What is the London’s EAST END?
CONTENT of THIS CHAPTER
1. WHERE IS IT?. HOW IS IT LIKE?. A BIT OF HISTORY
2. THE EAST END IN POPULAR CULTURE
3. ILLUSTRIOUS EASTENDERS and EASTLONDONERS
4. BIBLIOGRAPHY, and other resources
WHERE in Greater London you will find the EAST END?
On the right-hand side map (that you can enlarge) I point to the TOWER OF LONDON. Slowly, direct your attention to the right of the map and you will see the meanders of the LEA RIVER and, a little further north, the adjacent channels. This is the LEA VALLEY. EAST of the valley, lies EAST LONDON. To the WEST of the Valley, the EAST END.
On the left-hand side map, I have outlined the main routes suggested in this guide
Are the NEWHAM districts part of the EAST END?. Answer and maps from LONDONIST. What about the districts of South HACKNEY?
The EAST END is a group of districts located immediately to the East of the CITY OF LONDON (remember, on the other side, where you are going to spend most of your time in London, is the WEST END; those are common geographical names in England).
All those neighbourhoods are part of the London Borough of TOWER HAMLETS, which extends up to the course of the RIVER LEA. Areas like SHOREDITCH or HOXTON, or HACKNEY, as well to the East of the CITY, which I will cover in future guide, are disputed whether they belong or not to the EAST END. In any case, they are districts belonging to the London Borough of HACKNEY. What about the East side of the LEA?. More controversy awaits you.
All of them, though, were extremely poor, industrial neighbourhoods, traditional receptors of immigration (due to their proximity to the port of arrival and the ease of finding work, in the port itself and in the numerous industries of the area). In the 19th, and first part of the 20th c. the Jews had 80 synagogues in the EAST END. Now, the mosques have clear predominance.
The industrialisation of the 19th century was unprecedented, in England. Few other countries reached the same levels of activity, at least at the start. And the use of steam was essential. Coal and steam suggest smoke. Since the winds normally blow from West to East, in the SE of England, it was common sense for the most polluting industries (and not just those that emitted smoke) to be established to the East of the metropolis.
Central government, parliament, royal palaces were already, for historical reasons (the foundation of that WEST MINSTER, in the 11th c. to the West of medieval London.
Aristocracy followed on the wake of power and money. They did not have to suffer from the problem of pollution, right?. Now, you understand the reason of this division in London: the most upmarked areas are to the West.
Deprived neighbourhoods with high crime rate, dangerous, unappealing for any respectable Victorians; these were areas of the metropolis where they did not have ever to be seen (and the population itself - the EASTENDERS - were considered avoidable and undesirable).
Unless they, at least some of the the middle and upper classes, intended, with good intentions, to improve their tough, painful lives and evangelise them. The wealthy, thus, founded MISSIONS, which were considered synonymous to those that headed to other continents, populated by beings considered sub-human, and that needed to be civilised. This supremacist and racist vision was very common in 19th century Europe.
These were the neighbourhoods that witnessed the murders of the "alleged" (no one ever identified him) JACK THE RIPPER, that shocked English society. 70 years earlier, though, the RATCLIFF HIGHWAY MURDERS had already scandalised London. In any case, the right-thinking society mobilized to promote some more well-being in these districts.
In 1902, another JACK - LONDON, the American writer - wanted to challenge the awful reputation of the place and went to THOMAS COOK, the travel agency, to hire a tour guide who would introduce him to the EAST END. The agency advised him: seek the company of the police, man, rather than that of a guide! From his experience living in the EAST END came the book THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS and good photos.
ERIC BLAIR, the future GEORGE ORWELL, did something similar, a few years later, living here as a beggar, and wrote DOWN AND OUT IN PARIS AND LONDON.
You do nou have to worry, dear reader, the EAST END has changed a lot in recent years. However, that is true, only a few years ago I would not have dared to write a guide about it, because I would not have thought that this was a destination ideal for visitors, unless you were interested in social history. In fact, if you think well, on the tourist maps that are still published the East almost does not exist...
