88-768: The Blizard Building is a building in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets . It houses the Blizard Institute , formerly known as the Blizard Institute of Cell and Molecular Science , part of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry . The building is named after William Blizard , who founded the London Hospital Medical College in 1785. The building was commissioned in Autumn 2000, and designed by
176-570: A World War II bomb destroyed the Stepney Congregational Church in 1941 was secured for the farm's use. The Stepney Historical Trust was set up in 1989 to advance the public's education on the history of Stepney and the surrounding areas. It is based in the London Dockers Athletic and Social Club and has installed a series of plaques on sites of historic interest. Jewish Care was created in 1990 by
264-619: A central yard, and connected to each other by a multi-coloured glass walkway. The glass cladding of the pavilions includes some coloured panels designed by the artist Bruce McLean , depicting images inspired by molecular science. The walkway also provides access to the Neuron Pod, a free standing steel structure located at the northern end of the central yard. The pod is modelled on a nerve cell, and covered with hundred of plastic filaments, designed to look like hairs. These filaments are illuminated by optical fibres powered by projectors inside
352-564: A dome and minaret was built in the heart of Whitechapel, attracting thousands of worshippers every week, and it was further expanded with the London Muslim Centre in 2004. A library, the Whitechapel Idea Store , constructed in 2005 at a cost of £12 million by William Verry to a design by David Adjaye , was nominated for the 2006 Stirling Prize . Stepney#Manor and Ancient Parish Stepney
440-501: A large sum for a schoolmaster to teach literacy, numeracy and the "principles of the Church of England" to forty boys of the parish. In the same deed Henry and Sarah Gullifer undertook to provide for the education of thirty poor girls; namely a schoolmistress was to teach them the "catechism, reading, knitting, plain sewing, and any other useful work". In 1701 an unknown donor gave the foundation £1,000 (equivalent to £190,000 in 2023) so
528-572: A long history of local action, was set up in 1982 as the St Mary's Centre to respond to the severe housing and social deprivation in the area. The name was later changed to Stepney Community Trust. Stepney City Farm is a city farm which provides a number of community services, such as guided tours, workshops and other activities., was founded in 1979 by Lynne Bennett; at that time it was called Stepping Stones. Local residents, schools, churches and community groups were consulted and wasteland left after
616-638: A parish, due to its large population, area and the diversity of urban, rural and maritime industries. Stepney formed a large Ancient Parish in the Tower division of the Ossulstone hundred of Middlesex . The parish included the hamlets of Mile End Old Town , Mile End New Town , Ratcliff , Wapping-Stepney , Bow , Shadwell , Bethnal Green , Limehouse and Poplar . The Hamlets were territorial sub-divisions (as opposed to small villages), which ultimately became independent daughter parishes. The origin of
704-592: A reputation for severe poverty, overcrowding, and the social problems that came with it. William Booth began his Christian Revival Society , preaching the gospel in a tent, erected in the Friends Burial Ground , Thomas Street, Whitechapel, in 1865. Others joined his Christian Mission , and on 7 August 1878 the Salvation Army was formed at a meeting held at 272 Whitechapel Road. A statue commemorates both his mission and his work in helping
792-537: A section of the originally Roman Road from the Aldgate to Colchester , a route that later became known as the Great Essex Road . Population growth resulting from ribbon development along this route, led to the creation of the parish of Whitechapel, a daughter parish of Stepney , from which it was separated, in the 14th century. Whitechapel has a long history of having a high proportion of immigrants within
880-696: A troupe of refugee professional actors. He enlisted the help of local amateurs, and the Russian Jewish Operatic Company made their debut at the Beaumont Hall, close to Stepney Green tube station . Within two years they were able to establish their own theatre in Brick Lane . Stepney Green railway station was opened in 1902 by the Whitechapel and Bow Railway , a joint venture between the District Railway and
968-467: A young writer and philanthropist, Leonard Montefiore, who at the time of his death in 1879 was known for his philanthropic work in the East End of London. Montefiore attended Balliol College, Oxford , where his posthumous memoir reports that he was a devotee of John Ruskin . Whilst at Balliol he became a friend of Oscar Wilde , who after Montefiore's death allegedly proposed to his sister Charlotte. He
