St George in the East (parish)
Encyclopedia
St George in the East was a parish in the metropolitan area of London
, England.
was completed in 1729 by the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches
.
in the Tower division
of the Ossulstone
hundred of Middlesex
. It was split off as a separate parish in 1729. Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
, it was a single parish for Poor Law
purposes.
The parish vestry became a local authority in the Metropolis in 1855, nominating one member to the Metropolitan Board of Works
. The board of works was replaced by the directly elected London County Council
in 1889 and its area of responsibly became the County of London
. St George in the East became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney
in 1900 and was abolished as a civil parish in 1927. The vestry hall was located on Cable Street and is still in existence.
It was initially part of the Middlesex
Parliament constituency and then the Tower Hamlets
constituency from 1832 to 1885. A St George
constituency was in existence from 1885 to 1918, and then it became part of Whitechapel and St Georges
, until it was abolished as a civil parish in 1927.
. In the west the boundary with Whitechapel fell just short of Back Church Lane. The parish of Wapping bordered it to the south, with Wapping forming a panhandle
in the west, dividing it from St Botolph Without Aldgate. The parish of Shadwell was to the east, and the parishes of Wapping and Shadwell almost met, giving St George in the East only a narrow frontage to the River Thames
of 53 feet (16.2 m).
Shadwell and St George's East railway station on the London and Blackwall was within the parish of St George, as was a large part of the London Docks
, which have since been filled in. It included parts of the contemporary districts of Shadwell
and Wapping
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England.
History
The parish was largely rural at the time of its creation, the main settlement a hamlet known as Wapping Stepney. The parish church of St George in the EastSt George in the East
St George in the East is an Anglican Church and one of six Hawksmoor churches in London, England, built from 1714 to 1729, with funding from the 1711 Act of Parliament...
was completed in 1729 by the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches
Commission for Building Fifty New Churches
The Commission for Building Fifty New Churches was an organisation set up by Act of Parliament in England in 1711, with the purpose of building fifty new churches for the rapidly growing conurbation of London...
.
Governance
It was part of the ancient parish of StepneyStepney (parish)
Stepney was an ancient civil and ecclesiastical parish in the historic county of Middlesex to the east and north east of the City of London, England.-Origins:...
in the Tower division
Tower division
The Tower Division was a liberty, a historical form of local government, in the ancient county of Middlesex, England. It was also known as the Tower Hamlets, and took its name from being under the special jurisdiction of the Constable of the Tower of London...
of the Ossulstone
Ossulstone
Ossulstone was an ancient hundred in the south east of the county of Middlesex, England. Its area has been entirely absorbed by the growth of London; and now corresponds to the part of Inner London that is north of the River Thames and, from Outer London, parts of the London boroughs of Barnet,...
hundred of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. It was split off as a separate parish in 1729. Following the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, sometimes abbreviated to PLAA, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government of Lord Melbourne that reformed the country's poverty relief system . It was an Amendment Act that completely replaced earlier legislation based on the...
, it was a single parish for Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
purposes.
The parish vestry became a local authority in the Metropolis in 1855, nominating one member to the Metropolitan Board of Works
Metropolitan Board of Works
The Metropolitan Board of Works was the principal instrument of London-wide government from 1855 until the establishment of the London County Council in 1889. Its principal responsibility was to provide infrastructure to cope with London's rapid growth, which it successfully accomplished. The MBW...
. The board of works was replaced by the directly elected London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
in 1889 and its area of responsibly became the County of London
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
. St George in the East became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney
Metropolitan Borough of Stepney
The Metropolitan Borough of Stepney was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London created in 1900. In 1965 it became part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.-Boundaries:...
in 1900 and was abolished as a civil parish in 1927. The vestry hall was located on Cable Street and is still in existence.
It was initially part of the Middlesex
Middlesex (UK Parliament constituency)
Middlesex is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885....
Parliament constituency and then the Tower Hamlets
Tower Hamlets (UK Parliament constituency)
Tower Hamlets was a parliamentary borough constituency in, Middlesex, England from 1832 to 1885. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
constituency from 1832 to 1885. A St George
St George (UK Parliament constituency)
St George was a parliamentary constituency in what is now the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was part of the Parliamentary borough of Tower Hamlets and returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
constituency was in existence from 1885 to 1918, and then it became part of Whitechapel and St Georges
Whitechapel and St Georges (UK Parliament constituency)
Whitechapel and St George's was a parliamentary constituency in east London, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, until it was abolished as a civil parish in 1927.
Geography
Much of the northern boundary of the parish with Mile End Old Town ran alongside Commercial RoadCommercial Road
Commercial Road , in length, is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. It runs from "Gardener's Corner" , through Stepney to the junction with Burdett Road , Limehouse from which point the route becomes the East India Dock Road...
. In the west the boundary with Whitechapel fell just short of Back Church Lane. The parish of Wapping bordered it to the south, with Wapping forming a panhandle
Panhandle
A panhandle is an informal geographic term for an elongated arm-like protrusion of a geo-political entity, such as a subnational entity or a sovereign state.-Term:...
in the west, dividing it from St Botolph Without Aldgate. The parish of Shadwell was to the east, and the parishes of Wapping and Shadwell almost met, giving St George in the East only a narrow frontage to the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
of 53 feet (16.2 m).
Shadwell and St George's East railway station on the London and Blackwall was within the parish of St George, as was a large part of the London Docks
London Docks
The London Docks were one of several sets of docks in the historic Port of London. They were constructed in Wapping downstream from the City of London between 1799 and 1815, at a cost exceeding £5½ million. Traditionally ships had docked at wharves on the River Thames, but by this time, more...
, which have since been filled in. It included parts of the contemporary districts of Shadwell
Shadwell
Shadwell is an inner-city district situated within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets located on the north bank of the Thames between Wapping to the south and Ratcliff to the east...
and Wapping
Wapping
Wapping is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets which forms part of the Docklands to the east of the City of London. It is situated between the north bank of the River Thames and the ancient thoroughfare simply called The Highway...
.