Editing London Borough of Lewisham (section)

== History ==
The modern borough broadly corresponds to the area of the [[ancient parish]]es of [[Lee, London|Lee]] and [[Lewisham]], plus the later parish of [[Deptford St Paul]], created in 1730 when the ancient parish of [[Deptford]] was subdivided. (The other Deptford parish created in 1730, [[Deptford St Nicholas]], went instead to the borough of [[Royal Borough of Greenwich|Greenwich]].) Most of the area was historically in the county of [[Kent]], although Deptford St Paul straddled the boundary with [[Surrey]], with its [[chapelry]] of [[Hatcham]] (the area now known as [[New Cross]]) being in the latter county. From 1856 the area was governed by the [[Metropolitan Board of Works]], which was established to provide services across the [[metropolis]] of London.<ref>[[Metropolis Management Act 1855]] (18 & 19 Vict. c. 120)</ref>

In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the [[County of London]]. From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised various [[List of London vestries and district boards|parish vestries and district boards]]. In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into [[Metropolitan boroughs of the County of London|metropolitan boroughs]], two of which were [[Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham|Lewisham]] (covering the parishes of Lewisham and Lee) and [[Metropolitan Borough of Deptford|Deptford]] (covering the parish of Deptford St Paul).<ref>[[London Government Act 1899]] (62 & 63 Vict. c. 14)</ref>

The larger London Borough of Lewisham was created in 1965 under the [[London Government Act 1963]], as an amalgamation of the former area of the metropolitan boroughs of Lewisham and Deptford.<ref>[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10108676&c_id=10001043 Vision of Britain] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311174213/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10108676&c_id=10001043 |date=11 March 2007 }} – Lewisham LB</ref>

Minor boundary changes have occurred since its creation. The most significant amendments were made in 1996, when the former area of the Royal Docks in [[Deptford]] was transferred from the [[Royal Borough of Greenwich|London Borough of Greenwich]].<ref>[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si1993/Uksi_19931276_en_1.htm OPSI] – The Greenwich and Lewisham (London Borough Boundaries) Order 1993</ref>