▁Th ames ▁and ▁R oding ▁and ▁their ▁mar sh es . ▁ ▁These ▁natural ▁boundaries ▁suggest ▁that ▁Little ▁Il ford ▁and ▁North ▁W ool wich ▁are ▁likely ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁part ▁of ▁Ham ( m ). ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁recorded ▁use ▁of ▁West ▁Ham , ▁as ▁distinct ▁from ▁East ▁Ham , ▁is ▁in ▁ 1 1 8 6 ▁as ▁West h amma . ▁It ▁could ▁be ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁the ▁partition ▁arose ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁population ▁increase ▁resulting ▁from ▁economic ▁prosper ity ▁delivered ▁by ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁Bow ▁Bridge ▁over ▁the ▁Le a ▁and ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁Str at ford ▁Lang th or ne ▁Ab bey ▁ ▁The ▁boundary ▁between ▁West ▁and ▁East ▁Ham ▁was ▁drawn ▁from ▁the ▁now ▁lost ▁Ham fr ith ▁W aste ▁and ▁Ham fr ith ▁Wood ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁( then ▁the ▁southern most ▁parts ▁of ▁E pping ▁Forest ▁which ▁extended ▁as ▁far ▁south ▁as ▁the ▁Rom ford ▁Road ▁at ▁that ▁time ), ▁along ▁Green ▁Street ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁small , ▁similarly ▁lost , ▁natural ▁har bour ▁known ▁as ▁Ham ▁Creek . ▁ ▁Local ▁Government ▁– ▁An cient ▁Par ish ▁West ▁Ham ▁formed ▁a ▁large ▁ancient ▁parish ▁of ▁around ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁Be cont ree ▁hundred ▁of ▁Es sex . ▁The ▁parish ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁three ▁w ards : ▁Church - street , ▁Str at ford - L ang th or ne , ▁and ▁Pla ist ow . ▁The ▁parish ▁also ▁included ▁the ▁ham let ▁of ▁U pton . ▁ ▁Urban isation ▁West ▁Ham ▁under w ent ▁rapid