MUNICIPAL PARKS 
I 2 I 
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- 
