 AD as the “Provincia Middleseaxon” (Providence of the Middle Saxons), making it the third oldest recorded county name after Kent and Essex.
The 16th May is significant in that the 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot, a regiment of line infantry in the British Army, raised in 1755, was on May 16th 1811 “…….entrusted to stop the advance of the French into Portugal or the British could have been trapped in Dunkirk fashion. The village on the Spanish/Portuguese borders was called Albuhera, and it was here the Middlesex men fought ferociously to keep at bay the overwhelming forces and might of Napoleon’s army to give time for the British and Wellington to retrench”.
Fast forward to the year 2003 when two Conservative Middlesex MPs: John Randall, now Lord Randall of Uxbridge and David Wilshire, the former MP for Spelthorne put before the House of Commons on the 13th May 2003 an Early Day Motion that, “that this House notes that 16th May is the anniversary of the battle of Albuhera in 1811 which has in recent years been celebrated as Middlesex Day; and welcomes the fact that the historic county of Middlesex is recognised and celebrated on this day”. (In the Westminster parliamentary system, an early day motion is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by members of Parliament that formally calls for debate “on an early day”. In practice, they are rarely debated in the House and their main purpose is to draw attention to particular subjects of interest).
It is important for those who were born and still live in the historic area of Middlesex to have the opportunity to celebrate their history which has been usurped. The annual event on May 16th has become a day of “perpetual Middlesex pride” which allows Middle Saxons to celebrate their long history.
So, if your Lodge or Chapter meets on May 16th then perhaps an impromptu toast at Festive Board to celebrate Middlesex Day. We owe it to our Masonic Province of Middlesex.
The Flower Of Middlesex
