Exact boundaries of Whitechapel and other boroughs

[robhouse]

Hello... this is a topic that has always confused me... specifically, what was the exact boundary of Whitechapel and other boroughs in the area? I am attaching a map below, which I believe was from 1885. This map identifies Tower Hamlets, and "proposed" division of boroughs.

First, I am confused about the difference between a borough and a ward.

Which was Whitechapel? A borough or a ward? I see the map has St. George in the East, and I also see "Whitechapel District". What about Spitalfields?

I do not see Mile End on the map... but I was under the impression that Mile End roughly corresponded to the borough marked on the map as "North"... As far as I understand, the Kozminski family's addresses on Greenfield Street were in the far western part of Mile End.

This is somewhat confused since Woolf Abrahams naturalization application (Dec 1886-Jan 1887) lists his address as "62 Greenfield Street Whitechapel"... if I understand correctly, 62 Greenfield Street was actually in Mile End, not Whitechapel. Also:

Morris Lubnowski naturalization application June-Aug 1888: "16 Greenfield Street Whitechapel".

Am I correct that all three addresses (Morris at 16, Woolf at 62, and Isaac at 74 Greenfield Street) were actually in Mile End, not Whitechapel. I am assuming that "Whitechapel" was used colloquially in reference to this whole area.(??)

Thanks in advance for any help with this.

Rob House

[Septic Blue]

… I am confused about the difference between a borough and a ward.

Which was Whitechapel? A borough or a ward?

It was neither!

The only 'Borough' seen in the focus of this map is the Municipal/Parliamentary Borough of Tower Hamlets.

The only 'Wards' seen therein are those, which administratively divide the Hamlet of Mile End Old Town (i.e. 'West', 'North', 'Centre', 'South', 'East'). *

* In the context of the proposed Divisions; the named parishes (e.g. St. George in the East) may in fact, have been designated as 'Wards'.

Proposed Divisions of the Parliamentary Borough of Tower Hamlets; in accordance with the 'Redistribution of Seats Act', 1885, through which each Division would be granted the representation of an elected Member of Parliament:

Proposed 'West' Division:

(the fully intact 'Whitechapel District of the Metropolitan Board of Works' / 'Whitechapel Registration District' / 'Whitechapel Poor Law Union') *

- The Liberty of Norton Folgate
- The Old Artillery Ground
- The Parish of Christ Church Spitalfields
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town
- The Parish of Holy Trinity (Minories)
- The Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel (Middlesex portion)
- The Liberty of Her Majesty's Tower of London
--- The Liberty of the Tower
--- The Precinct of Old Tower Without
--- The Tower
- The Precinct of St. Katharine
- The Parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate (Middlesex portion)

Proposed 'North' Division:

- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town, 'West' Ward
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town, 'North' Ward
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town, 'Centre' Ward
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town, 'South' Ward

Proposed 'South' Division:

- The Parish of St. John of Wapping
- The Parish of St. George in the East
- The Parish of St. Paul Shadwell
- The Hamlet of Ratcliff

Proposed 'East' Division:

- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town, 'East' Ward
- The Parish of St. Anne Limehouse


Enacted Divisions of the Parliamentary Borough of Tower Hamlets; in accordance with the 'Redistribution of Seats Act', 1885, through which each Division was granted the representation of an elected Member of Parliament:

'Whitechapel' Division:

(the fully intact 'Whitechapel District of the Metropolitan Board of Works' / 'Whitechapel Registration District' / 'Whitechapel Poor Law Union') *

- The Liberty of Norton Folgate
- The Old Artillery Ground
- The Parish of Christ Church Spitalfields
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town
- The Parish of Holy Trinity (Minories)
- The Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel (Middlesex portion)
- The Liberty of Her Majesty's Tower of London
--- The Liberty of the Tower
--- The Precinct of Old Tower Without
--- The Tower
- The Precinct of St. Katharine
- The Parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate (Middlesex portion)

'Stepney' Division:

- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town, 'West' Ward
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town, 'Centre' Ward
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town, 'South' Ward

'Mile End' Division:

- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town, 'North' Ward
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town, 'East' Ward

'St. George' Division:

- The Parish of St. John of Wapping
- The Parish of St. George in the East

'Limehouse' Division:

- The Parish of St. Paul Shadwell
- The Hamlet of Ratcliff
- The Parish of St. Anne Limehouse

'Bow & Bromley' Division:

- The Parish of St. Mary Stratford Bow
- The Parish of Bromley St. Leonard (northern portion)

'Poplar' Division:

- The Parish of Bromley St. Leonard (southern portion)
- The Parish of All Saints Poplar

* The only instance, in either the proposed or enacted Divisions of the Parliamentary Borough of Tower Hamlets, in which these units of civil administration (i.e. 'Parish/District of the Metropolitan Board of Works'; 'Registration District'; 'Poor Law Parish/Union') were fully reflected in the Division itself.

