Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich

Last updated

Woolwich
Woolwich town hall 1.jpg
Woolwich Town Hall
Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich.svg
Woolwich within the County of London
History
  Created1900
  Abolished1965
  Succeeded by London Borough of Greenwich
London Borough of Newham
Status Metropolitan borough
GovernmentWoolwich Borough Council
   HQ Wellington Street
   Motto Clamant nostra tela in Regis querela
(Our weapons clash in the King's quarrel)
Woolwich-arms.png
Coat of arms of the borough council
Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich Map of borough boundary

The Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich was a metropolitan borough in the County of London from 1900 to 1965. It was formed from the civil parishes of Eltham, Plumstead and Woolwich. Its former area is now part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Newham.

Contents

Formation and boundaries

The borough was formed from three civil parishes: Eltham, Plumstead and Woolwich. In 1930 these three were combined into a single civil parish called Borough of Woolwich, which was conterminous with the metropolitan borough. [1]

Previous to the borough's formation it had been administered by three separate local bodies: Lee District Board of Works, Plumstead Vestry and Woolwich Local Board of Health.

Population and area

The area of the borough varied between 8,277 and 8,282 acres (33.5 km2). The population, as recorded at the census, was: [2]

Constituent parishes 1801-1899

Year [2] 1801181118211831184118511861187118811891
Population12,61920,98321,27722,41130,78743,17769,06467,88074,96398,966

Metropolitan Borough 1900-1961

Year1901191119211931194119511961
Population117,178121,376140,389146,881 [3] 147,891146,603

Politics

The borough was divided into eleven wards for elections: Burrage, Central, Dockyard, Eltham, Glyndon, Herbert, River, St George's, St Margaret's, St Mary's and St Nicholas. [4] [5]

Borough council

Parliament constituency

For elections to Parliament, the borough was represented by one constituency:

In 1918, the borough's representation was increased to two seats:

Abolition

Most of it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich to form the London Borough of Greenwich, but small parts north of the river, including North Woolwich, were instead included in the London Borough of Newham.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Borough of Greenwich</span> Royal borough in United Kingdom

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is a London borough in southeast Greater London, England. The London Borough of Greenwich was formed in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. The new borough covered the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich and part of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich to the east. The borough is entirely within the boundaries of the historic county of Kent. The local council is Greenwich London Borough Council which meets in Woolwich Town Hall. The council's offices are also based in Woolwich, the main urban centre in the borough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolwich</span> District in southeast London, England

Woolwich is a town in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Southwark</span>

The Metropolitan Borough of Southwark was a metropolitan borough in the County of London from 1900 to 1965. It was created to cover the western section of the ancient borough of Southwark and the parish of Newington. In common with the rest of inner London, the borough experienced a steady decline in population throughout its existence. The borough council made an unsuccessful attempt to gain city status in 1955. Its former area is now the northwestern part of the current London Borough of Southwark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey</span>

The Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London, created in 1900 by the London Government Act 1899. It was abolished and its area became part of the London Borough of Southwark in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth</span>

The Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth was a Metropolitan borough under the London County Council, from 1900 to 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Westminster</span>

The Metropolitan Borough of Westminster was a metropolitan borough in the County of London, England, from 1900 to 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Holborn</span> Metropolitan borough in London

The Metropolitan Borough of Holborn was a metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras and the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead to form the London Borough of Camden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury</span>

The Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury was a metropolitan borough within the County of London from 1900 to 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of Islington to form the London Borough of Islington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham</span>

The Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham was a metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it became part of the London Borough of Lewisham along with the Metropolitan Borough of Deptford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Deptford</span> Former borough of London, England

The Metropolitan Borough of Deptford was a metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it became part of the London Borough of Lewisham along with the Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich</span> Former metropolitan borough in London, England

The Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich was a metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965. It bordered the boroughs of Woolwich, Lewisham and Deptford and, across the River Thames, the borough of Poplar and the County Borough of West Ham in Essex. Within the area of the borough were the Royal Naval College, the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Poplar</span>

Poplar was a local government district in the metropolitan area of London, England. It was formed as a district of the Metropolis in 1855 and became a metropolitan borough in the County of London in 1900. It comprised Poplar, Millwall, Bromley-by-Bow and Bow as well as Old Ford, Fish Island and Cubitt Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Stepney</span>

The Metropolitan Borough of Stepney was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London created in 1900. In 1965 it became part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Woolwich was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1918 and from 1983 to 1997. It centred on Woolwich, now in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in south-east London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Borough of East Ham</span>

East Ham was a local government district in the far south west of Essex from 1878 to 1965. It extended from Wanstead Flats in the north to the River Thames in the south and from Green Street in the west to Barking Creek in the east. It was part of the London postal district and Metropolitan Police District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Wickham</span> Human settlement in England

East Wickham is a district in south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Bexley. It is situated north of Welling, east of Shooter's Hill, south of Plumstead, south-west of Abbey Wood and west of West Heath, and 10.5 miles (16.9 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross. Prior to the creation of Greater London in 1965, East Wickham was in the administrative county of Kent.

Plumstead (1855–1894) and then Lee (1894–1900) was a local government district within the metropolitan area of London from 1855 to 1900. It was formed as the Plumstead district by the Metropolis Management Act 1855 and was governed by the Plumstead District Board of Works, which consisted of elected vestrymen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolwich (parish)</span>

Woolwich, also known as Woolwich St Mary, was an ancient parish containing the town of Woolwich on the south bank of the Thames and North Woolwich on the north bank. The parish was governed by its vestry from the 16th century to 1852, based in the Church of St Mary until 1842, after which in the purpose-built Woolwich Town Hall. The parish adopted the Public Health Act 1848 and was governed by the Woolwich Local Board of Health from 1852. When the parish became part of the district of the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1855 the local board was treated as if it were an incorporated vestry. It was in the county of Kent until it was transferred to London in 1889. In 1900 it was amalgamated with other parishes to form the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich and had only nominal existence until it was abolished as a civil parish in 1930. Since 1965 it has been split between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Newham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coldharbour, Greenwich</span> Area of south east London

Coldharbour is an area of South East London and post-war housing estate within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is located to the south of Eltham and north of Chislehurst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolwich Town Hall</span> Municipal building in London, England

Woolwich Town Hall is an early 20th-century town hall located in the historic Bathway Quarter in the centre of Woolwich, South East London. Until 1965 it was the seat of local government of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich, after which it became the headquarters of the Greenwich London Borough Council. It is a rare example of an Edwardian Baroque town hall in London and is a Grade II*-listed building.

References

  1. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Borough of Woolwich CP through time | Census tables with data for the Parish-level Unit, A Vision of Britain through Time. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10235698 Date accessed: 19 February 2015
  2. 1 2 Statistical Abstract for London, 1901 (Vol. IV).
  3. The census was suspended for World War II
  4. Post Office London County Suburbs Directory, 1919. 1919. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  5. Ordnance Survey 'County Series 3rd Edition' Map of London (1912-14) at 1:2500 scale. Accessed at https://www.old-maps.co.uk/

Further reading

51°29′23″N0°03′53″E / 51.4896°N 0.0647°E / 51.4896; 0.0647