Commercial Road
Between 1803
and 1810 Commercial Rd was built to connect Shadwell,
Limehouse and Poplar with the City.
Much of the
land was still open fields at the time. By 1825 it was
the third busiest passenger stage coach route in London.
In the 1840's
the 'Setting Moon' in Commercial Street was what was
known as a 'snug house' or a criminals' hideout.
In 1842 an
elephant was exhibited in a booth in Commercial Road East
and a man teased it. Later he visited the booth again
with his family and the elephant wrapped its trunk around
the main's leg and broke it. He died two days later from
blood poisoning.
The southern
portion of Commercial Street, from Whitechapel St to
Christchurch, Spitalfields was made from Essex St, Rose
Lane and Rd Lion St in 1845.
W J Loftie
remarks of Commercial Road in 1883 'The whole
district is a labyrinth of small houses, and sustains an
enormous population, almost entirely employed in the
docks, breweries, match factories, and other
establishments of the kind.' The average weekly wage
at this time was approximately 36 shillings.
Some building
schemes were in operation but often their rents were out
of reach of the poor (such as the Peabody buildings and
the Improved Industrial dwellings Company formed in
1863.)
To become a
tenant one had to have an employer's reference. No paid
work could be carried out in the building. There was to
be no sub-letting nor could they fall into arrears and
the rent had to be paid in advance. Many worked from home
at that time and so did not qualify as tenants.
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