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.

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.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

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 . The population, as recorded at the census, was:Statistical Abstract for London, 1901 (Vol. IV).

Constituent parishes 1801-1899 Year 1801 1811 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 Population 12,619 20,98321,27722,41130,787 43,177 69,064 67,880 74,963 98,966 Metropolitan Borough 1900-1961 Year 1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 Population 117,178121,376140,389 146,881The census was suspended for World War II 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.Ordnance Survey 'County Series 3rd Edition' Map of London (1912-14) at 1:2500 scale. Accessed at https://www.old-maps.co.uk/

Borough council

Parliament constituency For elections to Parliament, the borough was represented by one constituency: Woolwich In 1918, the borough's representation was increased to two seats: Woolwich East Woolwich West

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.

References

Further reading