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#17328025249091056-423: A zinc cladding system. The building was awarded the 2006 RIBA award and the 2006 Civic Trust Award . The eastern pavilion contains the main research facilities, including the underground laboratories, as well as office spaces and study areas. The western pavilion contains the main entrance, a waiting area, a café, additional research facilities and a 400-seat lecture theatre. The Neuron Pod located in between
1144-517: Is a legacy of that part of the community. Writing of the period 1883–1884, Yiddish theatre actor Jacob Adler wrote, "The further we penetrated into this Whitechapel, the more our hearts sank. Was this London? Never in Russia, never later in the worst slums of New York, were we to see such poverty as in the London of the 1880s." This endemic poverty drove many women to prostitution. In October 1888
1232-526: Is aimed at getting children from the local area interested in science and research. In the third episode of the third series of the BBC crime drama Luther , broadcast in 2013, the Blizard Building was used as the filming location for a scene in which DCI John Luther ( Idris Elba ) meets Mary Day ( Sienna Guillory ). Whitechapel Whitechapel is an area in London, England, and is located in
1320-465: Is an area in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London . Stepney is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name was applied to a much larger manor and parish. Stepney Green is a remnant of a larger area of Common Land formerly known as Mile End Green. The area was built up rapidly during
1408-469: Is an area of exceptional architectural and historic interest, with a character and appearance worthy of protection and enhancement. It is situated just north of the medieval village of Stepney, which was clustered around St. Dunstan's Church. Stepney Green developed as a street of residential housing off the Mile End Road in the 15th century, and now refers to the area in north Stepney. A brewery
1496-513: Is not known whether this naming came from the Jewish widow of the London merchant, who made his living selling war salvage, or from a later resident, the military surgeon Edward Lee. It was home to a variety of small businesses including a bookmaker and a printer, before being occupied in 1910 by the Union of Stepney Ratepayers. The Leonard Montefiore memorial fountain on Stepney Green is named for
1584-428: Is recorded as being founded (or more likely rebuilt ) by Dunstan himself in 952, and as the first church in the manor, will have served the whole of that landholding. The proto-parish of Stepney will therefore have covered the same area as the manor. Hackney appears to have been an early daughter parish of Stepney; a church at Hackney is first mentioned in 1275 but is likely to have been in place before then. From
1672-468: Is still home to Freedom Press, the anarchist publishing house founded by Charlotte Wilson . On Sunday 4 October 1936, the British Union of Fascists led by Oswald Mosley , intended to march through the East End, an area with a large Jewish population. The BUF mustered on and around Tower Hill and hundreds of thousands of local people turned out to block the march. There were violent clashes with
1760-507: Is thought to have been at Ratcliff , just under one-half mile (800 metres) south of St Dunstan's Church . Historically, Stepney was a very large manor and Ancient Parish which covered most of what would become the East End . From 1900 to 1965 the place-name was applied to the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney , which in 1965 became the south-west part of the new London Borough of Tower Hamlets which currently administers
1848-461: The Aldgate on the Roman Road to Essex resulted in significant population growth, so a chapel of ease , dedicated to St Mary was established so people did not have to make the longer journey to Stepney's parish church St Dunstans . The earliest known rector was Hugh de Fulbourne in 1329. Whitechapel takes its name from that church, St Mary Matfelon , which like the nearby White Tower of
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#17328025249091936-729: The Chief Minister of West Bengal . Also in 2022 a historical marker was placed in Whitechapel, on the site of the former Adler House at the junction of Adler and Coke Streets by the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation UK Branch. Adler House was named in honour of the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, Herman Adler, 1891–1911. The marker recognises the significance of Whitechapel as
2024-579: The City of London that had attracted them. The Whitechapel Mount was a large, probably artificial mound, of unknown origin, that stood on the south side of Whitechapel Road, about 1200 metres east of the Aldgate , immediately west of the modern Royal London Hospital. The Mount is widely believed to have formed part of London's defences during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in the mid-17th century. This
