The origins of the East End textile industry can be traced to the 14th century when Flemish artisans set up dye works on the River Lea. In the late 17th century the Huguenots arrived in Spitalfields bringing their skills with silk-weaving, lace-making, fan-making, etc. Then the Jewish tailors arrived and enriched the area further.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
garment and textile industries in the East End
Commemorated ati
Bowler plaque - Scissors and Buttons - Brick Lane north
We failed to find this plaque in Dec-Jan 2017, but it is identical to that fu...
Bowler plaque - Scissors and Buttons - Brick Lane south
There is meant to be another identical plaque further north in Brick Lane but...
Bowler plaque - Shuttle and Bobbins
The plaque shows a shuttle and two bobbins, representing the local weaving tr...
Whitechapel Threads sculpture
The artists worked with the Rope Makers Guild to produce this image of two sk...
Other Subjects
St Saviour’s Dock
Our picture source, HSomerville provides a thorough history of this area and says "St Saviour's Dock was created in the 13th century by the Cluniac monks of Bermondsey Abbey."
1 memorial
Copenhagen House & Fields
Copenhagen House was a famous tavern & tea-garden which stood in what is now Copenhagen Park, N7, from early 17th century until 1855. The name either comes from the King of Denmark who stayed i...
Place, Architecture, Commerce, Food & Drink, Politics & Administration, Denmark
3 memorials
1 memorial
Sinclair Beecham
Co-founder of Pret a Manger with Julian Metcalfe, who he met at the Polytechnic of Central London.
1 memorial
Sir Frederick Wigan
Merchant based in Southwark. First treasurer of Southwark Cathedral. He had homes at Clare Lawn, Mortlake, and at Purland Chase in Ross, Herefordshire. This image shows Wigan's memorial in that ca...
1 memorial