Am I correct that all three addresses (Morris at 16, Woolf at 62, and Isaac at 74 Greenfield Street) were actually in Mile End, not Whitechapel. I am assuming that "Whitechapel" was used colloquially in reference to this whole area.(??)

The three Greenfield Street addresses were each situated in the Hamlet of Mile End Old Town.

It is quite conceivable that the 'West' Ward of the Hamlet of Mile End Old Town (for the most part), and the northwestern quadrant of the Parish of St. George in the East (for the most part) were colloquially referred to as 'Whitechapel'. The same could not be said for the rest of the map; excepting of course, the 'non-Whitechapel' components of 'West' Division.

[robhouse]

Thanks for your reply Colin. This is very helpful. However, I guess I was thinking it might be helpful to have a map, that actually illustrated all these various districts and parishes... showing the boundaries etc.

For example... just looking at this map, it seems that Sion Square (where Woolf Abrahams lived around 1890) is right near the border between Whitechapel and the west ward of Mile End Old Town.

Do you know if there is any map that illustrates this. I tend to be a visual person, and I think I could understand this better, if there was a map to go along with your very helpful post above.

Thanks again

Rob House

[Chris]

Thanks for your reply Colin. This is very helpful. However, I guess I was thinking it might be helpful to have a map, that actually illustrated all these various districts and parishes... showing the boundaries etc.

For example... just looking at this map, it seems that Sion Square (where Woolf Abrahams lived around 1890) is right near the border between Whitechapel and the west ward of Mile End Old Town.

Do you know if there is any map that illustrates this. I tend to be a visual person, and I think I could understand this better, if there was a map to go along with your very helpful post above.

One map that shows the boundary fairly clearly is the 1889 Booth poverty map (below). The houses on the north side of Sion Square are indeed on the northern boundary of Mile End Old Town.

[Septic Blue]

I put this one together, about two years ago …


Parochial Establishment - 1867-1900 (Click to View in flickr)
Underlying Aerial Imagery: Copyright Google Earth, 2007
Overlying Plots, Labels and Color-Shadings: Copyright Colin C. Roberts, 2009

- '1': The Parish of St. Luke, County of Middlesex
- As Labeled: The Parish of St. Leonard Shoreditch, County of Middlesex
- As Labeled: The Parish of St. Matthew Bethnal Green, County of Middlesex
- '2': The Liberty of Norton Folgate, County of Middlesex
- '3': The Old Artillery Ground, County of Middlesex
- As Labeled: The Parish of Christ Church Spitalfields, County of Middlesex
- As Labeled: The Hamlet of Mile End New Town, County of Middlesex
- As Labeled: The City of London, County of the City of London
- '4': The Parish of Holy Trinity (Minories), County of Middlesex
- As Labeled: The Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel, County of Middlesex
- As Labeled: The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town, County of Middlesex
- '5': The Liberty of Her Majesty's Tower of London, County of Middlesex
--- The Liberty of the Tower
--- The Precinct of Old Tower Without
--- The Tower
- '6': The Precinct of St. Katharine, County of Middlesex
- '7': The Parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate, County of Middlesex
- '8': The Parish of St. John of Wapping, County of Middlesex
- As Labeled: The Parish of St. George in the East, County of Middlesex
- '9': The Parish of St. Paul Shadwell, County of Middlesex
- '10': The Parish of St. Thomas, Borough of Southwark, County of Surrey
- As Labeled: The Parish of St. Olave, Borough of Southwark, County of Surrey
- As Labeled: The Parish of St. John Horselydown, Borough of Southwark, County of Surrey
- As Labeled: The Parish of St. Mary Magdalen Bermondsey, County of Surrey
- '11': The Parish of St. Mary Magdalen Bermondsey, County of Surrey
- '12': The Parish of St. Mary Rotherhithe, County of Surrey

… but I have always thought it was a bit 'hard on the eyes'.

