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SECTION A
SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE BOROUGH AND
STATISTICS
Hammersmith is a westerly Borough in the County of London covering an
area of 2, 282„ 5 acres. It is bounded on the north and west by Middlesex
Boroughs, on the south by the Thames and on the east by the Royal Borough
of Kensington and the Metropolitan Borough of Fulham.
In 879 South Hammersmith was overrun by a party of marauding Danes
sailing up the Thames past London who landed on a small island which they
knew as the Isle of Hame and which we now know as Chiswick Eyot. From
there they plundered in Hammersmith and Fulham. The community was centred
around a navigable creek fishing was good and a village grew up which was
part of the lands of the Manor of Fulham held by the Bishops of London from
the Saxon Kings
It is referred to in the Domesday Book and some ancient deeds as Hermodersworth
but there seems to be no sure explanation of their derivation
of the name Most likely is that it comes from Ham (Saxon for dwelling or
town) and Hythe (a creek or harbour) and as the creek was the most important
feature this is quite possible, The creek was in existence until recent
times only being covered when the new Town Hall was built.
Medieval wars and quarrels left Hammersmith prosperous, it became the
home of nobility, being within reasonable distance of London and with pleasant
surroundings King Edward III owned a manor here and its lands are now
known as Ravenscourt Park. It was in the reign of James I that the great
west road from London was continued through the village with a turnpike
across at which is now known as Blythe Road in Hammersmith and North End
Road in Fulham Hammersmith Broadway was really like a village green.
In 1827 the first suspension bridge was built and the neighbourhood
was beginning to become more important commercially For some time the area
had been a flourishing market garden and various small industries such as
brickfields bleaching mills, crucible manufacturers, wax and varnish makers,
brewing boat building and sawmills were scattered around the village
Although it might not be easy to find one today a species of autumn
sown lettuce known as "Hammersmith Hardy" was England's most popular lettuce
in early summer before spring sown salad plants were available Not many
London boroughs can boast of plants or trees being named after them but it
so happens that our neighbour Borough Fulham has two, the Fulham Oak and the
Fulham Yew.
Fishing was still good but even in those days the increased river
traffic and growth of industry were blamed for the deterioration in the
fishermen's livelihood.
In the early part of the nineteenth century only 3 18 of the 2,300 acres
which comprised Hammersmith were occupied by houses and little did the
Chronicler of those days foresee what would happen in a mere 100 years
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