Liberty of Norton Folgate
Norton Folgate | |
---|---|
Norton Folgate in 1681 | |
Area | |
• 1901 | 8 acres (0.032 km2) |
Population | |
• 1801 | 1,752 |
• 1851 | 1,771 |
• 1901 | 1,663 |
Density | |
• 1901 | 208/acre |
History | |
• Abolished | 1900 (liberty) 1921 (civil parish) |
• Succeeded by | Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch Metropolitan Borough of Stepney |
Status | Civil parish (1858—1921) |
• HQ | Norton Folgate Street (c.1544-1744) White Lion Street (1744-1901) |
Norton Folgate was a liberty in Middlesex, England; adjacent to the City of London in what would become the East End of London.
It was located between the
The district, which was a component of the
Toponymy
The name is recorded c. 1110 as Nortune and means "north farmstead". It is formed from the
History
Norton Folgate originated as the land occupied by the inner precinct of the Priory and Hospital of St Mary Spital. The priory was
Maps from the 18th century indicate that an area to the west of Bishopsgate was also part of Norton Folgate but was probably part of the broader
In the 18th century breweries in Hog Lane and White Lion Street produced
Norton Folgate was once the residence of the playwright Christopher Marlowe. The theatrical association continued, with the construction in 1837 of the City of London Theatre by the architect Samuel Beazley. The theatre specialised in "domestic" and temperance drama, and closed in 1868. Performances included The Pickwick Papers between March and April 1837; and Nicholas Nickleby in November and December 1838.[7]
The liberty existed until October 1900,
In 2008, in opposition to a plan to demolish the Light Bar (built as a power station for the Great Eastern Railway)[10] in order to build an office block, local activists claimed that documents in the council archives showed that the abolition of the Liberty of Norton Folgate in 1900 was technically invalid and that it still existed.[11]
Government
In 1732 the Parish Clerks of Shoreditch said that "All the Affairs of the Liberty are managed by the Ancients, who are in the Nature of a Vestry".[4] These "ancients" or "ancient inhabitants" may have originally been clerics but after the reformation were probably established landowners. Later records indicate that these "ancient inhabitants" took turns to occupy various offices including:
- Headborough (a sort of Mayor)
- 2 x Overseers of the Poor (who managed rents)
- Constable (supervising three Beadles)
- Scavenger (who managed street cleaning)
The ten "ancient inhabitants" were obliged to fill these offices unless they paid a fine excusing themselves. The Ancient Inhabitants appear to have replaced their numbers through co-opting residents of the Liberty. After a
The liberty was one of the components of the
In 1855 the liberty became part of the
Population and area
The liberty of Norton Folgate covered 8 acres (3 ha). The population as recorded in the Census was:
Liberty of Norton Folgate 1801-1901
Year[14] | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population | 1,752 | 1,716 | 1,896 | 1,918 | 1,674 | 1,771 | 1,873 | 1,550 | 1,528 | 1,449 | 1,663 |
See also
- Stepney Historical Trust
References
- ^ "The City and London Borough Boundaries Order 1993".
- ^ Mills, D. (2000). Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names. Oxford.
- ^ GenUKI Middlesex, Norton Folgate
- ^ a b c d Sheppard 1957.
- ^ London Trade Directories.
- ^ Hackney History, vol. 7.
- ^ Theatres in Victorian London accessed on 21 Dec 2006
- ^ Thomas, C., Sloane, B., and Phillpotts, C. (1997) Excavations at the Priory and Hospital of St Mary Spital, London. Museum of London.
- ISBN 0-901050-67-9.
- ^ J. E. Connor, "The Great Eastern Light"[permanent dead link], 2000, p.12
- ^ Norton Folgate Raises Flag and Declares 'UDI'
- ^ London Encyclopaedia, Weinreb and Hibbert, 1983
- ^ Minute Book of the Liberty of Norton Folgate (at Bancroft Public Records Library), 24.10.1900
- ^ Statistical Abstract for London, 1901 (Vol. IV) - Census tables for Liberty of Norton Folgate.
Further reading
- Sheppard, F. H. W., ed. (1957). "The Manor and Liberty of Norton Folgate". Spitalfields and Mile End New Town. Survey of London. Vol. 27. London: London County Council. pp. 15–20 – via British History Online.