2112-466: The East End " as the very large parish covered most of what would become inner East London, before population growth led to the creation of a large number of daughter parishes. It is also known as "The Church of the High Seas" due to its traditional maritime connections. In 1720 the historian John Strype wrote that Stepney (together with its daughter parishes) should be esteemed a province rather than
2200-429: The East End of London , the contracted area now known as Stepney was sparsely populated until the 19th century, with a population focussed on scattered farms and small hamlets. The urbanisation of the area was driven by the maritime trades along the river, as well as ribbon development along the Mile End Road . Other factors included the development of London's docks and railways, combined with slum clearance, which pushed
2288-703: The House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Rushanara Ali of the Labour Party . London overall has a directly elected executive Mayor of London , currently Sadiq Khan , and the City and East seat in the London Assembly is held by the Labour Party's Unmesh Desai . Tower Hamlets London Borough Council is the local authority and also has a directly elected executive mayor,
2376-458: The London Borough of Tower Hamlets . It is in east London and part of the East End . It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough town centre. Whitechapel is located 3.4 miles (5.5 km) east of Charing Cross . The district is primarily built around Whitechapel High Street and Whitechapel Road , which extend from the City of London boundary to just east of Whitechapel station . These two streets together form
2464-585: The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway . The station passed to London Underground in 1950. In the early 20th century, Stepney was one of the most Jewish neighbourhoods in England; it was eventually superseded as such by Stamford Hill . On 31 July 1987 the Docklands Light Railway , which operated over the old LBR line, commenced operations, with new platforms (platforms 3 and 4) built on
2552-533: The Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs . Stepney has local councillors from three wards, St Dunstan's, Bethnal Green and Stepney Green. The Stepney Green Conservation Area was designated in January 1973, covering the area previously known as Mile End Old Town. It is a large Conservation Area with an irregular shape that encloses buildings around Mile End Road, Assembly Passage, Louisa Street and Stepney Green itself. It
2640-431: The Metropolitan Borough of Poplar to form the new London Borough of Tower Hamlets . The new borough of Tower Hamlets covered only part of the historic Tower Division (or Tower Hamlets). At the same time, the area became part of the new Greater London , which replaced the older, smaller County of London . Whitechapel, along with areas such as neighbouring Shoreditch , Holborn (west of the city) and Southwark (south of
2728-623: The Metropolitan Police estimated that there were 1,200 prostitutes "of very low class" resident in Whitechapel and about 62 brothels. Reference is specifically made to them in Charles Booth 's Life and Labour of the People in London , especially to dwellings called Blackwall Buildings belonging to Blackwall Railway. Such prostitutes were numbered amongst the 11 Whitechapel murders (1888–91), some of which were committed by
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2816-553: The Tower Division (also known as the Tower Hamlets) . The role of the Tower Division ended when Whitechapel became part of the new County of London in 1889, and most civil parish functions were removed when the area joined the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney in 1900. In 1965 there was a further round of changes when the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney merged with the Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green and
2904-676: The Tower of London was at one time whitewashed to give it a prominent and attractive appearance. The etymology of the Matfelon element is unclear and apparently unique. Around 1338, Whitechapel became an independent parish, with St Mary Matfelon , originally a chapel of ease within Stepney, becoming the parish church. Whitechapel's spine is the old Roman Road, that ran from the Aldgate on London's Wall , to Colchester in Essex ( Roman Britannia's first capital), and beyond. This road, which
2992-488: The gavelkind method of inheritance, a custom largely limited to Kent . St Dunstan's has a long association with the sea, with the parish of Stepney being responsible for registration of British maritime births, marriages and deaths until the 19th century. From the Tudor era onwards, the parish-level was responsible for mitigating the poverty of people born in the area. Stepney's additional responsibility for those born at sea