It is certainly still a working class area, although the industry and the port have disappeared. TOWER HAMLETS is ranked as the SIXTH most deprived municipality in GREAT BRITAIN.
But, first, most areas are safe. And, despite the dominance, of the BANGLADESH community (32%), currently the population is very varied, also including numerous Europeans, especially from the East, this multiculturalism has given the area dynamism. And the coexistence of different is pretty good, although not perfect.
And the neighbourhoods are vividly alive. If visiting street markets is one of your favourite pastimes, wait and see…
Many districts have been gentrified. Old workers' houses, built in the 19th century have been restored and middle-class families have come to occupy the neighbourhood. With the consequent emergence of a different type of retail and hospitality. Expect to come across many independent coffee shops serving flat whites and less greasy spoons offering beans on toast.
The LONDON EAST END in POPULAR CULTURE
EASTENDERS and other portrayals in film, television, music and literature
Yiddish Theatre
Music Hall
HOXTON
WILTON’S. WAPPING
BRICK LANE. SILVERTOWN
Books
He knew well the EAST END
FAGIN. See ISAAC SALOMON, the fencer, in the following section
OSCAR WILDE
Opium dens
SAX ROHMER
DR. FU MANCHU
East End Jewish writers
ALEXANDER BARON
SIMON BLUMENFELD
COCKNEY & COCKNEYS
“Alan Partridge” (STEVE COOGAN) interviews a gangster
Click image
PIE & MASH and JELLIED EELS
Historical PIE & MASH restaurants (GODDARD’S is in GREENWICH. Do not miss the place… I mean GODDARD’S and GREENWICH!)
PEARLY KINGS & QUEENS
CRIME & CRIMINALS
THE KRAY TWINS and the other infamous gangs families of London
And still more London gangsters
“IKEY” SOLOMON, the inspiration for CHARLES DICKENS’ FAGIN
The WHITECHAPEL MURDERS: “JACK THE RIPPER”
The RATCLIFF HIGHWAY MURDERS: JOHN WILLIAMS (was he the actual murderer?)
More about EAST END CRIME
My colleagues, the Contemporary “RIPPERS”
As I do not consider myself an authority on the RIPPER, I will offer you a couple of contacts…:
MAXIMUM LONDINIUM is going to show you, with pleasure, and with all detail, all the nooks and crannies of the… entrails of the 5 (?) prostitutes murdered in 1888 in those streets you are willing to visit. And, if you speak French, still better…. l’EVENTREUR has gone Gallic.
And, what about BIRGIT DER AUFSCHLITZER?. The same. Only that you will get the whole story with German precision. Phone +44(0)7910431401
ILLUSTRIOUS EASTENDERS and EAST LONDONERS
CLAUDIUS ASH. Goldsmith and pioneer of false teeth
CLEMENT ATLEE. Statesman
LUCIE ATWELL. Illustrator
DAVID BAILEY. Photographer
TERRY BALDOCK. Boxer
The BARCLAYS and the GURNEYS. Bankers
(“DOCTOR) THOMAS BARNARDO. Philanthropist
The BARNETTS (HENRIETTA and CANNON SAMUEL). Philanthropists
And those were Some of their deeds
HAMSTEAD GARDEN SUBURB
WHITECHAPEL GALLERY
EAST END DWELLINGS
TOYNBEE HALL
LIONEL BART. Writer and composer
HARRY BECK. London Transport draughman
SIR DAVID BECKHAM. Footballer
New home. HOLLAND PARK
JACK KID BERG. Boxer
Plaque in CABLE ST.
