Toby in the Lane: A History of London's East End Markets

by Paul Morris

Overview

A Toby in the Lane reveals the rich fabric of the East End markets, primarily in Petticoat Lane and Brick Lane, and celebrates the street traders and stalls which call these London institutions home. This is the story of immigrant communities and their fight for survival, reflected in sweat and toil. Countless tales of traders' scams, tricks and banter are found inside. Families who have traded throughout the generations on the market offer up a unique insight into the layers of history that – up until now – have remained untold. The story also traces the sometimes complicated relationships between trader and authorities in an often amusing but informative tale of London market life. A spellbinding, quirky and intimate portrait of life on the famous markets of London's East End, written by an East End senior market inspector, A Toby in the Lane will delight Londoners and visitors alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780750954990
Publisher:	The History Press
Publication date:	08/04/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Paul Morris is a prolific artist, having had exhibitions at the Royal College of Art and the Riverside Gallery among others. In his working life he is a market inspector, a job he has carried out for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for 15 years. He lives in London.

Read an Excerpt

A Toby in the Lane

A History of London's East End Markets

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By Paul Morris

The History Press

Copyright © 2014 Paul Morris
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-7509-5499-0

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CHAPTER 1

THE ORIGINS OF PETTICOAT LANE

Petticoat Lane could once, justifiably, be called 'world-famous'. Nearly twenty years ago, when I first encountered it, this was still the case. Now, however, it is somewhat diminished from that earlier status: such an assertion today seems an outdated claim to grandeur, given its present-day modest size and appearance. It remains a prominent feature of market life in London, however, and its history represents the very fabric and growth of London's development, mirroring the enormous population explosion and expansion of one of the world's greatest cities.

The history of the East End is inextricably tied up with its markets. Ancient markets such as Eastchepe have long since disappeared but Spitalfields, Roman Road, Bethnal Green, Watney Market, Chrisp Street, Columbia Road, Whitechapel and, of course, Brick Lane and Petticoat Lane very much continue to prosper, and it is evident that street trading has been instrumental to the development of the East End.

Hogge Lane

The earliest available historical references to the street now known as Petticoat Lane call it Berewards Lane. Berewards Lane dates back to at least 1218, when it was a track leading from Aldgate through fields to Bishopsgate and served as a shortcut to the Whitechapel Essex Road. It was located close to the walled City of London and as a consequence served as a popular route for farmers and visitors making their way to 'Chepe' markets within the city walls. Travellers often arrived too late at night, beyond the curfew bells, to be admitted to the city, and Berewards Lane thus became a convenient resting place.

The name Berewards Lane lasted until 1500, when it and land adjoining were sold by its monastic owners to farmers, who used it for the rearing of pigs. In John Stow's survey of London in 1598 he notes the change of name that resulted, from 'Berwards [sic] Lane ... of olde time so called, but now Hogge lane'. Stow refers extensively to it in his survey:

This Hogge lane stretcheth North toward Saint Marie Spitle without Bishopsgate, and within these fortie yeares, had on both sides fayre hedgerowes of Elme trees, with Bridges and easie stiles to passe ouer into the pleasant fieldes, very commodious for Citizens therein to walke, shoote, and otherwise to recreate and refresh their dulled spirites in the sweete and wholesome ayre, which is nowe within few yeares made a continuall building throughout, of Garden houses, and small Cottages; and the fields on either side be turned into Garden plottes, teynter yardes, Bowling Allyes, and such like, from Houndes ditch in the West, so farre as white Chappell, and further towards the East.

The pig farming proved particularly successful, as its close proximity to the food market of Eastcheap (distinguished from Cheapside, which was in the west of the city) meant that fresh meat could be easily transported out to customers, giving an advantage over traders from further afield. As the pig-rearing enterprises flourished they began to attract other tradesmen and craftsmen to the area, developing the vicinity into an important area for commerce. Such places were increasingly important for the growing city. The population within the city walls by the year 1500 was no more than 75,000, the Black Death and other plagues having limited population growth, but during the next century expansion was enormous and by 1600 London's populace was 400,000. Parishes outside the city walls, such as Whitechapel and Shoreditch, underwent enormous increases in population, providing a spur to the development of the nascent markets.

