{"id":1866,"date":"2021-04-19T15:02:12","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T14:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chctcrp.org.uk\/?page_id=1866"},"modified":"2021-08-25T12:33:59","modified_gmt":"2021-08-25T11:33:59","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/chctcrp.org.uk\/index.php\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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History<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Out of the Marsh<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The area\u2019s history goes back to the mid 19th century during the reign of Queen Victoria when marshy farmland known as the Plaistow Levels was claimed for dirty industry and poor quality low cost housing. Industrialists and jerry builders wanted to expand and escape the stricter bylaws developing in Inner London.\u00a0 The newly industrialising area across the new Lea Bridge came to be known as \u201cLondon Without\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>

Click here<\/a> for\u00a0 bird’s eye view down memory lane of\u00a0 a long forgotten neighbourhood in “London Without” now part of Keir Hardie Recreation Ground.<\/strong><\/h5>

Frederick Engels marveled at what he called the most advanced capitalism of its time. \u00a0In 1860 HMS Warrior, what was then the worlds largest iron ship, was launched from the Thames Iron Works (where a football team nicknamed the \u2018The Hammers\u2019 first emerged in 1895 with two payers transferred form the St. Luke’s team). \u00a0The Docks yards were dug in the 1870s to cope with the expansion of trade and development into the area continued.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The first community to spring out of the marsh was originally called \u2018Hallsville\u2019 then later \u2018Canning Town\u2019 thought to be named after John Canning the first Viceroy of India.<\/strong><\/p>

From the start living conditions in the area were squalid and that infrastructure persisted until World War 2.<\/strong><\/p>

In 1855 Charles Dickens\u2019s brother Alfred, a prominent social commentator, wrote a report highlighting the desperate conditions in the area and the increased risk of disease from the lack of sanitation.<\/strong><\/p>

In 1857 Charles Dickens himself wrote of the appalling, filthy conditions. \u00a0Despite paying the rates the local people did not benefit from drainage; instead they suffered stagnant open sewers that ran through the town leading to the easy spread of disease. (Click here for image)<\/a> Damp sub-standard housing was the norm and unsurprisingly mortality was much higher in these quarters than in the rest of London.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Two Responses<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There were different responses to this poverty and squalor.<\/strong><\/p>

  1. Missions came to the area from the range of Christian bodies. The Church of England was keen to care for the local people and create support systems for the improvement of their lives. In 1875, with the assistance of the philanthropic capitalist James Duncan (who first developed sugar refining at Silvertown and who supported the building of several churches of different denominations in the area as well as working men\u2019 clubs) St. Luke\u2019s was built and came to be known as known as the \u2018Cathedral of the East End\u2019.\u00a0 It is no coincidence that the inscription above the main door says \u201cCome unto me all ye that labour and I will give you rest\u201d<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/p><\/li>

  2. Some 30 years later Kier Hardie founded, in Canning Town, the Labour Representation Committee, which was eventually to become the Labour Party. \u00a0Hardie fought in Parliament for matters such as improvement in the conditions of the working people, women’s rights, free schooling and pensions.<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The original alter at St. Luke's<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The First World War saw thousands of men from the area enlist for the services. \u00a0Too many did not come back. \u00a0It is a testament to the poverty of the area that when the memorial was erected there was not sufficient funds to inscribe the names of those who ied for their country on it \u2013 perhaps there were too many?<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    War and Re-development<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    History took another brutal turn for Canning Town in September 1940 when the docks and surrounding factories were the focus for the worst aerial bombardment Britain saw.\u00a0 Civilian casualties were highest around London\u2019s docks and the worst single incident was the Hallsville School tragedy in September 1940 when many mothers and children died waiting for their evacuation bus which had mistakenly gone to Camden Town rather than Canning Town.<\/strong><\/p>

    Click here to read a letter written by Father Goose, the curate of St. Luke’s, at the height of the trauma 1940.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>

    The bombing had destroyed swathes of housing \u2013 up to 85% of the houses around the docks area. \u00a0Despite the national housing shortage it was decided that the majority of the remaining slum areas should also be demolished.<\/strong><\/p>

