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CONSTITUTION AND JURISDICTION
The governing body of the City of London, the Corporation of London, was originally constituted
the Sanitary Authority of the Port of London by Section 20 of the Public Health Act,
1872. The cost of administration was met from the Corporation's private funds for close on fifty
years, when it became rate (and grant) aided. By the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, the
term "Port Sanitary" was changed to "Port health", and the Port Health district is further
defined by that Act as the "Port of London as established for the purposes of the law relating
to the Customs of the United Kingdom" and by the Public Health Act, 1936 as "the Port as
established for the purposes of the enactments relating to the Customs".
The limits of the Port Health District of the Port of London are still as originally defined
by a Treasury Minute dated 1st August, 1883. They commence at high water mark in the River
Thames at Teddington Lock, in the County of Surrey, and extend down both sides of the said
River Thames to an imaginary straight line drawn from the Pilot mark at the entrance of Havengore
Creek in the County of Essex, to the Land's End at Warden Point, in the Isle of Sheppey,
in the County of Kent, such point being the north-western limit of the Port of Faversham, and
extend up and include both sides of the River Medway to an imaginary straight line drawn from
the south-east point of land westward of Coalmouth Creek, thence across the said River Medway
to the western-most point of the piece of land which forms the eastern side of Stangate Creek, or,
in other words, the north-west point of Fleet Marsh and thence in a southerly direction to Iwade
Church in the said County of Kent, and thence in a north-easterly direction to Elmley Chapel in
the said Isle of Sheppey, a supposed direct line from Elmley Chapel to Iwade Church, being the
western limit of the Port of Faversham, and the said Port of London includes the Islands of
Havengore Creek aforesaid, called Potton and Rushley Islands, and so much of the said Creek
and Watercourses as extends from it to the town of Rochford, and also includes all other Islands,
Rivers, Streams, Creeks, Waters, Watercourses, Channels, Harbours, Docks and places within
the before-mentioned limits contained.
The Port of London Authority with which the Port Health Authority works in close cooperation,
was established as the administrative body of the Port of London including the docks
and tideway of the River Thames, by Act of Parliament in 1909. The limits of its jurisdiction
are about the same as, but not quite so extensive as those of the Port Health Authority.
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