I'm planning to eventually do one, in which the parochial boundaries (and murder-sites) are depicted in the following manner (i.e. in the following graphic scheme):

[ATTACH]6176[/ATTACH]
Figure 4: Ancient Parochial Establishment of East London (Click to View in flickr)
Underlying Aerial Imagery: Copyright Google Earth, 2007
Overlying Plots, Labels and Color-Shadings: Copyright Colin C. Roberts, 2009

Part of an effort to define that, which was 'local' in the context of political geography:

- Bright Yellow: St. John at Hackney
- Orange: St. Leonard Shoreditch
- Red: St. Dunstan Stepney
- Green: Bromley St. Leonard
- Purple: City of London
- Gold: The Liberty of His/Her Majesty's Tower of London
- Blue: Precinct of the Priory of St. Mary without Bishopsgate (St. Mary Spital)
- Green: Precinct of the Priory of the Holy Trinity, Aldgate (County of Middlesex)

The Ancient Parish of St. Dunstan Stepney (Red) was divided, between the years 1329 - 1817, into the following Civil Parishes:

- St. Matthew Bethnal Green
- Christ Church Spitalfields
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town
- St. Mary Whitechapel
- St. John of Wapping
- St. George in the East
- St. Paul Shadwell
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town
- The Hamlet of Ratcliff
- St. Anne Limehouse
- St. Mary Stratford Bow
- All Saints Poplar

The Precinct of the Priory of St. Mary without Bishopsgate (St. Mary Spital) (Blue) was originally part of St. Botolph without Bishopsgate (excepting the northernmost 'tip', which was part of St. Leonard Shoreditch). By the end of the seventeenth century, it had become The Liberty of Norton Folgate (north) and The Old Artillery Ground (south).

The green areas, which constituted the Middlesex portions of the Precinct of the Priory of the Holy Trinity, Aldgate were originally part of St. Botolph without Aldgate. The smaller area (north) eventually became Holy Trinity (Minories), while the larger area (south) became The Precinct of St. Katharine (west), and once again St. Botolph without Aldgate (east).

[Chris]

I was going to recommend this site -
http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/at...&c_id=10001043 -
but comparing with the maps above, it appears to show Mile End Old Town 100-200 yards north of where it should be!

[Septic Blue]

The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town (western-most portion) - 1873 OS (Click to View in flickr)

[Roy Corduroy]

Ordnance Survey - Sanitary Districts, showing Civil Parishes - Middlesex 1888

[Septic Blue]

Ordnance Survey - Sanitary Districts, showing Civil Parishes - Middlesex 1888

Nice Map!

Where did you find it?

[Roy Corduroy]

Here (click)

The Vision of Britain site.

[robhouse]

Thanks for all the replies.

I now have a follow up question... concerning the boundary of the Borough of Stepney (after 1900). As far as I understand, the Borough of Stepney was created in 1900 by combining the following areas:

* Limehouse
* Mile End New Town
* Mile End Old Town
* Norton Folgate
* Old Artillery Ground
* Ratcliff
* St Botolph Without Aldgate
* St George in the East
* Shadwell
* Spitalfields
* Stepney
* Tower of London
* Wapping
* Whitechapel

On the attached map, I believe the Borough of Stepney corresponds roughly to the area in brown. (Can someone confirm this?) The red highlighted area is Poplar (also a borough?).

The reason I am asking this is because of Swanson's statement that Kosminski was admitted to "Stepney workhouse".

If I understand this correctly... by the time Swanson wrote the marginalia (circa 1910-1924) Mile End Old Town Workhouse was the only workhouse actually within the borough of Stepney. The other workhouses illustrated on the map are Stepney Union workhouse, and Limehouse workhouse. Stepney Union workhouse was (if I understand this correctly) NOT actually within the borough of Stepney but was instead in Poplar. And Limehouse workhouse (according to http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.h.../Stepney.shtml) was probably gone by then. ("By 1915, however, a brewery stood on the site." -- see above link at workhouses.org.uk)

Does anyone have any comments? Does this reasoning sound correct?

In other words, I am thinking that by 1910, after which time Swanson wrote the marginalia, the MEOT workhouse was the only workhouse actually within the borough of Stepney, and thus might have been referred to colloquially as Stepney Workhouse.

Thanks again.

Rob House

[Roy Corduroy]

Rob, here is a Stepney borough map. (click)

In other words, I am thinking that by 1910, after which time Swanson wrote the marginalia, the MEOT workhouse was the only workhouse actually within the borough of Stepney, and thus might have been referred to colloquially as Stepney Workhouse.

Could be.