3080-422: The 1100s, the development and improvement in enforcement of Canon law made it difficult to form new parishes, so Hackney seems likely to have formed an independent parish in the 12th century, with the district remaining a sub-manor of Stepney. It was usual for one or more manors to form a parish, but the manor of Stepney's great size meant that this was reversed with two parishes (Stepney and Hackney ) serving
3168-411: The 1660s. The system of copyhold , whereby land was leased to tenants for terms as short as seven years, prevailed throughout the manor. This severely limited scope for improvement of the land and new building until the estate was broken up in the 19th century. St Dunstan's Church was founded (or rebuilt) around 952, by St Dunstan himself when he was Bishop of London , and therefore also Lord of
3256-557: The 19th century, mainly to accommodate immigrant workers and poor families displaced from London. It developed a reputation for poverty, overcrowding, violence and political dissent. It was severely damaged during the Blitz , with over a third of housing destroyed; and then, in the 1960s, slum clearance and development replaced most residential streets with tower blocks and modern housing estates. Some Georgian architecture and Victorian era terraced housing remain such as Arbour Square ,
3344-598: The BUF around Tower Hill, but most of the violence occurred as police tried to clear a route through the crowds for the BUF to follow. The police fought protesters at nearby Cable Street – the series of clashes becoming known as the Battle of Cable Street – and Tower Hill, but the largest confrontations took place at Aldgate and Whitechapel, notably at Gardiner's Corner , at the junction of Leman Street , Commercial Street and Whitechapel High Street . The Halal restaurant on
3432-466: The City of London boundary, originally marked by Aldgate Bars around 180 metres east of the Aldgate itself, to vicinity of the junction with Cambridge Heath Road where it met the boundaries of Mile End and Bethnal Green . The northern boundary included Wentworth Street and parts of Old Montague Street. The parish also included an area around Goodman's Fields , close to the City and south of St Mary's,
3520-544: The Manor of Stepney. Many bishops lived in the manor and Dunstan may have done the same. The church was dedicated to Dunstan after he was canonised in 1029, making him the patron saint of Stepney. The bells of the church, cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry , appear in the nursery rhyme , Oranges and Lemons " 'When will that be'? say the bells of Stepney" The church is known as "The Mother Church of
3608-599: The Other Half Lives , donned ragged clothes and boarded in Whitechapel, detailing his experiences in The People of the Abyss . The Siege of Sidney Street (also known as the Battle of Stepney , after the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney of which Whitechapel was part) in January 1911 was a gunfight between police and military forces, and Latvian revolutionaries. Then Home Secretary Winston Churchill took over
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3696-625: The Pavilion this way: "A large East-end theatre capable of holding considerably over 3,000 persons. Melodrama of a rough type, farce, pantomime, &c. " In the early 20th century it became the home of Yiddish theatre, catering to the large Jewish population of the area, and gave birth to the Anglo-Jewish 'Whitechapel Boys' avant-garde literary and artistic movement. Since at least the 1970s, Whitechapel and other nearby parts of East London have figured prominently in London's art scene. Probably
3784-691: The Ripper . These factors and others have led to Whitechapel being seen by many as the embodiment of London's East End, and for that reason it is often used to represent the East End in art and literature . Landmarks include Tower Hamlets Town Hall, the Royal London Hospital and the East London Mosque . Whitechapel was originally part of the Manor and Parish of Stepney , but population growth resulting from its position just outside
3872-454: The Thames), was one of London's earlier extra-mural suburbs. Beyond controls of the City of London Corporation , Whitechapel was used for more polluting and land-intensive industries the city market demanded, such as tanneries, builders' goods yards, laundries, clothes dyers, slaughterhouse -related work, soaperies, and breweries. Whitechapel was strongly notable for foundries, foremost of which
