Bethnal Green

Bethnal-Green,—a large green situate about a mile E. from the Turnpike by 65, Shoreditch, and about ½ a mile N. from Mile-End-Turnpike by Dog-row.

Bethnal Green. Tower Hamlets. Blithehale 13th century, Blithenhale 1341, Blethenalegrene 1443, Bethnal Greene 1657, that is probably 'nook of land of a man called *Blītha', from an Old English personal name (genitive case -n) and Old English halh, with the later addition of Middle English grene 'village green'. Alternatively, the first element may be Old English blīthe (dative -an) 'pleasant' or an old stream name Blīthe 'pleasant one'.

Bethnal Green, a poor and populous district in the east end of London, was a hamlet of Stepney till 1743, when it was separated and made a parish. It is of considerable extent, reaching from Spitalfields and Shoreditch to Victoria Park and Hackney, Mile End, and Whitechapel. With broad roads passing through and across it, it is a region of small and mean houses, the older ones having wide windows in the upper storeys to give light to the weavers' looms. In 1871 the population numbered over 120,000, and it has since much increased. Only a few years ago Bethnal Green was correctly described as chiefly inhabited by weavers of silk, connected with the great French settlement in Spitalfields; but weavers are now far from being the majority, and their numbers are decreasing. Bethnal Green is one of the chief quarters of the costermongers of London; day and casual labourers are also numerous. In 1769 Bethnal Green was the scene of serious disturbances, arising from what we should now call a strike and rattening. The weavers of Spitalfields and Bethnal Green refused the wages offered by their employers, held meetings, formed a committee, and levied a tax on the looms still at work for the support of the unemployed. Where payment was refused, a number of the unemployed were called together, who cut the looms so as to render them useless, whence those on strike came to be known as cutters. On September 30 a meeting of cutters was held at the Dolphin public-house in Bethnal Green. Two justices, with peace officers, and a guard from the Tower, entered the house and proceeded to arrest the leaders. The weavers resisted, and in the struggle which ensued a soldier and two of the weavers were killed. Four were captured, the others escaped by the roof. Two of these were tried at the Old Bailey, capitally convicted, and sentenced by the Recorder to be hanged "at the usual place." The warrant for their execution, however, directed that they should be hanged at "the most convenient place near Bethnal Green Church." To this the sheriffs demurred, and applied for advice to Serjeant Glynde, who stated that he knew of no authority for altering the sentence of a court of justice, and recommended a memorial to the Secretary of State. This was sent, and a respite was granted while the point was considered. Other memorials followed, and a further respite. The case was referred to the consideration of the twelve judges, who ruled that "the time and place of execution was no part of the sentence," and the still reluctant sheriffs received a peremptory order to obey the terms of the warrant. The men were accordingly hanged at Bethnal Green in the presence of an immense crowd, who were so excited that the sheriffs deemed it prudent to "order the unhappy sufferers to be turned off before the usual time allowed on such occasions."¹

In 1839 there were only two churches in the whole district, but twelve churches have been erected since that time. The parish church, St. Matthew's, was designed by George Dance, senr., 1740. It is a large, oblong, red brick and Portland stone building, with a square tower and low spire at the west end. The church was greatly injured by fire in December 1859, but was restored to its original appearance and reopened in December 1861. St. John's, Cambridge Road, opposite the east end of Bethnal Green Road, is a solid semi-classical edifice, erected 1824–1825, and noteworthy as the work of Sir John Soane, R.A., the architect of the Bank of England. This was the first church consecrated by Bishop Blomfield, who subsequently made great efforts to supply the neighbourhood with sufficient church accommodation. The twelve newer churches are all Gothic, mostly of brick, some by good architects. The public buildings are very few. In Church Row, facing St. Matthew's Church, are the vestry hall and parish offices, the former of red brick and stone of rather elaborate design. The Bethnal Green Museum, on the north of St. John's Church, and Columbia Market, built by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts at the Shoreditch extremity of the parish, are noticed under those headings. The Green, between St. John's Church and the Museum, has been enclosed and laid out as a public garden, and appears to be much appreciated.

June 26, 1663. By coach to Bednall-green to Sir W. Rider's to dinner. A fine merry walk with the ladies alone after dinner in the garden: the greatest quantity of strawberries I ever saw, and good. This very house was built by the Blind Beggar of Bednall-green, so much talked of and sang in ballads; but they say it was only some of the outhouses of it.—Pepys.

My father, shee said, is soone to be seene,
The seely blind beggar of Bednall-greene,
That daylye sits begging for charitie,
He is the good father of pretty Bessee.
His markes and his tokens are knowen very well;
He alwayes is led with a dogg and a bell.
A seely olde man, God knoweth, is hee,
Yet hee is the father of pretty Bessee.

PERCY'S Reliques, vol. ii., The Beggar's Daughter of Bednall Green.¹

The story of the Blind Beggar seems to have gained much credit in the village, where it decorates not only the sign-posts of the publicans, but the staff of the parish beadle.—Lysons, vol. ii. p. 18.

The house at Bethnal Green was inhabited in 1663 by Sir William Rider; was built in the previous century for John Kirby. It was distinguished as "Kirby's Castle," and associated in rhyme, as Stow records, with other memorable follies of the time in brick and mortar:—

Kirkebyes Castell and Fishers Follie,
Spinilas pleasure and Megses glorie.

It was known in Strype's time as the "Blind Beggar's House,"² but Strype knew nothing of the ballad, for he adds, "perhaps Kirby beggared himself by it." For many years it was a private lunatic asylum. Bishop's Hall, about a quarter of a mile to the east of Bethnal Green (taken down about the middle of the present century), is said to have been the palace of Bishop Bonner. Hence Conner's Fields adjoining. There is a view of the house, dated 1794, in the Guildhall Collection. In 1649 tne versatile Sir Balthazar Gerbier opened an Academy at Bethnal Green, in which he professed to teach, in addition to the more common branches of education, "astronomy, navigation, architecture, perspective, drawing, limning, engraving, fortification, fireworks, military discipline, the art of well speaking and civil conversation, history, constitutions and maxims of state, and particular dispositions of nations, riding the great horse, scenes, exercises, and magnificent shows." For teaching all these arts he charged £6 a month, of which £3 was for riding the great horse.³ Robert Ainsworth, author of the Latin dictionary which bears his name, kept an Academy at Bethnal Green. William Caslon, the celebrated type-founder, died at his residence there, January 23, 1766.

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¹ Hughson's London, vol. i. p. 588; Journals of the time.

¹ The beggar in the ballad is said to have been the son of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, in the reign of Henry III. Wounded at Evesham righting by his father's side, he was found among the dead by a baron's daughter, who sold her jewels to marry him, and assumed with him a beggar's attire to preserve his life. Their only child, a daughter, was the "pretty Bessee" of the ballad in Percy.
² Strype, B. iv. p. 48.
³ Lysons, vol. ii. p. 1.