The first elections were held in January 1889. The Times noted that, in contrast to most counties where a large of number of seats were uncontested, there were to be contests in nearly every electoral division. The first meeting of the "provisional" county council was held on 14 February 1889 at Westminster Town Hall. Although the council did not use political labels, among the aldermen elected were three Liberal-leaning peers (the Earls of Aberdeen, Jersey (seated at Osterley Park until ceded to the National Trust) and Strafford (seated at the family home of Wrotham Park also in the county, now Hertfordshire)) and three members of parliament: William Ambrose, Henry Bowles and Frederick Dixon-Hartland who were members of the parliamentary Conservative Party. The provisional council appointed an Apportionment Committee which was to liaise with the London County Council over the division of properties and responsibilities between the two bodies. It was decided to seek the retention of Middlesex Guildhall, Westminster, as the headquarters of the county council. The justices of the peace for Middlesex met to consider county business for the last time on 28 March 1889 at the Sessions House, Clerkenwell. The Sessions House duly passed to the London County Council, and Middlesex County Council came into official existence on 1 April 1889. (en)