Person    | Male  Born 4/2/1850  Died 2/1/1936

Frederick Nicholas Charrington

Renounced a brewing fortune to help the East End poor. Born Bow Road, the heir to Charrington’s Brewery in Stepney. He entered the business but, aged 19, experienced a religious conversion and became an evangelical Christian. He became aware of the harm that alcohol, the source of his wealth, did to the poor and so he left the business and devoted his life to helping the poor in the East End, particularly through the Temperance movement. Campaigned against prostitution and music halls.  Either he kept some of his ill-gotten gains or he was good at raising funds because he managed to open a school, the Tower Hamlets Mission and to build the Great Assembly Hall in Mile End. Founded a retreat for alcoholics at Osea Island off the coast of Essex. Some were wealthy (Sickert is rumoured to have stayed) others would do community work as payment. He was one of the original members of the London County Council, 1889-95. Working on almost identical ground Barnardo and Charrington began supportive of each other but this developed into a bitter feud.  Died in the London Hospital.

His campaign against prostitution had two unseen consequences: by closing down brothels he forced the prostitutes out onto the streets, thus, possibly, providing easy victims for Jack the Ripper. This campaign also brought him into contact with prostitutes and thus, inevitably, he has been named as a suspect for Jack the Ripper himself.

George Powell is a good source of more information.

 

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Frederick Nicholas Charrington

Commemorated ati

Mile End mural

Murals are often rather fun puzzles so do have a go identifying what you can ...

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Tower Hamlets Mission - 2

In thanksgiving to God for the devotion and generosity of the friends of the ...

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Other Subjects

Albion Mills

Albion Mills

Corn mill built by Matthew Boulton, James Watt and John Rennie.  Rennie moved from Scotland to London when invited to work on the construction of these Mills.  Burnt down in 1791 and Spitalfields L...

Building, Food & Drink, Industry

1 memorial
White Hart Inn

White Hart Inn

Established in the medieval period and referenced by Shakespeare in 'Henry VI' and by Dickens in 'Pickwick Papers'.  Not to be confused with the nearby White Hart at 22 Great Suffolk Street.

Building, Community / Clubs, Food & Drink, Literature

1 memorial
Bawley fishing boat

Bawley fishing boat

Whitebait were caught by this type of craft in the River Thames, until 1950. The picture source website tells us that the Bawley is a variation of the 'smack' type of ship. The name "is probably de...

Vehicle, Food & Drink, Transport

1 memorial
Joe Jenkins
1 memorial