ANNIE BESANT. Social reformer & political activist
HONOR BLACKMAN. Actor
CAPTAIN WILLIAM BLIGHT
SIDNEY BLOOM. Restaurateur
CATHERINE & WILLIAM BOOTH. Philanthropists
DANNY BOYLE . Film maker
RICHARD BRANDON. Executioner
STATUE IN CHARING CROSS (TRAFALGAR SQ)
TUBBY ISAAC BRENNER. Jellied eels & other seafood vendor
EDITH CAVELL. Nurse & War heroine
CARLESS & HALTERMANN. Entrepreneurs
THE 1966 CHAMPIONS : players BOBBY MOORE, MARTIN PETERS, and GEOFF HURST & ALF RAMSEY, football manager
BARKING ROAD. EAST HAM
I keep repeating: 1966 was a great year…
SARAH CHAPMAN. Leader of the “MATCHGIRLS” strike
SIR JACK COHEN. Entrepreneur
CAPTAIN JAMES COOK. Explorer
LAURIE CUNNINGHAM. Footballer
NELLIE CRESSALL. Suffragette & Mayor of Poplar
DANIEL DEFOE. Writer
JERMAINE DEFOE. Footballer & pundit
DUTCH CIGARMAKERS
DANNY DYER. Actor
“Mick Carter”
PASSMORE EDWARDS. Businessman & Philanthropist
From CORNWALL
IDRIS ELBA. Actor
TRACEY EMIN
DAN FARSON. Journalist, Writer, Publican
With PAUL RAYMOND, Owner of half SOHO
Living in NARROW ST.
The COLONY ROOM. SOHO
Dr. JOHN FOTHERHILL. Physician
ELIZABETH FRY. Prison Reformer
If you have this type of notes you will have to visit the building to the left of the photo to the right
ELIZABETH GARRET ANDERSON. Physician
GERMAN (& some FRENCH as well) SUGARBAKERS
The parliamentary leader of the anti-slavery movement
A playwright, poet and architect
The saviour of ST.PANCRAS STATION
Married to Royalty
A sugar refiner from WARRINGTON lies in its origins
MARK GERTLER. Artist
GILBERT & GEORGE. Artists
FOURNIER STREET
LEN GOULDEN. Footballer
WEST HAM UNITED star
The infamous Nazi salute by the English team. BERLIN 1938
LESLIE and LEW GRADE & BERNARD DELFONT. (the WINOGRADSKY BROTHERS). Showbizz entrepreneurs
KEIR HARDIE. Statesman
CANNING TOWN. Former HALL and LIBRARY
THEODOR HERZL. Statesman
SIR ALFRED HITCHCOCK. Cinema director
IRON MAIDEN
An Iron Maiden guitarist who turned down the chance to play professional soccer for West Ham
CH.N.KATZ. Shopkeeper. Strings and paper bags
The last Jewish shop in BRICK LANE
Mr.KATZ
GEORGE LANSBURY. Statesman
NINA FRANCES LAYARD. Poet, Pre-historian, Archeologist
See her findings in the IPSWICH MUSEUM
MURIEL & DORIS LESTER. Social activists
Next door BBB COMMUNITY CENTRE
CHILDREN’S CENTRE
Opened it
The LISTER family
MARIE LLOYD. Music Hall Star
DAME VERA LYNN. Actress & Singer
ELEANOR MARX. Social activist
JOSEPH MERRICK & SIR FREDERICK TREVES
DANIEL MENDOZA. Bare-knuckle Boxer and writer
His book
A distant cousin. Nope, not the Panther, the great actor. Honest!, it’s in WIKIPEDIA
“PEGGY MITCHELL”
The MOCATTA family. Businessmen and philanthropist
Fountain in ST.BOTOLPH BISHOPSGATE CHURCHYARD
FREDERICK DAVID
The MONTEFIORE family. Businessmen and philantropists
MOSES, the dynasty founder
Former school
STEPNEY. FOUNTAIN in honour of LEONARD
SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE.The current generation
WILLIAM MORRIS. Craftsman, Entrepreneur, Socialist
MERTON. You are going to enjoy the visit to the market. And WIMBLEDON is around the corner
THE RED HOUSE. BEXLEYHEATH. SE LONDON
LORD DAVID OWEN. Statesman
SYLVIA PANKHURST. Sufraggette and activist in defence of the disfavoured classes
WILLIAM PARKER, LORD MONTEAGLE
ALEXANDER PARKES. Entrepreneur
PLASTIC. First manufactured in HACKNEY WICK
DR. JAMES PARKINSON
WILLIAM HENRY PERKIN. Chemist and Discoverer
Professor Charles Rees—wearing a bow tie dyed with an original sample of mauveine—holding an RSC journal named after Perkin
BENJAMIN POLLOCK. Printer of toy theatres
JOSEPH PRIESTLEY. Scientist
