In message , at
23:24:59 on Sat, 14 Sep 2019, Robin remarked:

I reckon treating Charles as the centre just arose out of "custom and
practice" as the Government grew and moved into Whitehall,

Moved from where?

There was a process of centralisation over that period of the Civil
service for things like tax collection. Charles's statue just marked
the end of Whitehall, as Trafalgar Square didn't exist.

Another example is that the Met Police area was defined in statute by
reference to the distance

Seven miles in the 1829 Act, extended to 15 miles.

in a straight line from Charing Cross in the 1839 Act. Charing Cross
was not defined.

Not Charing Cross Police Station, which was only converted from a
Hospital in the 1970's (with Cannon Row and Bow St stations closing).

But plausibly close to 4 Whitehall Place which is where they first
started.
--
Roland Perry