The development of Spitalfields

After Henry VIII's break with Rome in the mid-sixteenth century land owned by monasteries and abbeys became available to lease for property speculators. The area later known as Spitalfields, after the hospital of St Mary of Spittal, which during the medieval period had catered for the sick and the poor, would come to play an important part in the expansion of the markets of Petticoat Lane and Brick Lane, and the surrounding area.

The significance of Spitalfields' association with Petticoat Lane cannot be underestimated. Spitalfields market was granted a licence by Charles I in 1638 but deteriorated until 1682, when Charles II granted a Royal Charter to John Balch, a silk thrower who married Katherine Wheeler, daughter of market trustee William Wheeler,1 giving Balch the right to hold a market on Thursdays and Saturdays in the area of Spitalfields or its close proximity. This development was in response, of course, to the need to feed an ever-growing population in the area. Unfortunately John Balch died a year later and did not see his plans develop, but, fortunately for the future development of the area, he left the leasehold and market franchise to Edward Metcalf, who wasted no time in creating a permanent building to be used for market purposes.

Soon after the market was established Metcalf also unfortunately died and the lease was taken over by a trader from the City of London named George Bohun, who saw the potential in supplying the increasing population of the city with fresh fruit, vegetables and meat. The market soon became imperative to the stability of the community and was, indeed, London's most significant fruit and vegetable market at this time.

By the early 1700s the market was thriving and would soon be home to the area's second wave of immigration, the French Huguenots, who had fled France following religious persecution. French Huguenots, who were Protestants, had enjoyed the protection of their civil rights under the Edict of Nantes but these freedoms were repealed by Louis XIV, who tried to force conversion through repression. Up to 50,000 people fled as a result and came to London. It was at this time that the French word 'refugee' entered the English language.

The Huguenots were attracted to the area of Spitalfields because it had already been settled, over a century earlier, by Dutch and French silk weavers who had taken advantage of the area's close proximity to the city to expand their trade. The existence of a familiar and sympathetic community enticed the new wave of French Protestants, of whom a large majority practiced silk weaving. The silk weavers would tenter out their wet silk by means of hooks to prevent shrinkage in the spittal fields, giving the area a distinct identity. We are reminded of their presence today in so many ways and their influence upon the vicinity of Spitalfields cannot be understated – from houses built at the time (for example, in Fournier Street, Folgate Street, Princelet Street and Fashion Street, now the residences of artists such as Gilbert and George) to the language of the Huguenots, which has left its physical imprint on the area in place names such as Tenter Lane, which still leads from Spitalfields market. Indeed, at this time the area was known as Petty France. Their skills and expertise in silk weaving, alongside other trades and interest in arts, made the Huguenots into a distinct and successful community. They also engaged in many intellectual pursuits: historical and mathematical societies and interests in botany and music were very popular.

The Huguenots would soon be put under enormous pressure, however, when Irish immigrants began to arrive in the mid-1700s. Not only were these new settlers adept at weaving, but they were able to undercut the Huguenots in terms of wages and conditions of work, making cheaper alternatives. Tensions grew between the communities, culminating in riots in 1736 during which Irish businesses and homes were attacked by the Huguenots. Poor relations, poverty and a disgruntled workforce continued for many years until, in 1762, the Huguenot journeymen agreed a set of wage and work standards with their masters in an attempt to secure living wages. However, these standards were again undercut and renewed disorder characterised the period from 1769 to the mid-1770s. Peace finally broke out in 1773 when the first Spitalfields Act was passed to regulate working conditions and wages.