HARRY REDKNAPP. Football manager
FREDERICK JOHN REDMAN. War hero, receptor of the George Cross
STRATFORD RAILWAY WORKS
ALLIOTT VERDON ROE. Pioneer of aviation
ISAAC ROSENBERG. Writer & painter
The university of the Jewish East End
The ROTHSCHILD family
NATHAN MAYER
MARCUS SAMUEL, the owner of THE SHELL SHOP of HOUNDSDITCH. Businessman
MARCUS SAMUEL JNR. FOUNDER OF SHELL and LORD MAYOR OF LONDON
LORD MAYOR
ABBE SAPERSTEIN. Basketball executive
VIDAL SASSOON. Hairdresser
S. SCHWARTZ. Grocer
JOANNA SCURR. Suffragette, Associate of S.Pankhurst
A fighter for the poor: Imprisoned councillor of POPLAR
SEQUERET and BOURDILLON. Weavers
FOURNIER.ST. HOLLAND HOUSE. For rent
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE, BEN JONSON, the BURBAGES and others. Professionals of the early English theatre (and, possibly, some of them, spies)
RICHARD BURBAGE
SMALL FACES
JOHN KEMP STARLEY. Inventor
TINCHY STRYDER. Singer, Raper and Designer
A British-Ghanaian
LORD ALAN MICHAEL SUGAR. Businessman & TV personality
BEN TILLETT. Docker & trade unionist
A road in the ISLE OF DOGS . A dockers decent pay
JOHN MALLORD WILLIAM TURNER. Painter. Publican?
DICK TURPIN. Apprentice butcher in Whitechapel. Well… a highwayman
BARBARA WINDSOR. Actor
WORKERS at the Eastern Counties Railway's Stratford Locomotive Works
In 1891 Stratford Works set a new world record for locomotive erection, the workforce assembling an 0-6-0 freight engine in just 9½ hours.
ISRAEL ZANGWILL. Writer
More info about notable figures of East London
BIBLIOGRAPHY & More Information
Only for local library members
You will find interesting local publications and exhibitions in the TOWER HAMLETS REFERENCE LIBRARY.
And look a those online self-guided walks !:
As you will see, there are quite a few links to the attractions, places, institutions, historical facts or figures... Of course you can search more if you are interested in having more information on a certain topic. Most of them are, logically, in English, but you could find some in your own language.
There are WIKIPEDIA articles about all the neighbourhoods, buildings and institutions, characters, historical facts, food... of London. You will find some of them in different languages.
And on YOU TUBE there are many videos about neighborhoods and attractions, again, mostly in English.
You will see that some websites are linked with many times, and you may be interested in consulting about other topics or places. Here you have them:
HIDDEN LONDON
A LONDON INHERITANCE
LONDON REMEMBERS
LONDONIST
ROMAN ROAD
YOUNG PERSON GUIDE 2 EAST LONDON
KIDDLE. For children
And HISTORICAL MAPS can also help you understand the evolution of the city, if you like history. As well as the BOOTH POVERTY MAPS and the predominance of the Jewish population.
Please, donate
SPARTACUS EDUCATIONAL
More information about the Jewish Community
Moré Info about the Chinese community
More info about the Bangladeshi Community
More info about the Suffragette movement
More info about the French Huguenot Community
More info about London’s Docks
More info about Breweries
Symbols and Abbreviations
In the guide there are these symbols:
>>>> MEANS that I am referring to places or topics that are dealt with later in the guide
<<<< MEANS all the opposite, that is, I have already talked about the place or topic before.
LU=London Underground Sta=Station
RD=ROAD ST=STREET LA=LANE GDNS=GARDENS SQ=SQUARE
SCDS= Santander Cycles Docking Station
DLR= Docklands Light Railway
LVRP= Lea Valley Regional Park
OOPP = Olympic and Paralympic
Oddities
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