3960-800: The Women's rights activist Emily Faithfull in her book "Three Visits to America" published in 1884 Montefiore died " While he was visiting the United States, in order to see for himself what could be learned from the political and social condition of the people, must ever be deplored. The world can ill afford to lose men of such deep thought and energetic action. " The memorial fountain has the following poem engraved on its side: "Clear brain and sympathetic heart, A spirit on flame with love for man, Hands quick to labour, slow to part, If any good since time began, A soul can fashion such souls can." In 1883, Jacob P. Adler arrived in London with
4048-761: The architect Will Alsop . Construction began in November 2003, with AMEC as the main contractor, and was completed in March 2005, at a cost of £45 million. It was officially opened in October 2005 by The Princess Royal . Construction on a £2 million extension in the form of a Neuron Pod began in April 2018 and was completed in March 2019. This extension, also designed by Alsop, was one of his last works, as he died one month after construction began. The building consists of two glass-clad and steel-framed pavilions, separated by
4136-580: The area's most prominent art venue is the Whitechapel Art Gallery , founded in 1901 and long an outpost of high culture in a poor neighbourhood. As the neighbourhood has gentrified, it has gained citywide, and even international, visibility and support. From 2005 the gallery underwent a major expansion, with the support of £3.26 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The expanded facility opened in 2009. Whitechapel in
4224-467: The area. There is currently a Stepney episcopal area in the Anglican Diocese of London , which covers the London boroughs of Hackney , Islington and Tower Hamlets , and has its own suffragan bishop . The area of Stepney has had no local government definition since 1965, but is used to refer to the whole former parish and also to a relatively small area within it. For hundreds of years
4312-560: The centre of British Jewish refugee life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Local council facilities will be grouped within the old Royal London Hospital building as a civic centre. The local library , now called an Idea Store is located on Whitechapel Road . Whitechapel Road was the location of two 19th-century theatres: The Effingham (1834–1897) and The Pavilion Theatre (1828–1935; building demolished in 1962). Charles Dickens Jr. (eldest child of Charles Dickens ), in his 1879 book Dickens's Dictionary of London , described
4400-579: The children might be suitably clothed as well as educated. Between 1783 and 1830 the school received twenty gifts totalling over £5,000. Typical income seems to have been about £500 per year, which was much more than most vicar's and rector's livings, net. Supporting modern education, the Davenant Centre continues and the Davenant Foundation School has, since 1966, been based at Loughton in Essex . The London Infirmary
4488-429: The civil and ecclesiastical boundaries differed from that point on. By 1890 the ancient parish was divided between 67 ecclesiastical parishes (a number later greatly reduced) which had little relation to the civil parish boundaries. In 1866 the rump civil parish of Stepney came to an end when its three component hamlets (Mile End New Town, Ratcliff and Mile End Old Town) became independent civil parishes. As with most of
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#17328025249094576-472: The community. From the late 19th century until the late 20th century the area had a very high Jewish population, and it subsequently became a significant settlement for the British Bangladeshi community. Whitechapel and neighbouring Spitalfields were the locations of the infamous 11 Whitechapel murders (1888–91), some of which were attributed to the unidentified serial killer known as Jack
4664-656: The displaced poor and various immigrants looking for work into cheap housing being built in the area. The Trinity Green Almshouses were built in 1695 to provide housing for retired sailors. They are the oldest almshouses in Central London . Malplaquet House is named after the Battle of Malplaquet , one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession , which took place in France in 1709. However, it
4752-766: The district's Manor house, is from 1207, but the Bishop may have had a home in the Manor long before. The house was first known as Bishopswood, and later Bishops Hall or Bonner Hall , and was on a site in Bethnal Green later occupied by the London Chest Hospital . Edward VI passed Stepney to the Wentworth family, and thence to their descendant, the Earl of Cleveland . The Manors of Stepney and Hackney were linked, until they passed into separate ownership in
4840-425: The early 21st century has figured prominently in London's punk rock and skuzz rock scenes, with the main focal point for this scene being Whitechapel Factory and Rhythm Factory bar, restaurant, and nightclub. This scene includes the likes of The Libertines, Zap!, Nova , The Others , Razorlight, and The Rakes, all of whom have had some commercial success in the music charts. The total population of Whitechapel in 2021