Roy

[Septic Blue]

First; the 'Nutshell' …

Workhouses in the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney:

- Whitechapel Union Workhouse
- Mile End Old Town Workhouse
- St. George in the East Workhouse
- Stepney Union Workhouse*

* Situated outside the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney; but provided 'Poor Relief' almost exclusively to a subset of its populace

------------

The Metropolitan Borough of Stepney was established in 1900, in accordance with the London Government Act, 1899; replacing what had been the following administrative units of The Metropolitan Board of Works:

Whitechapel District:
- The Liberty of Norton Folgate
- The Old Artillery Ground
- The Parish of Christ Church Spitalfields
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town
- The Parish of Holy Trinity (Minories)
- The Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel (Middlesex portion)
- The Liberty of Her Majesty's Tower of London
--- The Liberty of the Tower
--- The Precinct of Old Tower Without
--- The Tower
- The Precinct of St. Katharine
- The Parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate (Middlesex portion)

Mile End Old Town Parish:
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town

St. George in the East Parish:
- The Parish of St. George in the East

Limehouse District:
- The Parish of St. John of Wapping
- The Parish of St. Paul Shadwell
- The Hamlet of Ratcliff
- The Parish of St. Anne Limehouse

Further east, The Metropolitan Borough of Poplar replaced what had been a similar administrative unit of The Metropolitan Board of Works:

Poplar District:
- The Parish of St. Mary Stratford Bow
- The Parish of Bromley St. Leonard
- The Parish of All Saints Poplar

However, the provision of 'Poor Relief', through the operation of Poor Law institutions (i.e. workhouses, infirmaries, casual wards, etc …), remained the responsibility of the respective Poor Law Parish (e.g. Mile End Old Town) or Poor Law Union (e.g. Whitechapel), and was administered accordingly:

Whitechapel Poor Law Union (1837-1921); Whitechapel Poor Law Parish (1921-1925):
- The Liberty of Norton Folgate
- The Old Artillery Ground
- The Parish of Christ Church Spitalfields
- The Hamlet of Mile End New Town
- The Parish of Holy Trinity (Minories)
- The Parish of St. Mary Whitechapel (Middlesex portion)
- The Liberty of Her Majesty's Tower of London
--- The Liberty of the Tower
--- The Precinct of Old Tower Without
--- The Tower
- The Precinct of St. Katharine
- The Parish of St. Botolph without Aldgate (Middlesex portion)

__ Whitechapel Union Workhouse, South Grove, Hamlet of Mile End Old Town (1872-1921)
__ Whitechapel Union Infirmary, Charles Street / Baker's Row / Vallance Road, Hamlet of Mile End New Town (1872-1921)

Mile End Old Town Poor Law Parish (1857-1925):
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town

__ Mile End Old Town Workhouse, Bancroft Road, Hamlet of Mile End Old Town (1859-1925)
__ Mile End Old Town Infirmary (located on the grounds of Mile End Old Town Workhouse)

St. George in the East Poor Law Parish (1836-1925):
- The Parish of St. George in the East

__ St. George in the East Workhouse, Raine Street, Parish of St. George in the East (1836-1925)
__ St. George in the East Infirmary (located on the grounds of St. George in the East Workhouse)

Stepney Poor Law Union (1836-1921); Limehouse Poor Law Parish (1921-1925):
- The Parish of St. John of Wapping
- The Parish of St. Paul Shadwell
- The Hamlet of Ratcliff
- The Parish of St. Anne Limehouse
- The Hamlet of Mile End Old Town (1836–1857)

__ Stepney Union Workhouse, St. Leonard's Street, Parish of Bromley St. Leonard (1863-1921)
__ Poplar & Stepney Sick Asylum, Devon's Road, Parish of Bromley St. Leonard (1871-1930?) – A Poor Law infirmary, shared by the Poor Law Unions of Poplar and Stepney (Poplar & Stepney Sick Asylum District) – If the "Kosminski" purportedly named by Swanson, was in fact entrusted to the care of the Guardians of Stepney Poor Law Union*, then he was in all likelihood, admitted to this facility, as opposed to Stepney Union Workhouse

* This would almost invariably have necessitated his being a resident of Stepney Poor Law Union (the Parish of St. John of Wapping; the Parish of St. Paul Shadwell; the Hamlet of Ratcliff; the Parish of St. Anne Limehouse) or Poplar Poor Law Union (the Parish of St. Mary Stratford Bow; the Parish of Bromley St. Leonard; the Parish of All Saints Poplar), as opposed to "his brother's house in Whitechapel".

