County Borough of West Ham

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West Ham
Area
 • 18864,683 acres (19.0 km2)
 • 19654,689 acres (19.0 km2)
Population
 • 1901267,358
 • 1961157,367
History
 • OriginWest Ham parish
 • Created1886
 • Abolished1965
 • Succeeded byLondon Borough of Newham
StatusMunicipal borough (until 1889)
County borough (after 1889)
 • HQStratford
The Arms of The County Borough of West Ham

West Ham was a borough in the extreme south west of Essex from 1886 to 1965, forming part of the built-up area of London, although outside the County of London. It was immediately north of the River Thames and east of the River Lee.

Creation

It was first created a municipal borough in 1886, based on the old parish of West Ham, and gained further status, becoming a county borough in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888. At the time of the 1901 census it was the ninth most populous town or district in England with a population of 267,308.[1] Although West Ham did not become officially part of London until 1965, the borough formed part of London's built-up area, was part of the London postal district and the Metropolitan Police District.

Districts

The borough included Plaistow, West Ham, Stratford, Canning Town and Silvertown - all of the current-day London Borough of Newham west of Green Street.

History

West Ham underwent rapid growth from 1844 following the Metropolitan Building Act; this restricted dangerous and noxious industries from operating in the metropolitan area; as a result many of them moved across its eastern boundary, the River Lee into West Ham, then a parish in Essex. As a result, West Ham became one of Victorian Britain's major manufacturing centres for pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and processed foods. This rapid growth of the area earned it the name "London over the border". Many workers lived in slum conditions close to where they worked, leading to periodic outbreaks of contagious diseases and severe poverty. Charles Dickens' brother Alfred, a medical officer, published a report in 1855 severely critical of conditions in the slum areas.

The borough acquired the horse-drawn tram services in its area in 1898, electrified them in 1904, and extended the network. There was also through running of the corporation trams and those of the London County Council system. West Ham operated 134 tram cars on 16.27 miles of tracks when they became the responsibility of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933.[2] The borough ran its own fire brigade which was absorbed into the London Fire Brigade in 1965. The corporation's electricity generation and supply undertaking was nationalised in 1948, when it was transferred to the London Electricity Board.

From 1934 to 1965 it was surrounded by the County Borough of East Ham to the east, the municipal boroughs of Wanstead and Woodford and Leyton to the north, and the metropolitan boroughs of Poplar to the west and Greenwich to the south.

Abolition and inclusion in Greater London

The omission of West Ham from the London-administered metropolitan area, which took in nearby places such as Greenwich and Woolwich, was first commented on in 1855 and West Ham Council later considered the case for inclusion in the County of London in 1895 and 1907.[3] The reluctance to proceed with amalgamation was largely explained by lack of perceived support, fear of financial disadvantage caused by increased rates, the detrimental effect of London planning laws on industry, and the desire to retain the independent civic institutions and privileges attached to county borough status.[3]

The Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London reviewed the local government arrangements of the Greater London Conurbation and in 1965 the county borough, and the County Borough of East Ham, were abolished and their former area was amalgamated with small parts of Barking and Woolwich to form the London Borough of Newham in Greater London.

References

  1. ^ Vision of Britain - 1901 Census: Preliminary Report
  2. ^ London's Trams and Trolleybuses, John R Day, published by London Transport, 1979
  3. ^ a b Local administration and public services: Administrative bodies, A History of the County of Essex: Volume 5 (1966), pp. 32-37. Date accessed: 07 December 2007.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=County_Borough_of_West_Ham&oldid=183701319"