4928-407: The eastern side of Stepney Green, and the streets around Matlock Street. The first surviving record of the place name is from around 1000 AD as Stybbanhyð , "Stybba's hyð"; hyð developed into hithe (meaning landing-place) in modern English, so "Stybba's landing-place". The parish of Stebbing in Essex also appears to have taken its name from an individual called Stybba. The hithe itself
5016-424: The historic station which underwent a massive redevelopment that started in 2010. In order to prepare for Crossrail, in January 2016, the old Whitechapel station was closed for refurbishment and modernisation work in order to improve services and increase capacity in the station. The Royal London Hospital was closed and re-opened behind the original site in 2012 in a brand new building costing £650m. The old site
5104-496: The junction of St Mark Street and Alie Street opened in 1939 to serve the many Indian seamen living in the area. It is now the oldest Indian restaurant in East London. Whitechapel remained poor through the first half of the 20th century, though somewhat less desperately so. It suffered great damage from enemy bombers during the Blitz , and from the subsequent German V-weapon attacks. The parish church, St Mary Matfelon ,
5192-612: The leading city of the nation that had invented modern capitalism. He concluded that English poverty was far rougher than the American variety. The juxtaposition of the poverty, homelessness, exploitative work conditions, prostitution, and infant mortality of Whitechapel and other East End locales with some of the greatest personal wealth the world has ever seen made it a focal point for leftist reformers and revolutionaries of all kinds, from George Bernard Shaw , whose Fabian Society met regularly in Whitechapel, to Vladimir Lenin , led rallies in Whitechapel during his exile from Russia. The area
5280-413: The legendary serial killer known as " Jack the Ripper ". These attacks caused widespread terror in the district and throughout the country and drew the attention of social reformers to the squalor and vice of the area, even though these crimes remain unsolved today. London County Council , founded 1889, helped deliver investment in new housing and slum clearance ; objectives which were a popular cause at
5368-440: The mass mobilisation of the local Bengali community. The gardens of the former churchyard were later renamed Altab Ali Park in his memory. The Metropolitan line between Hammersmith and Whitechapel was withdrawn in 1990 and shown separately as a new line called the Hammersmith & City line . Crossrail calls at Whitechapel station on the Elizabeth line . Eastbound services will be split into two branches after leaving
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#17328025249095456-414: The neighbouring parish of Shoreditch is obscure, but it primarily served the manors of Hoxton and Haggerston , both manors recorded at Domesday in 1086, together with a part of the Manor of Stepney. The parish church, St Leonard's, Shoreditch , was built on land that was part of the Manor of Stepney. The manor of Hoxton , or a manor called Hoxton, was in Shoreditch, yet in 1352 is recorded as part of
5544-461: The operation, and his presence caused a political row over the level of his involvement during the time. His biographers disagreed and claimed that he gave no operational commands to the police, but a Metropolitan Police account states that the events of Sidney Street were "a very rare case of a Home Secretary taking police operational command decisions". The Freedom Press , a socialist publishing house, thought it worthwhile to explore conditions in
5632-422: The parish church. The area became an independent parish around 1338. At that time parish areas only had an ecclesiastical (church) function, with parallel civil parishes being formed in the Tudor period. The original purpose of the civil parishes was poor relief. The area was part of the historic (or ancient) county of Middlesex , but military and most (or all) civil county functions were managed more locally, by
5720-408: The parish of Hackney. It is not clear if or how these links led to the inclusion of the parish of Shoreditch in the Tower Division . The Manor of Stepney was held by the Bishop of London, but the Constable of the Tower of London had important rights and responsibilities in the area. The Constable had responsibilities for the Thames below the Tower and for the care of parts of the Lea . In return
5808-410: The people of the area helped garrison the Tower. The early origin of these arrangements is obscure and the first surviving record of the military obligation dates from 1554, but is thought to be much older, with varying estimates in the post-Norman medieval period. These arrangements evolved into the creation of the Tower Division, also known as the Tower Hamlets . The manor was unusual in practising
