About
this area
Here we
are in a very old part of London.
Though now it seems to be part and parcel of the same area, in 1891 it
was still possible to perceive the old village communities.
Whitehapel had become
notorious in the Autumn of 1888 for the activities of the mass murderer known
as Jack the Ripper. Over a
period of only four months he murdered several prostitutes in this area –
certainly four and possibly eight young women.
If you are particularly interested in him and these women I suggest you look
at Whitechapel as found by a Google search.
Historically,
the place is named after the original White Chapel of St Mary’s, destroyed in
World War II.
It is
where the world famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry is still to be found –
it can be visited on Saturdays. The
present buildings date from 1670 (newly rebuilt after the Great Fire of London)
but the foundry was established in 1570 since when there has been an unbroken
line of founders here. Famous bells
cast include the original Liberty Bell, 1752 and the Great Bell of
Montreal. In addition, Big Ben, to be heard hourly in London chiming
the hours at the tower of the Houses of Parliament, was cast in 1858. It is the
largest bell ever cast by the foundry;
it weighs 13 .5 tons.
Spitalfields is now best known
for its markets which include Petticoat Lane, Brick Lane and Spitalfields
itself. The name, spitalfields
originates from a hospital known as St Mary’s (ho)Spital. The market was first established in 1682 as
a fruit and vegetable market. It is now
also a lively crafts and antique market.
The area
was once occupied by silk weavers, mostly refugees of Huguenot origin who
arrived in the late 18th century, followed by Jewish tailors from
Russia and Poland and now is home to a considerable Bangladeshi community who
use the old Christ Church (Hawksmoor, 1728) venue as a mosque.
St
George in the East is another of Nicholas Hawksmoor’s Churches dating from
1714 – 1729 while in Shadwell was the old London
Workhouse. Charles II had granted a
charter for a fair and market here but by the early twentieth century this was
derelict and the old fish market together with many old streets was pulled
down to be replaced by the Edward VII
Memorial Park. This lovely open space
now gave access for the first time to the Thames embankment from the Tower to
the Isle of Dogs.
Point
to ponder:
If you
ever come across a family in a census return where the head of the family is
shown as married but their partner is not shown enumerated with them, it is
worthwhile looking at the census returns for the Institutions, particularly the
Workhouses, Hospitals, Lunatic Asylums, and Prisons.
With
all these interesting streets to wander through, just think how much more
interesting it would be for you if you were a member of this group of volunteer
transcribers.
Please contact one of us
now for further information.