Altab Ali Park
Encyclopedia
Altab Ali Park is a small park on Adler Street, White Church Lane and Whitechapel High Street
, London E1; formerly known as St. Mary's Park it is the site of the old 14th Century white chapel, St. Mary Matfelon
, from which the area of Whitechapel gets its name. Having been destroyed in The Blitz
in 1940, all that remains of the old church is the floor plan and a few graves. Included in those buried on the site are Richard Parker, Richard Brandon
and Sir John Cass
..
This graveyard is the final resting place of 'Sir' Jeffrey Dunstan
, Mayor of Garratt (died 1796 - see Hone's Everyday Book 1827, p. 859).
The park was re-named Altab Ali Park in 1998 in memory of
Altab Ali, a 25-year-old Bangladeshi
clothing worker, who was murdered on 4 May 1978 in Adler Street by three teenage boys as he walked home from work.. At the entrance to the park is an arch created by David Peterson, developed as a memorial to Altab Ali and other victims of racist attacks. The arch incorporates a complex Bengali-style pattern, meant to show the merging of different cultures in East London.
Along the path down the cenre of the park are letters spelling out "The shade of my tree is offered to those who come and go fleetingly"; a fragment of a poem by Rabindranath Tagore
.
The Shaheed Minar
, which commemorates the Bengali Language Movement stands in the southwest corner of Altab Ali Park; the monument is a smaller replica of the one in Dhaka
, Bangladesh, and symbolises a mother and the martyred sons.
The nearest London Underground station is Aldgate East
on the District
and Hammersmith & City Line
s.
Whitechapel High Street
Whitechapel High Street is a road in Whitechapel in the East End of London, connecting Aldgate High Street with Whitechapel Road. Now part of the A11 it was anciently part of the Roman road from London to Colchester...
, London E1; formerly known as St. Mary's Park it is the site of the old 14th Century white chapel, St. Mary Matfelon
St Mary Matfelon
The St Mary Matfelon church, popularly known as St Mary's, Whitechapel, was an Anglican church in Whitechapel, London. It was situated on Whitechapel Road.-History:...
, from which the area of Whitechapel gets its name. Having been destroyed in The Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
in 1940, all that remains of the old church is the floor plan and a few graves. Included in those buried on the site are Richard Parker, Richard Brandon
Richard Brandon
Richard Brandon was a 17th century English hangman who inherited his role from his father Gregory Brandon and was sometimes known as "Young Gregory"...
and Sir John Cass
Sir John Cass
Sir John Cass was a merchant, politician and philanthropist. He was born in Rosemary Lane, in the City of London. He was the son of Thomas Cass, carpenter to the Royal Ordnance...
..
This graveyard is the final resting place of 'Sir' Jeffrey Dunstan
Jeffrey Dunstan
Jeffrey Dunstan was the "mayor" of Garrat, and second-hand wig seller, in the West End of London.-Life:He was a foundling, and as such was reared in the parish workhouse of St...
, Mayor of Garratt (died 1796 - see Hone's Everyday Book 1827, p. 859).
The park was re-named Altab Ali Park in 1998 in memory of
Altab Ali, a 25-year-old Bangladeshi
British Bangladeshi
A British Bangladeshi is a person of Bangladeshi origin who resides in the United Kingdom having emigrated to the UK and attained citizenship through naturalisation or whose parents did so; they are also known as British Bengalis...
clothing worker, who was murdered on 4 May 1978 in Adler Street by three teenage boys as he walked home from work.. At the entrance to the park is an arch created by David Peterson, developed as a memorial to Altab Ali and other victims of racist attacks. The arch incorporates a complex Bengali-style pattern, meant to show the merging of different cultures in East London.
Along the path down the cenre of the park are letters spelling out "The shade of my tree is offered to those who come and go fleetingly"; a fragment of a poem by Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
.
The Shaheed Minar
Shaheed Minar
The Shaheed Minar is a national monument in Dhaka, Bangladesh, established to commemorate those killed during the Language Movement demonstrations of 1952....
, which commemorates the Bengali Language Movement stands in the southwest corner of Altab Ali Park; the monument is a smaller replica of the one in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, Bangladesh, and symbolises a mother and the martyred sons.
The nearest London Underground station is Aldgate East
Aldgate East tube station
Aldgate East is a London Underground station located between Aldgate and Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.The station is in Travelcard Zone 1...
on the District
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
and Hammersmith & City Line
Hammersmith & City Line
The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
s.