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West Ham 1878 Kellys Trade Directory in Essex

History of West ham in 1878

West Ham 1878 Trade Directory

West Ham is a parish of considerable extent, pleasantly situated to the east of the river Lea and near to the North Woolwich and Great Eastern railway stations at Stratford: it is about a mile and a half east from Bow Bridge, and not more then n miles from the river Thames; it is in the Southern division of the county, hundred of Becontree, county court district of Bow, rural deanery of Barking, archdeaconry of Essex and diocese of St Albans, in the Eastern Metropolitan postal district and in the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court and Metropolitan police; it gives name to a union, comprising seven parishes, viz. : East and West Ham, Little Ilford, Leyton, Walthamstow, Wanstead and Woodford.
The Great Eastern railway, with the various lines and branches now diverging from it, together with the Victoria Docks, have been the main causes of the past and still continuing increase of the population of this district. There are water works on the river Lee, supplying this parish and other places; and gas works on the Stratford Road.
The parish of West Ham is divided into three Wards viz: Church Street, Stratford and Plaistow. Church Street ward consists of West Ham, Upton, Forest Gate and Canning Town, having an area of about 1,600 acres of land. Stratford ward embraces Stratford, with The Grove, The Green and Maryland Point, lying to the east of the river Lea, being very populous and covering an area of 700 acres, Plaistow ward includes Plaistow, with the marshes situated on the Barking Road, Hallsville and Silvertown, having an area of 2,000 acres of land, extending to the Thames; the Victoria Docks are in this ward. The above division of West Ham into wards has reference chiefly to secular matters, in ecclesiastic affairs Stratford, Forest Gate, Plaistow and Canning Town form distinct parishes and are given in this work under separate headings.
A local Board of Health has been established, comprising the whole parish.
The parish church of All Saints is a spacious old building of brick and stone, having a chancel with north and south chapels, a nave with aisles and a square tower, 74 feet high, with 10 excellent bells; several persons of eminence have been buried in it, There is an altar tomb in the north chapel, dated 1485; there is a mural tablet above it to the memory of Robert Rook, with figures of himself and family, dated 1620. The register dates from the Commonwealth, 1656. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value �600, with residence, in the gift of the Crown, and held by the Rev Thomas Scott MA of Caius College, Cambridge; the Rev Frederick Robert Smith MA, is curate and clerk in orders. Edward Humphreys esq, is the impropriator of the rectorial tithes.

There are numerous and excellent schools, amongst which may be notice the West Ham Model, containing 380 boys; West Ham School for girls, West Han Lane; Mrs Bonnell�s endowed (girls�), 90, income �336; and the Infant school, 285 children of both sexes, all connected with the parish church.

There are Baptist, Wesleyan, Congregational, and Unitarian Chapels, and a meeting house for the Society of Friends.

West ham cemetery, is situated near to Wanstead Flats at Forest Gate, and consists of some 20 acres.
The West Ham, Stratford and South Essex Dispensary in West Ham Lane, is a handsome brick building, erected in 1878, on a site given by Mrs Curtis. The architect was Mr J T Newman, and the builders were Messrs Hosking Brothers of West Ham.
There are two almshouses fro twenty inmates near the parish church of All Saints, also Roger Harris�s for six inmates in Gift Lane, and numerous charitable bequests by benevolent persons, having been left from time to time for the benefit of the poor.

West ham contains large chemical works, an iron and wood shipbuilding establishment, an extensive patent leather cloth manufactory, steam, wind and water flour mills, large brewery, smelting works, copper works and other manufactories, distilleries etc, A market was anciently held in West ham, for which a charter was procured in 1253, by Richard Montfichet, but it is now discontinued. The London Northern Outfall Sewer passes through the whole length of the parish and the Abbey Mills pumping station is situated here.
West Ham Park, which comprises about 80 acres, is well timbered, with fine spreading cedars and shrubberies. It was formerly known by the name of �Upton park�, and was the residence of the late Samuel Gurney. His grandson, Mr John Gurney, the banker of Norwich, offered this beautiful park as a public recreation ground for its estimated value of �25,000, offering �10,000 towards it; the Corporation of the City of London voted �10,000 and the remainder was made up by local subscriptions, and on the 20th July, 1874, the park was publicly opened, by the Lord Mayor, as a public recreation ground. The mansion formerly known as �Upton Lane House�, now called the �Cedars� and for many years the residence of the celebrated Mrs Elizabeth Fry, sister of Samuel Gurney, is still standing, and forms, with its picturesque grounds of about 6 acres, a distinct but as yet private part of the park. The park formerly belonged to the late Dr Fothergill, by whom the gardens were laid out, and many trees which he first introduced into this country about 150 years ago, are still growing there. The park is under the control of a committee of 15 persons, 8 nominated by the City Corporation, 4 by Mr John Gurney and 3 elected by the local authorities; the cost of its maintenance is entirely defrayed by the Corporation of the City of London.
West ham parish covers an area of 4,936 acres, viz. - of which 4,667 land and 269 water. Rateable value �117,749; the population of the Local Board District and parish in 1861 was 38,381 and in 1871, 62,919, viz � In Stratford ward, 23,286; in Plaistow, 23,371; and Church Street, 16,262. As a proof of the increase of the population of the parish of West Ham, the number of houses built between March, 1874 and October, 1877, was 3.746 and the population (now 1878) is calculated to be 110,000.
Upton is a village to the east of West ham.