Poplar Poor Law Union (1836-1907); Poplar Borough Poor Law Parish (1907-1930):
- The Parish of St. Mary Stratford Bow
- The Parish of Bromley St. Leonard
- The Parish of All Saints Poplar

__ Poplar Union Workhouse, Poplar High Street, Parish of All Saints Poplar (1836-1907)
__ Poplar & Stepney Sick Asylum, Devon's Road, Parish of Bromley St. Leonard (1871-1930?) – A Poor Law infirmary, shared by the Poor Law Unions of Poplar and Stepney (Poplar & Stepney Sick Asylum District)

Consolidation of London's Poor Law geography within the framework of its Metropolitan Boroughs was not implemented until the 1920's:

- 1857: Removal of the Hamlet of Mile End Old Town, from Stepney Poor Law Union; in Accordance with the Establishment of Mile End Old Town Poor Law Parish

- 1858-1859: Construction of Mile End Old Town Workhouse

- 1861-1863: Construction of Stepney Union Workhouse, on acquired land in the Parish of Bromley St. Leonard (Poplar Poor Law Union)

- 1868: Establishment of Poplar & Stepney Sick Asylum District

- 1869-1871: Construction of Poplar & Stepney Sick Asylum

- 1900: Establishment of The Metropolitan Borough of Stepney, in accordance with the London Government Act, 1899; Existing Poor Law Parishes and Poor Law Unions remained fully intact, under the administration of their respective Board's of Guardians

- 1907: Re-Designation of Poplar Poor Law Union as 'Poplar Borough Parish' (cosmetic change)

- 1913: Discontinuation of the term 'Workhouse' throughout most of the English Poor Law system (cosmetic change)

Most workhouses assumed the designation 'Poor Law Institution' or "Guardians' Institution"; but some took on more colorful names:

- St. George in the East Workhouse became 'The House'
- Stepney Union Workhouse became 'Bromley House Institution'
- The City of London Union Infirmary became 'Bow Institution'
- Bethnal Green Workhouse became 'Waterloo House'

- Interestingly, Shoreditch Poor Law Parish came under the jurisdiction of certain Acts, which pre-dated the Poor Law Amendment Act, 1834:

- Shoreditch Workhouse remained 'Shoreditch Workhouse'

1921: Re-Designation of Whitechapel Poor Law Union as 'Whitechapel Poor Law Parish' (cosmetic change); Re-Designation of Stepney Poor Law Union as 'Limehouse Poor Law Parish' (cosmetic change)

1925: Establishment of new Stepney Poor Law Union, encompassing all of The Metropolitan Borough of Stepney, and administered by a single Board of Guardians

- Whitechapel Poor Law Parish
- Mile End Old Town Poor Law Parish
- St. George in the East Poor Law Parish
- Limehouse Poor Law Parish

1927: Re-Designation of Stepney Poor Law Union as 'Stepney Union Parish' (cosmetic change)

1930: Abolishment of English Poor Law system

------------

Rob,

PM your telephone number, and I'll give you a ring; if you think that might be helpful.

Also: You did a great job with the overlay; but the portion of St. Botolph without Aldgate that is encompassed by a dotted line, was – and remains to this day – in the City of London.

[Septic Blue]

Here (click)

The Vision of Britain site.

Many Thanks !!!

[Septic Blue]

Perhaps this will simplify the whole 'equation'.

---------



The Poor Law Constituencies of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney:
- Red: Whitechapel Poor Law Union
- Blue: Mile End Old Town Poor Law Parish
- Orange: St. George in the East Poor Law Parish
- Green: Stepney Poor Law Union

Each constituency owned and operated its own workhouse, infirmary and casual ward; solely for the benefit of its resident paupers.

The locations of these facilities were irrelevant: They provided 'Poor Relief' almost exclusively to those who resided within the respective The Poor Law Constituency.

Hence, they were named accordingly (regardless of location):

- Whitechapel Union Workhouse
- Whitechapel Union Infirmary
- Mile End Old Town Workhouse
- Mile End Old Town Infirmary
- St. George in the East Workhouse
- St. George in the East Infirmary
- Stepney Union Workhouse
- Poplar & Stepney Sick Asylum

And I would certainly think that the most common colloquial references were as follows:

- 'Whitechapel Workhouse'
- 'Whitechapel Infirmary'
- 'Mile End Workhouse'
- 'Mile End Infirmary'
- 'St. George's Workhouse'
- 'St. George's Infirmary'
- 'Stepney Workhouse'
- 'Poplar & Stepney Sick Asylum' (?); 'Bromley Sick Asylum' (?)

---------

As the administration of 'Poor Relief' did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Borough Councils; the 1900 establishment of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney was probably not a factor in any portion of the above 'equation'.

Assuming that Swanson did, in fact, write the so-called 'marginalia'; he probably made a mistake. Use of the term "workhouse" (if, in fact, in reference to Aaron Kosminski), was a mistake in itself. Aaron Kosminski was twice admitted to an infirmary; not a workhouse.