Ossulstone
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Ossulstone was a hundred of the ancient county of Middlesex, England.
It covered the south-east of the county, and included Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing, Kensington, Chelsea, Islington, Westminster (a liberty), the City of London (which was outside its jurisdiction), Hackney, Bethnal Green, Poplar, Shadwell, Stepney, Wapping, Whitechapel, Finchley, Friern Barnet, Hornsey, Acton, Chiswick, Brentford, West Twyford, Willesden, Hampstead, Paddington, Mile End, Ratcliffe and Spitalfields.
It was named after "Oswald's Stone" or "Oswulf's Stone", an unmarked pre-roman monolith which was situated at Tyburn (the modern-day junction of the Edgware Road with Bayswater Road). Oswald's Stone was earthed over in 1819, but dug up three years later because of its presumed historical significance. Later in the 19th century it was to be found leaning against Marble Arch following its move. In 1869, shortly after an archaeological journal published an article about it, the stone disappeared and it has not been identified since.<ref>http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22489 Ossulstone Hundred (Victoria County History of Middlesex, Vol.6)</ref>
In the 17th Century the hundred was split into four divisions, which replaced the hundred for most administrative purposes. These were:
- Kensington division
- Holborn division
- Finsbury division
- Tower division - also known as Tower Hamlets
- In addition, the Liberty of Westminster had separate jurisdiction
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