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Celebration of 150th anniversary of West Ham Park’s opening
BackgroundSurviving documents relating to the parklands date from the mid-sixteenth century. By 1670, Rooke Hall, later renamed Upton House, was the main house dominating the area.In 1762, physician...
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80th anniversary of Dames Road disaster
Location of the Doodlebug hit on 27 July 194427th July 2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the Dames Road disaster - the deadliest air raid hit on Forest Gate during World War 11.We have covered the...
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Forest Gate and WW1 - on the 110th anniversary of its outbreak
Over the years, we have published various articles on how Forest Gate was impacted by the First World War. On the 110th anniversary of its outbreak, this post summarises them, with links to the greater...
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From “Lascar” to Forest Gate resident
Local historian and Newham resident Asif Shakoor describes his grandfather’s journey from being an Indian seafarer a century ago to a Forest Gate resident and his family’s subsequent history in the...
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Woodgrange Road: 1990 - 2024, a photographic essay
We stumbled upon a captivating collection of photographs on Flikr, showcasing scenes of Forest Gate captured in three different sessions in and around 1990 by the talented photographer Peter Marshall....
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The history of Hamfrith Farm
Mark Gorman (@Flatshistorian) continues his series on the farms of pre-suburban Forest Gate and district with a look at the history of Hamfrith Farm, some of which is today occupied by Godwin and...
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Manor Park Cemetery celebrates 150 years
Sebert Road entrance to the cemetery150 years ago, in the summer of 1874, advertisements began to appear in London papers offering £1-00 shares in the Manor Park Cemetery Company. The company's aim,...
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Forest Gate's arsonists and insurance fraudsters
Forest Gate resident Leopold Harris and his family and associates have played a significant part in shaping how fires are assessed for compensation today following a major trial in 1933. This post is...
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Little Ilford Gaol – introduction and background
This is the first of a five-part series examining the history and role of Little Ilford gaol, which was the second most important prison facility in Essex for almost forty years. It was located in the...
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The early history of Little Ilford Gaol
This, the second in a series of articles on the story of Little Ilford Gaol, examines the buildings' history from their construction in 1830 until their high point of significance in 1860. The...
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Little Ilford Gaol’s final twenty years
This is the third article on Little Ilford gaol. It delves into its history, tracing its journey from its pinnacle of importance to its intriguing sale in 1880 as: “An eligible site for the erection of...
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Little Ilford gaol’s staff and supervision
Little Ilford gaol, like its contemporaries, operated under a strict regime of regulation and supervision. Every key postholder was held to a high standard of accountability for their actions. The...
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The prisoners’ lot in Little Ilford gaol
This is the fifth and final article in the series on Little Ilford Gaol. The previous four dealt with the gaol's origins, its first thirty-year history, its final twenty years, and its ultimate demise....
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Japanese seafarers in East London
IntroductionIn this intriguing article from regular contributors Mark Gorman and Peter Williams, they uncover the story of sailors from the Far East who have memorials in a local Christian churchyard...
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The industrialisation of local agriculture - Jew’s Farm and Wilson’s Farm in...
The origin of these farms is obscure. Jews Farm seemingly lay at the end of what had been called Harrow Lane (named after a local pub) and on John Rocque’s map of the London area in 1746 was Siblemeed...
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Amanda lands in Forest Gate
Local resident and author, Robert Nurden, tells the story of how his Chestnut Avenue House will soon be seen by millions on BBC1. I never thought when I bought my unremarkable terraced house in...
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Albert Court, 89 Dames Rd, a history and research journey
Local historian, housing expert, and frequent contributor Peter Williams provides a fascinating account of this unusual building set back from the highway on Dames Road. In it, he references several...
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The Busby family – Forest Gate missionaries to China
Following on from articles Jane Skelding has written for this blog on the Canning Town Women’s Settlement (CTWS) story (E7 Now & Then: The Canning Town Women's Settlement: its workers and the women...
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Forest Gate Freedom Walk
Peter Ashan began a series of Freedom Walks in east London in 2007, during the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. These walks aim to reveal the hidden history of the contribution of...
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Western end of Capel Road
The chance receipt of a couple of photos dating from the 1930s of activity at the western end of Capel Road set regular contributor Peter Williams and his colleague and collaborator Mark Gorman in...
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What the papers say about Claremont Road: (1) adverts for servants
We’ve dived deep into the British Library’s newspaper archive (available on subscription direct and via Find My Past) to find out what British newspapers have had to say about the Woodgrange estate’s...
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The International Brigades Memorial at the Old Spotted Dog Ground
Clapton Community Football Club stalwart and local activist, Kevin Blowe, writes about a significant anniversary and memorial unveiling of the Spanish International Brigades at Clapton's ground on...
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Educational enterprise on Claremont Road in late Victorian London
The first houses in the under-construction Woodgrange estate, on Claremont Road, were occupied in the late 1870s/ early 1880s. They were large and offered more than simply residential possibilities.The...
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The off-licence at 16 Barwick Road
Regular contributor Peter Williams continues his history of unusual and interesting buildings in Forest Gate. Here he examines the history of an off-licence called Capel Arms, 16 Barwick Rd, which was...
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Strange Claremont Road deaths (1) - children
Our interrogation of the sophisticated search engine of the British Newspaper Library, referred to here and here has uncovered details of a number of strange deaths and the inquests following them of...
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