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Tunnels & Docks
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| In 1781 the Limehouse Cut, linking the River Lea at Bromley
to the Thames (via Limehouse Basin) was opened. |
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1825 the tunnel between Wapping and Rotherhithe was started.
It was designed by Marc Brunel, and took 18 years to complete.
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Engraving of the Tunnel
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The building of St Katherine's Dock,
1825
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In 1828 St Katherine’s Dock opened.This replaced the
old hospital which had stood on this site since mediaeval times.
Many different goods went through this dock, including indigo
(dye), opium (a drug) and perfumes. Whilst it created work for
many, unloading the ships, and working in the warehouses, the
building had been at the price of many houses. This meant that
the poorer residents of the area were forced to move – resulting
in increased overcrowding and poverty in other parts of the east
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In 1858 Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s giant ship, Great
Eastern was finally launched on the sixth attempt from Burrells
Wharf, Isle of Dogs.
It was the biggest liner of its day, as well as the heaviest.
It could carry 800 first-class passengers and over 3000 second
class. It was 691 feet long, 83 feet wide and 58 feet deep.
The ship was designed to be able to steam for 45 days, but
was also equipped for sail, paddle wheel and screw propulsion.
Sadly, she proved too expensive to operate as a passenger
liner and instead was used as a cable laying ship. She was
finally broken up in 1891.
However, her launch demonstrated the importance of the Isle
of Dogs as having both dockyards and shipbuilding yards at
this time. Ten years later, Millwall Docks opened, and increasingly
the role of the docks replaced ship building as the main
industry in the area.
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| Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s ship,
Great Eastern |
Find
out more from the BBC
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1848
There was a renewal in enthusiasm for Chartism in London.
Chartism was a working class movement, which said that Parliament
should accept the demands of the People’s Charter.
This was first published in 1838, and had six points which
centred on the demand that all men have the right to vote,
in secret. MPs should be paid, to ensure that anyone could
stand for Parliament, and not just the rich.
Many Irish immigrants living in London supported the Chartist
Movement, and took part in large demonstrations in its support.
Several took place at Bonner’s Fields (on the opposite
side of the Regent’s Canal to Victoria Park), at which
several speakers were arrested, as the government felt that
they were stirring up sedition. The police and military were
used to break up the meetings, often using their batons against
participants. Following the break up of a Chartist meeting
of 12 June in 1848, and the imprisonment of many of its leaders,
support for the movement declined.
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1870
Dr Barnardo’s Home at 18 Stepney Causeway opened, to house destitute
boys. Later, girls were also admitted. Barnardo was horrified by the poverty
he saw, especially amongst children, who often fell into crime or prostitution – often
being controlled by unscrupulous adults. This situation was brought to
public attention by Charles Dickens, in his novel Oliver Twist.
Click
here to find out about Dr Barnardo's
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Dr Barnardo
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