Although there was relative calm thereafter, the weavers' industry had gone into decline, partially as a consequence of the workings of the Spitalfields Acts, which were repealed in 1824. Subsequently attempts were made to preserve the silk-weaving industry, with a few companies remaining in the area. As late as 1900 an employee of one of these companies, George Dorcee, attempted to support the industry by appealing to the local authority against the demolition of weavers' houses. Incredibly, he succeeded, prolonging the industry for a few more years, but, perhaps more significantly for the area, also preserving its homes. By this time, however, the decline was terminal, leaving many weavers in poverty, and the Huguenot community was dispersed. Many weavers sought new employment within the docks or became market traders in the growing areas of Petticoat Lane and, ironically, the food market that had been established around the Spitalfields hospital site.

The impact of this food market in the area may often be understated but was in fact enormous. It served not only the Huguenot community but also the traders and costermongers of Petticoat Lane for over 200 years. Initially trading was conducted from a collection of sheds and stalls but, with London's growing appetite for fresh fruit and vegetables, it was in desperate need of modernisation by the mid-1800s. The market in its present form was finally rebuilt by former market porter Robert Hormer in 1888 after he had purchased the lease two years earlier and was run by the City of London; it then continued to serve for another 100 years as a wholesale fruit and vegetable market. Wholesale trade at Spitalfields ceased in 1991, after which it was left unused until redevelopment in 2005. The market was fully restored in 2008, with a Norman Foster-designed office block at its western end. It is now a beacon for artisan trade and plays an important role between the continuing street markets of Petticoat Lane and Brick Lane, attracting young artists and designers. It is instrumental in the regeneration of the area.

Petticoat Lane

An important figure in the development of Hogge Lane was Benedict Spinola (1520–1580), an Italian merchant who leased ground there in the late 1500s. He developed cottage housing for the poor and larger houses for the rich, building up to 100 homes. More and more foreign visitors were coming to London, but they were frequently met with resistance and, indeed, riots; Hogge Lane soon became a very popular place to trade, becoming a refuge for many who took the opportunity, often out of necessity, to develop an occupation in trade. Moreover, in around 1606 the Common Council passed an Act in response to the great number of foreign street hawkers that said: 'That no foreigner whatsoever should presume to vend his, her or their goods in the city, by connivance or otherwise, either in shop, house, stall or street upon the penalty of £5 for every offence except such as brought provisions to the city.' The huge fine had the desired effect and drove the hawkers, who sold mostly second-hand clothes, out of the city and into Hogge Lane, which was soon renamed Petticoat Lane, appearing for the first time as such on Ryther's early seventeenth-century map of London.

At around the same time a further reference to the new name occurs in Ben Jonson's play The Devil is an Ass (1616):

    Like a needle of Spain, with a thread at my tail
    We will survey the suburbs and make forth our sallies,
    Down Petticoat Lane and up the smock alleys,
    To Shoreditch, Whitechapel and so to St. Kathern's,
    To drink with the Dutch there, and take forth their patterns.

    (Act 1, Scene 1)

At this time in the seventeenth century Petticoat Lane was a desirable area, according to the ecclesiastical historian John Strype, the son of John Strype (or van Strijp), who had come to London to learn the business of silk 'throwster' from his uncle Abraham van Strijp, of Dutch nationality, who, to escape religious persecution, had taken refuge in England. He, like many early settlers, was Jewish. Strype later set up business for himself in what was later known as Strypes Yard – now Strype Street – which forms part of the Petticoat Lane market that still operates to this day.

