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139
SECTION VIII.
GENERAL STATISTICS.
Area.
The area of the Borough is 8,282 square acres. Parts of the River Ward, where
there were 3,529 inhabitants at the time of the Census in 1931, are situate on the
North side of the River Thames. The Borough was originally divided into three
parishes—Woolwich, Plumstead and Eltham. The acreage of Woolwich parish is
1,135, and of its wards as follows:—Dockyard, 139, St. Mary's 99, River 572,
St. George's 325. The acreage of Plumstead parish is 3,387, and its wards as
follows:—Burrage 184, Herbert 245, Glyndon 302, St. Margaret's 552, Central 115,
St. Nicholas 1,207, Abbey Wood 782. The acreage of Eltham parish is 3,760, and
its wards as follows:—Well Hall 687, Avery Hill, 1,824, Sherard 1,249.
The number of persons per acre, in 1931, was 17.7; in the Administrative
County of London the corresponding figure was 58.7. The present figures for each
of the wards in the borough are as follows:—Dockyard, 44.8; St. Mary's 56.2;
River, 17.5; St. George's, 22.9; Burrage, 38.2; Herbert, 36.9; Glyndon, 25.4;
St. Margaret's, 23.9; Central, 61.5; St. Nicholas, 11.0; Abbey Wood, 16.7; Avery
Hill, 8.7; Well Hall, 15.6; Sherard, 18.5.
Population.
The Registrar General estimates the population of the Borough at the middle of
the year as 149,400, an increase of 2,900 on the previous year. This figure has been
used in calculating rates for the purposes of this report. It should be noted that
it includes non-civilians, the pre-war practice in this respect having been returned
to from the beginning of 1932. In estimating the population of the wards of the
Borough regard has been had to such information as is available from the records
of the Housing Department so far as occupants of new Council houses are concerned
and from the records of the Treasurer's Department if advances have been made
under the Small Dwellings Aquisition Acts. The estimated population of each of
the wards of the Borough at the middle of 1937 is shown in the following Table No. 63.