Ratcliff
Encyclopedia
Ratcliff or Ratcliffe is a former hamlet
lying by the north bank of the River Thames
between Shadwell
and Limehouse
. It is now a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
, and is located to the south of Stepney
.
and Frobisher
. By the early seventeenth century it had the largest population of any village in Stepney, with 3500 residents.
It was again a site of shipbuilding in the seventeenth century - a number of sailing warships were built for the Royal Navy
here, including one of the earliest frigates, the Constant Warwick
in 1645. Located on the edge of Narrow Street
on the Wapping
waterfront it was made up of lodging houses, bars, brothels, music halls and opium
dens. This overcrowded and squalid district acquired an unsavoury reputation with a large transient population. In 1794 approximately half of the hamlet was destroyed in a fire
(see below) but, even so, it continued as a notorious slum
well into the nineteenth century.
From the late sixteenth century Ratcliffe and surrounding areas were notable areas for non-conformist Christianity
. John Penry
preached in the area in 1592/3, until he was spotted by the local vicar at Ratcliffe and subsequently hung. By 1669 around 200 Presbyterians were worshipping at a warehouse at Ratcliffe Cross and there was a purpose built Quaker meeting house in Schoolhouse Lane, which was demolished by soldiers in 1670.
In late 1811 seven murders
took place in Ratcliffe Highway (more recently St. George's Street), committed by a sailor named Williams, who committed suicide after being captured. The murders were later fictionalised in an account by De Quincey.
The hamlet was divided between the parishes of Limehouse
and Stepney
until 1866, when it was constituted a separate civil parish (as Ratcliffe). From 1855 it was administered by Limehouse District Board of Works, and in 1900 became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney
. By the latter half of the nineteenth century the condition of the area had improved somewhat - the 1868 'National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland' describes Ratcliffe as inhabited by persons connected with shipping and having extensive warehouses, with the area 'well paved, lighted with gas, and supplied with water from the reservoir at Old Ford'.
The parish church of Ratcliffe, St. James in Butcher Row, was built in 1838 and served the area until 1951 (it was damaged during the Second World War), when the parish was merged with St. Paul, Shadwell. In 1948 the church site became (and remains) the East London home of the Royal Foundation of St. Katharine.
of 1666 and the Blitz
in 1940. The fire took place in July 1794 when a smaller fire ignited a barge loaded with saltpetre
. The conflagration that followed destroyed over 400 homes and 20 warehouses and left 1000 people homeless. Following the fire tents were set up near to St. Dunstan's Church
whilst the area was rebuilt.
Hamlet of Ratcliffe 1801-1901
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
lying by the north bank of 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,...
between 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 Limehouse
Limehouse
Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....
. It is now a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
, and is located to the south of Stepney
Stepney
Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road...
.
Etymology
The name Ratcliffe derives from the small sandstone cliff that stood above the surrounding marshes, it had a red appearance, hence Red-cliffe.History
Ratcliffe in earlier times was also known as "sailor town", originally known for shipbuilding but from the fourteenth century more for fitting and provisioning ships. In the sixteenth century various voyages of discovery were supplied and departed from Ratcliffe, including those of WilloughbyHugh Willoughby (sea captain)
Sir Hugh Willoughby of Risley, Derbyshire was an early English Arctic voyager. He was sent out on 10 May 1553, as captain of the Bona Esperanza with two other vessels under his command and with chief pilot Richard Chancellor, by a company of London merchants known as the Company of Merchant...
and Frobisher
Martin Frobisher
Sir Martin Frobisher was an English seaman who made three voyages to the New World to look for the Northwest Passage...
. By the early seventeenth century it had the largest population of any village in Stepney, with 3500 residents.
It was again a site of shipbuilding in the seventeenth century - a number of sailing warships were built for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
here, including one of the earliest frigates, the Constant Warwick
HMS Constant Warwick
The Constant Warwick was a 32-gun fourth rate frigate which served in the English Royal Navy, built by Peter Pett I at Ratcliff and launched in 1645. She is sometimes regarded as the 'first English frigate', although a number of vessels built or acquired earlier also merit a similar description...
in 1645. Located on the edge of Narrow Street
Narrow Street
Narrow Street is a narrow street running parallel to the River Thames through the Limehouse area of east London.- History :A combination of tides and currents made this point on the Thames a natural landfall for ships, the first wharf being completed in 1348...
on the 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...
waterfront it was made up of lodging houses, bars, brothels, music halls and opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
dens. This overcrowded and squalid district acquired an unsavoury reputation with a large transient population. In 1794 approximately half of the hamlet was destroyed in a fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
(see below) but, even so, it continued as a notorious slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
well into the nineteenth century.
