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In 1888, the largely impoverished London East End district of Whitechapel—one of the Victorian capital's most poverty-stricken and crime-ridden neighborhoods—was made infamous by a series of brutal killings that became known as the Whitechapel murders.
The Battle of Cable Street, which took place in Whitechapel on October 4, 1936, was a clash between marching members of the British Union of Fascists, led by Oswald Mosely, and various anti-fascist demonstrators. When scenes got ugly, police moved in to quell the demonstrators—which included local trade unionists, communists, anarchists, British Jews, Irish dockers, and socialist groups. Around 175 people were injured, and nearly 200 arrested.
Cockney rhyming slang is the East End's most famous linguistic export. But what exactly is rhyming slang? It originated in Victorian London as a secret language used by semi-criminal types. It involves replacing a common word with a phrase of two or more words, the last of which rhymes with the original word, thus making the origin and meaning of the phrase elusive to listeners not in the know. For example, look at this ATM on Commercial Street, close to Spitalfields Market in East London. Customers have the option of withdrawing their money guided by Cockney rhyming slang and are asked to enter their "Huckleberry Fin," or their PIN. Another well-known example is "brown bread"— Cockney rhyming slang for dead.
The Cable Street Mural in Shadwell in East London was painted in 1983 to commemorate the events of October 1936.
The Aldergate Pump, a historic water pump in London, is generally accepted as a symbolic start point of the East End of London. It stands at the junction where Aldgate meets Fenchurch Street and Leadenhall Street.
Located on Whitechapel High Street, the world-famous Whitechapel Gallery, opened in 1901, has exhibited works by Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollack, Frida Kahlo, and David Hockney, among many other esteemed artists.
Leytonstone also netted David Beckham, one of the most recognized and successful sportsmen in the world, who was born there on May 2, 1975.
And the man many people feel should be James Bond, English actor Idris Elba, is another East End lad, hailing as he does from Hackney.
The London Stadium, built for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, stands in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which straddles four east London boroughs: Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, and Waltham Forest. The stadium now serves primarily as the home of West Ham United, founded in 1895 and one of the biggest soccer clubs in England.
Monty Norman (see here on the right visiting his barber) is the composer responsible for the iconic "James Bond Theme." Norman was born in Stepney, and he's not the only East End celebrity connected with 007.
Stepney-born English actor, playwright, and theater director Steven Birkoff can also claim a link with Bond: he portrays General Orlov in 'Octopussy' (1983).
English actor Terrance Stamp, known for his roles in 'Billy Bud' (1962), 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' (1994), and 'Valkyrie' (2008), hails from Stepney, in the East End London borough of Tower Hamlets.
Film star Michael Caine was born in Rotherhithe, in south-east London. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, Caine has always been proud of his East End heritage. A blue plaque erected in 2003 marks Caine's birthplace at St Olave's Hospital. The hospital closed in 1985.
In July 1620, the Mayflower sailed from Rotherhithe on its voyage to America. It's said that the famous vessel was birthed at a mooring near where the Mayflower pub stands today. The pub's interior lists the names of the Mayflower passengers on a wall.
Acclaimed English fashion and portrait photographer David Bailey was born in Leytonstone, a suburban town in the East End of London. His celebrated 'Box of Pin-Ups' (1964) features portraits of, among others, The Beatles, actor Terrance Stamp, Mick Jagger, model Jean Shrimpton, and... the Kray twins.
Another famous figure associated with Leytonstone is Alfred Hitchcock. The legendary movie director was born in the town on August 13, 1899, at 157 High Road. The premises no longer exists, but a series of imaginative wall murals created near the site of his childhood home pays homage to Leytonstone's most famous son.
The Blind Beggar pub still exists, as does the saloon bar in which the shooting took place. Incidentally, in 1865, William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, preached his first open-air sermon outside the Blind Beggar.
The strike won important improvements in working conditions and pay for the mostly female workforce handling the dangerous substance. It also led to the formation and growth of the labor movement in Great Britain, the establishment of the first British trade union for women, and the Labour Party itself. The Bryant & May factory closed in 1979. It is now a gated residential community. A blue plaque outside the entrance commemorates the role of social pioneer and feminist Annie Besant in leading the demands for better pay and conditions.
On March 9, 1966, Ronnie Kray shot and killed rival gang member George Cornell at the Blind Beggar pub on Whitechapel Road. The twins were eventually tried and convicted in March 1969 of a litany of crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment. Both are now dead. Pictured is the scene inside the Blind Beggar pub. The stool near the cash register is where Cornell was murdered.
The killing spree continued until November 9, 1888, when the body of Mary Jane Kelly, believed to have been Jack the Ripper's final victim, was found at 13 Miller's Court off Dorset Road (pictured) in the Spitalfields district.