    The policy to build a better future was put into effect in 1948 with the building of the Keir Hardie estate consisting of solid houses and blocks that remain perfectly serviceable today.\u00a0 The rest of the redevelopment was postponed until the 1960s when the new A13 was cut through the community and when the industrial building boom was at its height.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    During this time, some of London\u2019s worst post war housing was built. Prefabricated housing blocks including the 22-story Ronan Point and its eight \u201csister\u201d blocks named after local Councillors of the time, were thrown up.\u00a0 In 1968 a gas explosion in Ronan Point led to a partial collapse of the building killing 14 people. This spelt the end of post war high rise building by councils.\u00a0 Social problems in the blocks blamed on the architecture led to the demolition of the blocks from the late 1980\u2019s onwards.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Hallsville Road September 1940<\/h6>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Click here for a glimpse of Father Goose’s role<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Decline and Abandonment<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Canning Town had always been a notoriously poor area but there had been work and this had attracted more immigrant labourers off the ships to work in the docks and factories.<\/strong><\/p>

    An early multi-racial working community had developed as is the case with other dock areas around the country. However, this world came crashing down with the closure of the docks from the mid 1970\u2019s and its move to container-based shipping based outside of London.\u00a0 The life blood ebbed from the area and economic decline set in.<\/strong><\/p>

    Institutions abandoned the area including the Church of England – St. Luke’s Church itself was largely un-used by the 1980\u2019s and abandoned by 1985. \u00a0In 1986 Canning Town became a deep pocket of deprivation and what is now called under-achievement. \u00a0In 1973 one of the first sites the Home office chose for its community development programme was Canning Town – there have been many initiatives since.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    St. Luke’s before the Charity got hold of it in 1994. Click here for more images of St. Luke’s<\/a> before the community saved it.\u00a0 Can you see the guano all over the place?<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    How the CH&CTCRP grew out of all this<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    When it was decided to demolish Ronan Point and its sister blocks from the mid 1980\u2019s, local tenants groups combined to form the TWA group (after Taylor Woodrow Anglia who built the blocks) to insist that the land made available as the blocks were demolished be put to social use.<\/strong><\/p>

    In 1992 an award winning “planning for real” exercise was undertaken to improve the local environment. \u00a0Many interesting and novel ideas developed around the notion of the urban village and this was supported by Prince Charles. \u00a0It was felt that the area lacked a range of social and commercial facilities. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Unfortunately, at the time the property market hit rock bottom and so there was no margin for planning gain. \u00a0The land where the blocks once stood was crammed with more poorly built housing.\u00a0 The tenants fought on with their ideas and were finally given a 2 year grant to attempt to realise the opportunity that had been missed.<\/strong><\/p>

    With this money the tenants established the Custom House and Canning Town Community Renewal Project (CH&CTCRP) in 1994. The aim then was to focus on area’s of dereliction with a plan to convert unwanted sites into socially useful spaces.<\/strong><\/p>

    Given the short time available the group drew up 4 specific objectives and agreed to work on nothing else.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    What the future holds<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    In recent times, exponential escalation of property prices has meant that there are far fewer abandoned plots of land and derilict buildings available to be converted for social use and social enterprise.\u00a0 However, we might find, as the present situation develops that the old approach becomes viable once more.<\/strong><\/p>

    The opening of the Canning Town Jubilee Line underground station in 1999 led to a big increase in property values nearby. \u00a0The new transport links attracted the interests of developers and with Council backing, plans to demolish 2,000 council built homes to make way for up to 10,000 high rise private apartments, went ahead. \u00a0The area may become a more desirable location for some but unfortunately to make way for redevelopment the local people are being removed.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    A changing view of St. Luke’s – in the foreground part of the Jubilee Line infra-structure<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Vanishing St. Luke's<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    \"\"<\/a><\/figure>

    Click here for images<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    History Out of the Marsh The area\u2019s history goes back to the mid 19th century during the reign of Queen Victoria when marshy farmland known as the Plaistow Levels was claimed for dirty industry and poor quality low cost housing. Industrialists and jerry builders wanted to expand and escape the stricter bylaws developing in Inner …<\/p>\n

    History<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1866","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chctcrp.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chctcrp.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chctcrp.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chctcrp.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chctcrp.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1866"}],"version-history":[{"count":184,"href":"https:\/\/chctcrp.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3678,"href":"https:\/\/chctcrp.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1866\/revisions\/3678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chctcrp.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}