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History of EC2
by Sharn Gill
London Wall was the Roman bastion with Bishopsgate
and Moorgate as the gates in the wall for Roman and Anglo Saxon
soldiers to march through. It was re-developed in the 18th century
and has continued to change into what it has become today. Parts
of the wall can be seen at the Museum of London.
The street names are thousands of years old, originating from
areas where professions resided in the past (e.g. Bread Street
for the bakers, Threadneedle Street for the tailors, Love Lane
- where prostitutes gathered).
Thomas Beckett, the unpopular Archbishop was born there on Ironmonger's
Lane in 1118. John Keats also resided on the same street in
1861 at one point.
Oliver Cromwell married Elizabeth Bourchier at St Giles and
John Milton was buried here in 1674. The church is one of the
few buildings to survive the Great Fire in 1666 but only its
tower survived the Blitz.
Jewry Street was where the Jewish community resided and where
500 were murdered because a Jew charged a Christian more than
the legal rate of interest. It was also alleged that the Jewish
burned Christian children and were banished in 1291 by King
Edward. They returned to the area in the 17th century.
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Tower
Hamlets Features