5896-401: The pod. The larger, eastern pavilion contains a large, open void, allowing light natural light to reach the open-plan research laboratories located on the lower ground floor. Four, smaller, multipurpose pods of various shapes and sizes are suspended above this void. The smaller, narrower western pavilion houses the electrical and mechanical machinery required to power the building, hidden behind
5984-433: The poor. The population grew quickly with migrants from the English countryside and further afield. Many of these incomers were Irish or Jewish. Western Whitechapel, and neighbouring areas of Wapping, became known as Little Germany due to the large numbers of German people who came to the area; many of these people, and their descendants, worked in the sugar industry. The St George's German Lutheran Church on Alie Street
6072-503: The rump of Stepney consisted of three hamlets; Mile End New Town (which was detached from the rest), Ratcliffe and Mile End Old Town (which included St Dunstan's church). This residual parish was 830 acres (340 ha) in extent. Until 1837, the boundaries of English civil and Church of England ecclesiastical boundaries were identical, but after that the Church of England sub-divided its parishes to suit local needs and circumstances, especially in densely populated areas such as Stepney, and
6160-428: The single manor of Stepney. For local government purposes, the parish sub-divided into Hamlets . The Domesday Book survey of 1086 gives the name as Stibanhede and says that the land was held by the Bishop of London and was 32 hides large, mainly used for ploughing, meadows, woodland for 500 pigs, and 4 mills. The survey recorded 183 households; 74 of villeins who ploughed the land, 57 of cottars who assisted
6248-428: The site of the old LBR platforms; at Stepney East which had been renamed Limehouse on 11 May that year. The Lord-Lieutenant Ken Olisa is His Majesty 's representative for Greater London, including Stepney. He has no political role and holds no office in any political party. The Lord Lieutenancy is purely an honorary titular position. Stepney is in the constituency of Bethnal Green and Stepney , represented in
6336-509: The term Stepney referred to the Manor and Ancient Parish of Stepney, with the first contemporary record of the Manor around the year 1000. The Manor covered an area stretching from the eastern edge of the City of London to the Lea and from Stamford Hill down to the Thames ; in this way covering an area equivalent to the modern borough of Tower Hamlets , as well as the district of Hackney (in
6424-485: The time. The "Elephant Man" Joseph Merrick (1862–1890) became well known in Whitechapel – he was exhibited in a shop on the Whitechapel Road before being helped by Frederick Treves (1853–1923) at the Royal London Hospital , opposite the actual shop. There is a museum in the hospital about his life. In 1902, American author Jack London , looking to write a counterpart to Jacob Riis 's seminal book How
6512-617: The two pavilions is home to the Centre of the Cell , a science education centre specifically aimed at children. The centre was opened by Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton in September 2009 and was initially located in one of the smaller pods within the main research building, but was relocated upon completion of the Neuron Pod in 2019. It is the first science education centre in the world to be located within biomedical research laboratories, and
6600-446: The villeins in return for a hut or cottage and 52 of bordars. This is estimated to have given the manor a total population of around a thousand people. Bishop William held this land in demesne , in the manor of Stepney, on the day on which King Edward was alive and dead. In the same vill Ranulph Flambard holds 3½ hides of the bishop. The Bishop of London held many other estates around London, and one of them, heavily wooded Hornsey,
6688-515: The wider modern borough of the same name). The origins of the Manor (and Vill ) are not known, but its large size, relatively rich soils and position so close to the walls of London have led to suggestions that the manor was the foundation grant of land made to the Bishop of London to support the creation of the new diocese of London (the East Saxon see ) at the time of the establishment of St Paul's Cathedral in 604 AD. St Dunstan's church
6776-519: Was 18,841. Bangladeshis are the largest ethnic group in the area, making up 40% of the Whitechapel ward total population. The East London Mosque at the end of Whitechapel Road is one of the largest mosques in Europe. The mosque group was established as early as 1910, and the demand for a mosque grew as the Sylheti community grew rapidly over the years. In 1985 this large, purpose built mosque with