From the late sixteenth century Ratcliffe and surrounding areas were notable areas for non-conformist Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. John Penry
John Penry
John Penry is Wales's most famous Protestant martyr.-Early life:He was born in Brecknockshire, Wales; Cefn Brith, a farm near Llangammarch, is traditionally recognised as his birthplace. He matriculated at Peterhouse, Cambridge, in December 1580, being then probably a Roman Catholic; but soon...
preached in the area in 1592/3, until he was spotted by the local vicar at Ratcliffe and subsequently hung. By 1669 around 200 Presbyterians were worshipping at a warehouse at Ratcliffe Cross and there was a purpose built Quaker meeting house in Schoolhouse Lane, which was demolished by soldiers in 1670.
In late 1811 seven murders
Ratcliff Highway murders
The Ratcliff Highway murders were two vicious attacks that resulted in multiple fatalities, and occurred over twelve days in the year 1811, in homes half a mile apart near Wapping in London.-Murders:...
took place in Ratcliffe Highway (more recently St. George's Street), committed by a sailor named Williams, who committed suicide after being captured. The murders were later fictionalised in an account by De Quincey.
The hamlet was divided between the parishes of Limehouse
Limehouse
Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....
and Stepney
Stepney (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:...
until 1866, when it was constituted a separate civil parish (as Ratcliffe). From 1855 it was administered by Limehouse District Board of Works, and in 1900 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:...
. By the latter half of the nineteenth century the condition of the area had improved somewhat - the 1868 'National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland' describes Ratcliffe as inhabited by persons connected with shipping and having extensive warehouses, with the area 'well paved, lighted with gas, and supplied with water from the reservoir at Old Ford'.
The parish church of Ratcliffe, St. James in Butcher Row, was built in 1838 and served the area until 1951 (it was damaged during the Second World War), when the parish was merged with St. Paul, Shadwell. In 1948 the church site became (and remains) the East London home of the Royal Foundation of St. Katharine.
The Ratcliffe Fire
The Ratcliffe Fire was the largest fire disaster in London between the Great FireGreat Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
of 1666 and 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. The fire took place in July 1794 when a smaller fire ignited a barge loaded with saltpetre
Potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula KNO3. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitrate ions NO3−.It occurs as a mineral niter and is a natural solid source of nitrogen. Its common names include saltpetre , from medieval Latin sal petræ: "stone salt" or possibly "Salt...
. The conflagration that followed destroyed over 400 homes and 20 warehouses and left 1000 people homeless. Following the fire tents were set up near to St. Dunstan's Church
St Dunstan's, Stepney
St Dunstan's, Stepney is an Anglican Church which stands on a site which has been used for Christian worship for over a thousand years. It is located in Stepney High Street, in Stepney, London Borough of Tower Hamlets.-History:...
whilst the area was rebuilt.
Population and area
The hamlet of Ratcliffe covered 111 acre (0.44920146 km²) and had a Census population of:Hamlet of Ratcliffe 1801-1901
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,666 | 6,998 | 6,973 | 9,741 | 11,874 | 15,212 | 16,874 | 16,131 | 16,107 | 14,928 | 14,810 |
See also
- Ratcliff Highway murdersRatcliff Highway murdersThe Ratcliff Highway murders were two vicious attacks that resulted in multiple fatalities, and occurred over twelve days in the year 1811, in homes half a mile apart near Wapping in London.-Murders:...
- St Dunstan's, StepneySt Dunstan's, StepneySt Dunstan's, Stepney is an Anglican Church which stands on a site which has been used for Christian worship for over a thousand years. It is located in Stepney High Street, in Stepney, London Borough of Tower Hamlets.-History:...
- The HighwayThe HighwayThe Highway, formerly known as the Ratcliffe Highway, is a mile-long road in the East End of London, with several historic landmarks nearby. The route dates back to Roman times. In the 19th century it had a very notorious reputation for vice and crime and was the site of the infamous Ratcliff...
- Stepney Historical Trust
External links and information
- Ratcliffe http://www.eolfhs.org.uk/parish/ratcliff.htm
- Ratcliffe http://www.eastlondonhistory.com/ratcliff.htm
- The Ratcliffe waterfront http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/upload/img_200/PX9445.jpg
- The Museum in DocklandsMuseum in DocklandsThe Museum of London Docklands is a museum on the Isle of Dogs, east London that tells the history of London's River Thames and Docklands...
has an area set up to look like 'Sailortown' and information about the Ratcliffe Fire