Strype's references to 'Petticoat Lane' suggest a place where some gentleman of the court and city had their town houses. The most notable of these was the Spanish ambassador Hans Jacobson, jeweller to King James I. However, the gentrification of the area did not last long. In 1665 the bubonic plague struck and in the following year the Great Fire of London devastated the city. The map of London was about to be redrawn. New areas were sought for settlement and business opportunities, and cheaper housing became available. As a consequence of the rebuilding of the city Petticoat Lane became populated by impoverished workmen who needed to live close by their work, and so very crowded streets of small houses were built in the area. The increase of population necessitated the development of new street markets. Furthermore, an Act of Parliament of 1674 banned street markets within the city walls and, within a short time, Petticoat Lane became the most sought-after area for further development in market trading. The market, which developed to serve a growing number of immigrants and the existing poor, affected the social standing of the area and houses once populated by the rich were taken over by businessmen and immigrants who began to trade there.

As noted earlier, the area then received a significant immigrant influx of approximately 13,500 French Protestants fleeing from religious persecution following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. A great number of these immigrants were silk weavers who were extremely skilled at their work, but even with these new skilled workers Strype still implies that the area had lost its social standing. As discussed previously, the arrival of the French Huguenots was crucial to the development of the fabric in the area and in particular to Petticoat Lane. It is with these changes that, by the next century, the shape of Petticoat Lane market as we know it today had truly come into being.

Ghetto in the 'Lane'

The Lane was always the great marketplace, and every insalubrious street and alley abutting on it was covered with the overflowing of its commerce and its mud. Wentworth Street and Goulston Street were the chief branches, and in festival times the latter was a pandemonium of caged poultry, clucking and quacking and cackling and screaming. Fowls and geese and ducks were bought alive, and taken to have their throats cut for a fee by the official slaughterer. At Purim a gaiety, as of the Roman carnival, enlivened the swampy Wentworth Street, and brought a smile onto the unwashed face of the pavement.

Especially was this so at Passover, when for a week the poorest Jew must use a supplementary set of crockery and kitchen utensils. A babel of sound, audible for several streets around, denoted Market Day in Petticoat Lane, and the pavements were blocked by serried crowds going both ways at once. (Zangwill 1892)

During the 1700s the area was extremely shabby but well known as a district that anybody who had anything to sell would visit for that purpose. Jewish peasants from central Eastern Europe began to settle in the area, but found it extremely difficult to find employment because of their curious looks, their unusual religious practices – with Sabbath hours and holy days conflicting with those of the indigenous population – and, of course, the language barrier. The Jewish immigrants' salvation was thus Petticoat Lane market, where they sold whatever they could, almost inevitably second-hand clothes, to make ends meet. They carried out their sales partly in Yiddish and partly in cockney, slowly integrating into life on the market. Women found such occupation a particularly useful opportunity to earn a wage supplementing the family income.

The deterioration in the status of the area seems to have continued and was marked by levels of crime and disorder. For example, in 1747 the General Evening News reported that the master of the 'Cock Alehouse' in Petticoat Lane was tried at the Guildhall for keeping a disorderly house. Prostitution and the 'fencing' of stolen goods in public houses around the market were commonplace. Other newspaper reports from the time refer to 'gangs of robbers keeping the inhabitants in continual fear'. One such report, from 1775, reported that 'There is a gang of robbers about Petticoat Lane and its vicinity not much less daring than the Black boy-alley gang, of infamous memory, who keep the inhabitants in continual dread.' Another report refers to 'Martha Cutler, Sarah Cowden and Sarah Storer for feloniously assaulting Henry Soloman in the dwelling house of Aaron Davis in Petticoat Lane, Dilings in Gun Court, Petticoat Lane and robbing him of £15 4s in money'. In 1787 the situation was so bad that the parish of Whitechapel had to appoint day and night patrols in the Lane and surrounding areas to protect its population.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from A Toby in the Lane by Paul Morris. Copyright © 2014 Paul Morris. Excerpted by permission of The History Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents

Contents

Title,
Acknowledgements,
Preface,
Introduction,
1 The Origins of Petticoat Lane,
2 Tobys, Traders and the Market,
3 Associated Markets,
4 Brick Lane,
5 Traders' Tales,
6 Reformation,
Bibliography,
Copyright,