Plaque: Hanbury Hall - blue oval plaque
Erection date: 2015
Hanbury Hall
Built 1719 as a French Huguenot Church. Used by La Patente Church 1740 onwards. John Wesley preached here. 1787 it became a German Lutheran Church. Used by the Baptists then the United Free Methodists. Charles Dickens gave public readings here. 1887 Christ Church bought the building as its Church Hall. 1888 Annie Besant and Eleanor Marx-Aveling held the matchstick girls strike meetings here which helped to establish the British Trade Unions. Throughout its life this hall has served Church, community and nation.
This plaque has a shortened version of the text on the old white plaque.
Site: Hanbury Hall (4 memorials)
E1, Hanbury Street, 22, Hanbury Community Centre
Below the oval blue plaque there is a foundation stone:
This stone was laid by Mr William Forster - superintendant
C. Mc.I North - Archt.
August 1864
The white plaque used to be just to the right of the foundation stone, under the windowsill. This plaque was removed when the building was renovated in 2015. It emerged with two new memorials: the tiles and the blue oval. We thank our colleague Alan for these photos.
The pavement plaque is immediately outside the entrance.
From Spitalfields Life:"The Hanbury Hall in Hanbury St was built in 1719 as a Huguenot Church, standing back from the road behind a courtyard with a pump. The building was extended in 1864 and is now the church hall for Christ Church, Spitalfields."
