▁town , ▁and ▁formerly ▁power ed ▁three ▁wat erm ills . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁evidence ▁that ▁the ▁area ▁around ▁West er ham ▁has ▁been ▁settled ▁for ▁thousands ▁of ▁years : ▁finds ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁C elt ic ▁fort ification ▁( c ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁BC ) ▁and ▁a ▁Roman ▁road ▁are ▁close ▁by , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁remains ▁of ▁a ▁Roman ▁enc amp ment ▁just ▁past ▁the ▁ru ins ▁of ▁a ▁tower ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁at ▁the ▁sum mit ▁of ▁Tower ▁Wood s . ▁ ▁The ▁tower ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁and ▁was ▁originally ▁constructed ▁by ▁the ▁own ers ▁of ▁S quer ry es ▁Court ▁as ▁a ▁fol ly ▁for ▁their ▁children ' s ▁am usement . ▁ ▁The ▁man or ▁was ▁originally ▁run ▁by ▁God win , ▁Earl ▁of ▁W esse x ▁and ▁later ▁by ▁his ▁son ▁Harold ▁God win son ▁the ▁last ▁Sax on ▁King ▁of ▁England . ▁The ▁first ▁Norman ▁lord ▁of ▁West er ham ▁was ▁E ust ace ▁II ▁of ▁Bou log ne , ▁and ▁the ▁town ▁appears ▁in ▁the ▁Dom es day ▁Book ▁as ▁O istre ham . ▁By ▁ 1 2 2 7 ▁Henry ▁III ▁granted ▁West er ham ▁a ▁market ▁char ter , ▁making ▁the ▁new ▁village ▁a ▁major ▁player ▁in ▁the ▁bu ying ▁and ▁s elling ▁of ▁cattle ▁in ▁Kent , ▁a ▁tradition ▁that ▁surv ived ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁when ▁the ▁last ▁cattle ▁market ▁was ▁held . ▁St ▁Mary ' s