WOOLWICH, a metropolitan borough of London, England. Pop. (1931) 146,944. Area, 8,282 acres. It lies mainly north of the river Thames. The most populous part is situated between Shooter's Hill Road and the river, the site falling from an elevation of 418 ft. to the river level. To the east lie the Plumstead marshes and in the south of the borough is Eltham.
Woolwich (Wulewich) is mentioned in a grant of land by King Edward in 964 to the abbey of St. Peter at Ghent. In Domesday the manor is mentioned as consisting of 63 ac. of land. The Roman Watling street crossed Shooter's hill. Numerous Roman urns and fragments of pottery have been dug up. Early in the 16th century Woolwich rose into prominence as a dockyard and naval station. Ships were built there in the reign of Henry VII. but it was with the purchase by Henry VIII. of two parcels of land in the manor, called Boughton's Docks, that the founda tion of the town's prosperity was laid, the launching of the "Harry Grace de Dieu," of i,000 tons burden, making an epoch in its history. Woolwich remained the chief dockyard of the English
navy until the introduction of iron ship building, but the dockyard was closed in 1869. The town became the headquarters of the Royal Artillery on the establishment of a special branch of the service in 1806.
In 1664, land was acquired for storehouses and sheds for re pairing ship's carriages. In 1667, batteries were erected against the invading Dutch fleet. In 1668 guns, carriages and stores were concentrated at Woolwich, and in 1695 the laboratory was moved hither from Greenwich. Before 1716 ordnance was obtained from private manufacturers and proved by the Board of Ord nance. In 1741 a school of instruction was established. It was not until 1805, however, that the establishments at Woolwich became the Royal Arsenal.
By the London Government Act 1899 Woolwich was brought into line with other London districts. Woolwich returns two members to parliament. (X.)