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15
In 1891, the Census figures were as follows :—
Woolwich, 40,848 ; Plumstead, 52,436 ; Eltham, 5,710.
Physical Features and General Characteristics of the Area.
In the physical configuration of the Borough the outstanding
feature is Shooters Hill which rises over 400 feet above sealevel.
It is composed entirely of London clay, but on its
summit there is a small cap of gravel. At a little lower level
on the Woolwich and Plumstead side, there is the well-marked
plateau of Woolwich and Plumstead Commons due to the
erosion of London clay from off the pebble beds. Lower
down still there is the alluvial plain of the Thames. Southward,
through Eltham and Lee, the land, after sloping downwards
from Shooters Hill, rises slightly again in Eltham and
then falls away towards New Eltham and Lee, ultimately
rising as it approaches Chislehurst. In the main this area is
composed of London clay.
The Borough may be described as one of the suburban
working-class Metropolitan Boroughs. Much of the Borough
is unbuilt on. In Woolwich, the number of persons per acre
is 32; in Plumstead, 22; in Eltham, 8, and in the Borough 17,
compared with a London average of 60.
Number of Inhabited Houses. The number of inhabited
houses in 1921 was 26,048, 5,323 of which were in Woolwich,
14,716 in Plumstead, and 6,009 in Eltham.
Number of Families. At the time of the Census the number
of separate occupiers was 33,647, viz., 7,678 in Woolwich,
19,294 in Plumstead, and 6,675 in Eltham.
Rateable Value. The rateable value of the Borough at
October, 1925, was £986,001, and at that time the product
of a 1d. rate was £4,108.
Causes of Sickness and Invalidity. The incidence of the
infectious fevers and other notifiable diseases is referred to