MUNICIPAL PARKS 121 



cipal authority, has the credit of their formation. Then 

 came several formed by or transferred to the Metro- 

 politan Board of Works. To all these, already over 

 2050 acres, the London County Council automatically 

 succeeded. After the Bill reorganising the disposal of 

 the funds of the London Parochial Charities in 1883, a 

 part of their money was allotted to provide open spaces, 

 and they helped to purchase many of the parks — Clissold, 

 Vauxhall, Ravenscourt, Brockwell, and so on. The 

 acquisition of parks has, in many cases, been due to 

 private individuals, who helped to raise the necessary 

 funds, and themselves contributed, and were generally 

 assisted by the local vestries, and, later on, Borough 

 Councils. Miss Octavia Hill, by writing and trying to 

 influence public opinion, made many efforts to secure 

 open spaces. At her instance the Kyrle Society was 

 founded for the general improvement of homes, of dis- 

 used burial-grounds, and open spaces ; and from this 

 developed the Metropolitan Gardens Association, of 

 which the Earl of Meath is Chairman. Immense credit 

 is due to this Society, both for acquiring new sites and 

 beautifying existing ones, and being instrumental in 

 having countless places opened to the public. And to 

 private individuals who have given whole parks, or 

 largely contributed to others, too much gratitude cannot 

 be expressed. Since they came into office, the London 

 County Council has had added some 2300 acres of 

 open spaces and parks to those under its care, which have 

 been purchased, or given in whole or in part, by private 

 individuals or other public bodies. Some of the last 

 acquisitions of the London County Council lie quite 

 outside the county boundary, so are beyond the limit 

 set to this volume. Marble Hill is away at Twicken- 