6864-726: Was also influenced by Arnold Toynbee and Benjamin Jowett . Montefiore was chief assistant to Samuel Barnett in his work regarding the extension of Oxford University to London, and was secretary of the Tower Hamlets branch of the Society for the Extension of University Teaching. The Jewish Encyclopedia says "Montefiore was associated with many philanthropic movements, especially with the movement for women's emancipation." Montefiore died at Newport, Rhode Island, aged 27. According to
6952-403: Was attached to Stepney as a remote exclave for a time (it was common practice for wooded exclaves to be attached to more intensely farmed and densely populated estates in that period). The sub-manor of Hornsey was not part of the original territory of Stepney but was subsequently attached as an administrative convenience, and detached once more around the late 13th century. The earliest record of
7040-625: Was badly damaged in a raid on 29 December 1940, a raid so damaging that it caused the Second Great Fire of London . The remains were demolished in 1952. St Mary's traced stone footprint and former graveyard remain, as part of Altab Ali Park . On 4 May 1978, three teenagers murdered Altab Ali , a 24 year old Bangladesh-born clothing worker, in a racially motivated attack, as he walked home after work. The attack took place on Adler Street, by St Mary's Churchyard, where St Mary Matfelon had previously stood. The reaction to his murder provoked
7128-481: Was either as part of a ring of fortifications known as the Lines of Communication which were in operation from 1642 to 1647, or additionally or alternatively, as one of the three forts which replaced that system of defence immediately afterwards. The mount was removed to allow residential development in 1807–1808. In 1680, Ralph Davenant (rector of the parish of Whitechapel), his wife and his sister-in-law bequeathed
7216-418: Was established as a voluntary hospital in 1740, and within a year soon moved from Finsbury to Prescot Street, a very densely populated and deprived part of southern Whitechapel. Its aim was "The relief of all sick and diseased persons and, in particular, manufacturers, seamen in the merchant service and their wives and children". The hospital moved to the then largely rural Whitechapel Road site in 1757, and
7304-617: Was founded in 1738 that developed into Charrington and Co. in 1897. The brewery building, the Anchor Brewery, was on the north side of Mile End Road , opposite Stepney Green; and is now the site of the Anchor Retail Unit, owned by Henderson Global Investors , though the Brewery Offices still remain on the corner of Mile End Road and Cephas Avenue. The Stepney Community Trust, a community-led charity with
7392-462: Was later named the Great Essex Road , is now designated the A11 . This historic route has the names Whitechapel High Street and Whitechapel Road as it passes through, or along the boundary, of Whitechapel. For many centuries travellers to and from London on this route were accommodated at the many coaching inns which lined Whitechapel High Street. The area of the parish extended around 1400 metres from
7480-583: Was renamed the London Hospital. It became known as the Royal London Hospital on its 250th anniversary in 1990. The new building, adjacent to the old building it replaced, was opened in 2012. In 2023 the old hospital building became the new Tower Hamlets Town Hall , replacing the Mulberry Place site in Poplar . In common with many other parts of the East End of London , Whitechapel gained
7568-600: Was something of a burden. This maritime association is remembered in the old rhyme: "He who sails on the wide sea, is a parishioner of Stepney" The rapid growth in population meant that over time the parish was broken up. Hackney is thought to have become independent in the 12th century, Whitechapel in the 14th and Bromley in the 16th. Some sub-divisions for instance those that form Bethnal Green , Bow and Poplar are known to have been based on pre-existing hamlets forming new daughter parishes. Such parish divisions were unusual and required an act of Parliament. From 1819
7656-476: Was the Whitechapel Bell Foundry , which later cast Philadelphia 's Liberty Bell , Westminster's Big Ben , Bow Bells and more recently the London Olympic Bell in 2012. Population shifts from rural areas to London from the 17th century to the mid-19th century resulted in great numbers of more or less destitute people taking up residence amidst the industries, businesses and services ancillary to
7744-499: Was then repurchased by the local council to open a new town hall, replacing the existing Town Hall at Mulberry Place. In March 2022, Whitechapel station signs had "হোয়াইটচ্যাপেল" in Bengali installed. The British-Pakistani Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was "delighted" that the signage was installed ahead of Bangladesh Independence Day on 26 March. The installation was attended by Bangladeshi diplomats and Mamata Banerjee ,
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