▁growth ▁from ▁ 1 8 4 4 ▁following ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Building ▁Act . ▁The ▁Act ▁restricted ▁dangerous ▁and ▁no x ious ▁indust ries ▁from ▁operating ▁in ▁the ▁metropol itan ▁area , ▁the ▁eastern ▁boundary ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁River ▁Le a . ▁Con sequently , ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁activities ▁were ▁re located ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁and ▁to ▁West ▁Ham , ▁then ▁a ▁parish ▁in ▁Es sex ▁cent red ▁on ▁All ▁Sain ts ▁Church , ▁West ▁Ham . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁West ▁Ham ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁Victor ian ▁Britain ' s ▁major ▁manufact uring ▁cent res ▁for ▁ph arma ce ut ical s , ▁chemical s , ▁and ▁processed ▁food s . ▁This ▁rapid ▁growth ▁earned ▁it ▁the ▁name ▁" Lond on ▁over ▁the ▁border ". ▁The ▁growth ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁summar ised ▁by ▁The ▁Times ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 : ▁ ▁" Factory ▁after ▁factory ▁was ▁ere cted ▁on ▁the ▁mar sh y ▁was tes ▁of ▁Str at ford ▁and ▁Pla ist ow , ▁and ▁it ▁only ▁required ▁the ▁construction ▁at ▁C anning ▁Town ▁of ▁the ▁Victoria ▁and ▁Albert ▁D ock s ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁once ▁des olate ▁parish ▁of ▁West ▁Ham ▁a ▁manufact uring ▁and ▁commercial ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁importance ▁and ▁to ▁bring ▁upon ▁it ▁a ▁te em ing ▁and ▁an ▁industri ous ▁population ." ▁ ▁Many ▁workers ▁lived ▁in ▁sl um ▁conditions ▁close ▁to ▁where ▁they ▁worked , ▁leading ▁to ▁periodic ▁out break s ▁of ▁cont ag ious ▁dise ases ▁and ▁severe