The historic Old Spitalfields Market appears more or less as it did in 1888. It stands and still functions near the murder site of Mary Jane Kelly.
Mary Ann Nicols was buried at the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium. So, too, was Catherine Eddowes, the Ripper's fourth victim. Annie Chapman and Elizabeth Stride were the other two women who met their deaths at the hands of the mysterious individual.
Pearly Kings and Queens are an iconic image of London, easily recognized by their distinctive suits and accessories covered with patterns of mother-of-pearl buttons. The tradition of Pearly Kings and Queens—an organized charitable tradition of working-class culture— originated in 19th-century Victorian London when an orphan streetsweeper named Henry Croft began collecting money for charity wearing mother-of-pearl buttons, which were mass-produced at factories in the East End. Today, Pearly families continue the tradition to raise money for charity, and remain a very colorful part of London's history.
The Bryant & May match factory in the East End area of Bow was the scene in 1888 of the matchgirls' strike. Around 1,400 women and girls worked in appalling conditions for meager wages producing matches where both ends of the sticks were dipped into sulfur. White phosphorus could cause osteonecrosis or "phossy jaw," which was a form of bone cancer. Their plight was such that industrial action was called for—and the workforce walked out.
Several themed and intriguing Jack the Ripper walking tours revisit the murder sites, though much of the East End of 1888 has disappeared. One landmark that still exists is the Ten Bells pub in Spitalfields. Some accounts of the Jack the Ripper story link two of his victims, Annie Chapman and Mary Jane Kelly, to the pub.
The East End of London was not spared during the Blitz, the name given to the German bombing campaign against Britain in 1940 and 1941 during the Second World War.
From the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, East London's criminal world was ruled with iron fists by twin brothers Ronald and Reginald Kray. The foremost perpetrators of organized crime in the area, the Kray twins were involved in murder, armed robbery, arson, protection rackets, and assaults, and were ruthless with it.
On Friday, August 31, 1888 Mary Ann Nichols was murdered in Buck's Row (pictured, and since renamed Durward Street), a back street in Whitechapel. It was the first of five atrocities ascribed to the notorious unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper.
The infamous Sidney Street siege, also known as the Battle of Stepney, took place on January 3, 1911 when two members of a Latvian gang hiding out at 100 Sidney Street held off police and armed soldiers for six hours before being shot. An ensuing fire and building collapse claimed the life of a fireman. Pictured at the scene is Winston Churchill, then Home Secretary, standing left of the top-hatted figures.
A plaque marking the location where fire chief Charles Pearson lost his life during the siege can be seen in Sidney Street.
George VI (1895-1952) and Queen Elizabeth (1900-2002) visited bombed-out areas to see the damage caused by enemy air raids, including in East London. Civilians, many of them made homeless by the Luftwaffe, gathered in their dozens to greet the illustrious visitors.
It was the first time members of the British royal family had toured London bomb sites and met the residents of neighborhoods that would normally be off royal tour agendas. The Queen later remarked she felt she could "look the East End in the face," a reference to the fact that Buckingham Palace itself had earlier been bombed.
Brick Lane is one of the most culturally diverse areas in the East End, though its primarily the heart of London's Bangladeshi community. The neighborhood is famous for its Sunday market and abundance of curry restaurants.
Sources: (Jack The Ripper) (The National WWII Museum) (Historic UK) (The Matchgirls Memorial) (East London & West Essex Guardian Series) (The Guardian) (Time)
See also: A walk through London's iconic West End
The East End represents multicultural London at its most colorful and vibrant. And it's no doubt a neighborhood with a lot of history.
The area was once notorious for its deep poverty, overcrowding, and associated social problems. In the late 19th century, its slums were the hunting ground of Jack the Ripper, one of the most infamous serial killers in British criminal history. During the Second World War, East London was visited by members of the royal family, who empathized with the plight of its bombed out citizens. And East End boroughs are also the childhood homes of Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Caine, and other famous celebrities. Today, this historic core still maintains a singular identity and even its own language.
Click through and discover the people and places that help characterize the East End.
Bond girl Honor Blackman was born in the East London town of Plaistow. She's pictured with Sean Connery (1930–2020) on the set of 'Goldfinger' (1964).
People and places that characterize London's East End
Famous personalities and landmarks associated with East London
LIFESTYLE England
The East End represents multicultural London at its most colorful and vibrant. And it's no doubt a neighborhood with a lot of history.
The area was once notorious for its deep poverty, overcrowding, and associated social problems. In the late 19th century, its slums were the hunting ground of Jack the Ripper, one of the most infamous serial killers in British criminal history. During the Second World War, East London was visited by members of the royal family, who empathized with the plight of its bombed out citizens. And East End boroughs are also the childhood homes of Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Caine, and other famous celebrities. Today, this historic core still maintains a singular identity and even its own language.
Click through and discover the people and places that help characterize the East End.