St George in the East

The church of St George in the East was built 1715-23 by Nicholas Hawksmoor, consecrated 19 July 1729 and completed in 1879. it cost £18, 557. It stands in what is now a small recreation ground and was one of the 50 churches of Queen Anne.

The parish of St George in the East was detached from that of Stepney in 1729. (See Wapping.) The area described as St George in the East has superceded the old name of Wapping which now only belongs to a small waterside district.

By 1820 the area was being inhabited by wealthy merchants  and traders and most would attend the church every Sunday, arriving and leaving in their own carriages. The nearby newly built Docks then pulled in labour from all over the country and soon the area had become a slum but with the arrival of the railway the wealthy were able to move out into the suburbs.

As a result of the 'No Popery' agitation in 1860, disorderly scenes occurred almost every Sunday in the church. During services the congregation shoulted 'No Popery' and interrupted the church service. Sometimes they would sing 'Rule Britannia' and 'We won't go home till the morning', lighting lucifer matches, slamming doors, throwing orange peel and walnust shells at the rector, or letting off detonating crackers and shooting peas at his face.

In order to put a stop to these riots it became necessary to admit the police to the church to maintain order.

The font was from St Benet, Gracechurch Street which was pulled down in 1867 for road widening. First used at St George's 1877.

The church was badly damaged in 1941 and though still standing, is closed. A new church was built within the old church. The vaults were cleared of coffins which were taken to Brookwood. (Extracted from The Face of London by Richard P Clunn, Spring Books, page 298.)

'Just beyond Swedenbourg Square stands St George in the East. It was one of the 50 new churches which were planned for London in Queen Anne's day to calm and combat the obstreporousness of the growing population; in the end only 12 churches were built of which three - perhaps the most interesting three - were all built by Hawksmoor and all in the East End. In May 1941 St Georges was gutted by incendiary bombs.'

(Arthur Mee's The King's England: London North of the Thames except the City and Westminster, Hodder & Stoughton, page 395.)

There was a gas tar distilling works in St George in the East parish which covered 17 acres.