Parish Clerk (in orders), Rev Edward Robert Smith MA

Official Establishments, Local Institutions etc

Post & Money Order Office & Savings Bank, West Ham Lane � Mrs Mary Coles, receiver. Letters dispatched at 10 am, 12.30, 4.15 & 8 pm.

Insurance Agents:-

London & Lancashure, J M Miles, 2 Emmanuel Villas, Romford Road, Upton

London & Lancashure, E Richards, Church Street

Manchester Fire, G Rivett, 13 Globe Terrace, Forest Gate

Royal Exchange, J Corder

Sovereign Life, H C Durham, 2 Tilbury Road, Upton Park

Rural Sanitary Authority

Clerk, Fred E Hilleary, MA LLM

Medical Officer, E W E R Goedicke

Inspector of Nuisances, A McDowall

Public Establishments:-

Burial Board, Jeremiah Self, clerk

Police Station, West Ham Lane, John West, inspector

West ham Commissioners Green Yard, Langthorne Street

West Ham Fire Brigade Station (William Jones, supt), West Ham Lane

West Ham Union

Clerk to Guardians, Frederic Edward Hilleary

Relieving Officers, Henry Brittain, part of West Ham district; Henry W Thain, Walthamstow and Woodford district; William Orme and E Elliott, part of East and West Ham and Little Ilford district; Henry Bryett, part of West Ham district; Charles Foden, Low Leyton and Wanstead district.

Medical Officers, John B Hamilton, John Vance Richard J Carey, S Rowell & Walter A Grogono, part of West Ham; George Yates, Walthamstow; Frank W Cooper; Leytonstone & Wanstead; Alfred Peskett, Leyton; Frederick Turtle, Woodford, Franz W E R Goedicke, East Ham and Little Ilford.

Supt Registrar, Frederic Edward Hilleary MA LLM

Deputy-Superintendent Registrar, John L Mulley

Registrars of Marriages, C W Ashdown and J Hinks

Registrars of Births and Deaths, Rev R W B Marsh, part of West Ham district; T J Vallance, Stratford district; J D Browne, Walthamstow district; J Miller, Leyton district

Treasurer, George Arthur Fuller esq, banker, 77 Lombard Street, City

Clerk & Solicitor, Fred E Hilleary, Board room, Leytonstone

Workhouse, Holloway down � Rev Charles Sellwood, chaplain; Thomas J valance, medical officer; Samuel Hughes, master; Mrs Jane Hughes, matron; C R Griffin, schoolmaster; Elizabeth S Flagg, schoolmistress; Charlotte H Savage, infants mistress

Public Charities

Dispensary, West Ham Lane, Everett Clayton, resident surgeon

Almshouses (for 20 inmates), All Saints churchyard, under control of vestry & churchwardens of Stratford & Plaistow ( the endowment gives about 3s 6d per week)

Leggs Almshouses, Forest Lane

Roger Harriss�s Almshouses, Gift Lane, under control of vicar & churchwardens (no endowment)

Places of Worship

All Saints Church, Rev Thomas Scott MA, vicar; Rev Frederick Robert Smith MA, clerk in orders

Baptist Chapel, West Ham Lane

Congregational Chapel, Brickfields, rev Thomas E Stallybrass BA, minister

Unitarian Chapel, West Ham Lane, Rev Thomas Rix, minister

Schools

Clerk to School Board, Jeremiah Self

West Ham High School (girls�), West Ham Lane, Miss Harriett M Rowden, mistress

British (girls), Miss Wells, mistress

Infant, Church Street north, Miss Coppard, mistress