the site on the south-west corner of parliament square was originally the belfry of westminster abbey. the first guildhall, designed as an octagon with a doric portico by samuel pepys cockerell, was completed for the justices of the city and liberty of westminster in 1805. in 1889 westminster became part of the county of london, outside of jurisdiction of the county of middlesex. in the division of property between the middlesex and london county councils, the guildhall at westminster went to middlesex in exchange for the middlesex sessions house in clerkenwell. in addition to being a facility for dispensing justice, following the implementation of the local government act 1888, which established county councils in every county, the guildhall also became the meeting place of middlesex county council.