Blackheath was an ancient hundred in the north west of the county of Kent, England. Its area has been entirely absorbed by the growth of London; with its name currenly referring to the Blackheath district.^[1] Its former area now corresponds to the London Borough of Greenwich, the London Borough of Lewisham and part of the London Borough of Bromley. A hundred is a geographic division used in England, Scandinavia, and some parts of the USA, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative units. ... Blackheath is a suburb of London, divided between the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Greenwich. ... A hundred is a geographic division used in England, Scandinavia, and some parts of the USA, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative units. ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Blackheath is a suburb of London, divided between the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Greenwich. ... The London Borough of Greenwich is a London borough in southeast London, England. ... The London Borough of Lewisham is a London borough in south east London, England and forms part of Inner London. ... The London Borough of Bromley is a London Borough of outer southeast London, England. ...

History

The name is first recorded as Blachehedfeld in 1166, meaning dark-coloured heathland.^[1] The open space at Blackheath, was the location that early hundred meetings took place.^[1] In the Domesday Book of 1086 it is recorded as the hundred of Grenviz (Greenwich),^[2] and part of the Sutton at Hone lathe.^[3] The hundred contained the parishes of Charlton, Chislehurst, St Paul and St Nicholas Deptford, Eltham, Greenwich, Kidbrooke, Lee, Lewisham, Woolwich and Mottingham. Blackheath is a suburb of London, divided between the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Greenwich. ... A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... Charlton is a place in south-east London, in the London Borough of Greenwich, sandwiched between east Greenwich and the Woolwich Dockyard area of Woolwich. ... Chislehurst is a place in the London Borough of Bromley. ... Deptford is an area in the London Borough of Lewisham and London Borough of Greenwich, on the south bank of the River Thames in south-east London. ... Eltham, London, England Eltham, New Zealand, Taranaki, New Zealand Eltham, Victoria, Australia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Greenwich (pronounced grenn-itch or by some grinn-itch ) is a town, now part of the south eastern urban sprawl of London, on the south bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Greenwich. ... Kidbrooke is a place in the London Borough of Greenwich. ... Lee is a place in the London Borough of Lewisham in south-east London. ... Lewisham is a district in south-east London, England and the principal settlement of the London Borough of Lewisham. ... Woolwich is a suburb in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River Thames, though the tiny exclave of North Woolwich (which is now part of the London Borough of Newham) is on the north side of the river. ... Mottingham is a place in SE9, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, although part (to the west of Mottingham Road) is in the London Borough of Bromley. ...

The northern boundary with the Becontree hundred of Essex was the River Thames, however there was also a land boundary; the Woolwich parish included two small detached parts north of the river,^[4] totalling 402 acres.^[5] Also to the north along the river was a short boundary with the Isle of Dogs and the Tower division of the Ossulstone hundred of Middlesex.^[6] In the west it borded the Brixton hundred of Surrey. Within Kent, it was bounded by the hundreds of Bromley and Beckenham to the south, Ruxley to the south east and Lesnes to the east.^[6] Becontree was an ancient hundred in the south west of the county of Essex, England. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... The Thames (pronounced //) is a river flowing through southern England, and one of the major waterways in England. ... The Isle of Dogs in 1899, at the height of its commercial success The Isle of Dogs is in the centre of this 2005 aerial view of east London as seen from the skies over south London. ... The Tower Division was a liberty in the ancient county of Middlesex. ... Ossulstone was a hundred of the ancient county of Middlesex, England. ... The Middlesex Guildhall at Westminster Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and was the second smallest (after Rutland). ... Not to be confused with Surry. ...

In 1831, the hundred occupied 12,650 acres.^[7] The parishes of St Paul and St Nicholas, Deptford, and the parish of Greenwich were included in the Metropolitan Police District by the Metropolitan Police Act 1829 and in 1840 the rest of the hundred was included by the Metropolitan Police Act 1839. The Metropolitan Police District (MPD) is the area policed by Londons Metropolitan Police Service. ... The Metropolitan Police Act 1829 (10 Geo. ... The Metropolitan Police Act 1839 (2&3 Vict. ...

The population in 1851 is recorded as 121,753 and in 1861 it is recorded as 187,696.^[8] In 1887 the hundred is recorded as occupying an area of 17,316 acres, with a population of 234,987.^[9]

Replacement

The hundreds of England declined in administrative use because of the rise of various ad-hoc boards. In 1855, most of the hundred (except Chislehurst and Mottingham) was included in the area of responsibility of the Metropolitan Board of Works by the Metropolis Management Act 1855. The hundred was effectively abolished when the area (except Chislehurst and Mottingham) became part of the County of London in 1889. The entire area has formed part of Greater London since 1965. The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) was the principal instrument of London-wide government from 1855 until the establishment of the London County Council in 1889. ... The Metropolis Management Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. ... The County of London (in red), super imposed upon todays Greater London area, to show the difference in size with post-1965 Borough boundaries The County of London was an administrative county of England from 1888 to 1965. ... Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ...

In 1894 and 1900 all local government functions were effectively replaced by a system of uniform districts, which were consolidated over time and finally replaced in 1965 by the London boroughs which are still in use today. The administrative area of Greater London contains 32 London Boroughs, of which twelve (plus the City of London) make up Inner London and twenty Outer London. ...

Charlton is a place in south-east London, in the London Borough of Greenwich, sandwiched between east Greenwich and the Woolwich Dockyard area of Woolwich. ... The Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich was a metropolitan borough in the County of London from 1899 to 1965. ... Chislehurst is a place in the London Borough of Bromley. ... Bromley was a rural district in north-west Kent, England from 1894 to 1934. ... Deptford is an area in the London Borough of Lewisham and London Borough of Greenwich, on the south bank of the River Thames in south-east London. ... 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. ... Eltham is a place in the London Borough of Greenwich. ... Greenwich (pronounced grenn-itch or by some grinn-itch ) is a town, now part of the south eastern urban sprawl of London, on the south bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Greenwich. ... The Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich was a metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1899 and 1965. ... Kidbrooke is a place in the London Borough of Greenwich. ... Lee is a place in the London Borough of Lewisham in south-east London. ... The Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham was a metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1899 and 1965, when it became part of the London Borough of Lewisham along with the Metropolitan Borough of Deptford. ... Lewisham is a district in south-east London, England and the principal settlement of the London Borough of Lewisham. ... Mottingham is a place in SE9, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, although part (to the west of Mottingham Road) is in the London Borough of Bromley. ... Woolwich is a suburb in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River Thames, though the tiny exclave of North Woolwich (which is now part of the London Borough of Newham) is on the north side of the river. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Mills, A., Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names, (2001)
2. ^ British History Online - The Hundred of Blackheath
3. ^ Vision of Britian - Blackheath hundred
4. ^ British History Online - Map of Becontree Hundred, (1973)
5. ^ British History Online - The Origin of North Woolwich, (1973)
6. ^ ^{a b} British History Online - Map of Blackheath Hundred, (1973)
7. ^ Vision of Britain - Blackheath hundred - area (historic map)
8. ^ John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, (1870-72)
9. ^ John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles, (1887)