▁was ▁granted ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 8 8 6 . ▁ ▁A ▁corpor ation ▁consisting ▁of ▁a ▁mayor , ▁ 1 2 ▁al der men ▁and ▁ 3 6 ▁coun c ill ors ▁replaced ▁the ▁board , ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁elections ▁held ▁on ▁ 1 ▁November . ▁The ▁first ▁mayor ▁was ▁John ▁Me es on , ▁head ▁of ▁a ▁local ▁l ime ▁burning ▁and ▁c ement ▁making ▁firm , ▁and ▁a ▁former ▁chairman ▁of ▁West ▁Ham ▁Local ▁Board . ▁ ▁Local ▁government ▁– ▁County ▁Bor ough ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁the ▁bor ough ▁was ▁large ▁enough ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁population ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁county ▁bor ough ▁and ▁was ▁outside ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁responsibility ▁of ▁Es sex ▁County ▁Council ▁– ▁though ▁still ▁formally ▁within ▁the ▁county . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁census ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁nin th ▁most ▁popul ous ▁district ▁in ▁England ▁with ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 6 7 , 3 0 8 .[ 4 ] ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁it ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁the ▁County ▁Bor ough ▁of ▁East ▁Ham ▁to ▁the ▁east , ▁the ▁municipal ▁bor ough s ▁of ▁W anst ead ▁and ▁Wood ford ▁and ▁Ley ton ▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁and ▁the ▁metropol itan ▁bor ough s ▁of ▁Pop lar ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁with ▁the ▁Th ames ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁with ▁ ▁Green wich ▁on ▁the ▁far ▁side . ▁ ▁West ▁Ham ▁within ▁Es sex ▁in ▁ 1 9 6