Immigration and Community in Spitalfields History

Spitalfields

Area outside London known for textile production.

Lay Sisters

Women caring for mothers in Catholic priory.

Spitalfields

Area outside London known for textile production.

Lay Sisters

Women caring for mothers in Catholic priory.

St Mary Spital

Priory founded in 1197 for maternal care.

Doña Luisa

Spanish activist supporting persecuted Catholics.

Society of the Sovereign Virgin

Illegal community founded by Doña Luisa.

Evil May Day

1517 riots against foreigners in London.

Mary Fillis

Basket maker of Moroccan descent, baptized in 1597.

Textile Production

Industry that grew due to favorable conditions.

Petticoat Lane

Market for second-hand clothes in Spitalfields.

Great Fire of London

1666 disaster leading to housing boom.

Huguenots

French Protestant refugees arriving in Spitalfields.

Louis XIV

French king who revoked Huguenot protections.

Naturalisation Act 1709

Law granting Huguenots English citizenship.

Horse Guards

Military presence to control Spitalfields weavers.

Silk Trade

Industry relying on imports from China and India.

Spitalfields Market

Textile trading center established by King Charles I.

African Residents

Small community living in Spitalfields during this period.

Textile Industry Growth

Increased demand due to Huguenot influence.

Middle Classes

Group that largely welcomed Huguenots.

Working Classes

Group that viewed Huguenots as competition.

Informal Market

Unregulated trade area for local goods.

Religious Persecution

Driving force behind Huguenot migration.

Huguenot churches

Nine churches in Spitalfields aiding poor immigrants.

La Neuve Eglise

Huguenot church located at Fournier Street.

Irish immigration reasons

Poverty and discrimination drove Irish to seek better life.

Unskilled labourers

Irish accepted low wages, causing English resentment.

Racist violence

Irish faced violence, notably in July 1736 incident.

Gordon riots

1780 anti-Catholic riots targeting Irish Catholics.

Roman Catholic Relief Act

1829 law granting Catholics freedom to worship.

Calico protest

Workers protested against fashionable imported printed cotton.

Cutters' Riots

1760s riots against employers exploiting workers.

Louis Chauvet

Huguenot employer known for harsh labor practices.

Combinations

Worker groups formed to support families and resist exploitation.

John Doyle

Irish leader of Bold Defiance combination.

John Valline

Huguenot leader in Bold Defiance combination.

Spitalfields Act

1773 law regulating wages and apprentices for weavers.

Wage negotiation

Weavers could negotiate pay with magistrates under Spitalfields Act.

Apprentice limit

Employers restricted to two apprentices at a time.

Silk import control

Regulation of foreign silk imports established by Spitalfields Act.

Starvation wages

Legislation aimed to eliminate starvation wages for workers.

Combination Act of 1799

Law prohibiting workers from organizing in unions.

Silk weaving decline

Industry faced decline leading to increased poverty.

Spitalfields poverty

Real poverty emerged in Spitalfields post-French Revolution.

Violent conflict

Class divisions and machines led to worker unrest.

Combination Act

1799 law restricting workers' trade union organization.

Spitalfields Soup Society

Founded in 1797 to aid starving families.

Mechanised looms

Machines replacing local weavers, causing job losses.

Economic depression

Severe financial downturn affecting the entire country.

Spitalfields Act

1824 law repealing import controls on textiles.

Charles Dickens

Author who documented despair of unemployed weavers.

Truman's Brewery

Main employer in Brick Lane during economic decline.

Huguenot descendants

Wealthy descendants of French Protestants in London.

Irish migrants

Significant workforce in breweries and sugar refineries.

Philanthropists

Individuals like Barnardo and Booth aimed to help the poor.

Jack the Ripper

Scapegoat for racial violence during the period.

Henry Mayhew

Author who documented lives of London's poor.

Charles Booth

Conducted surveys on living conditions in London.

Whitechapel Road

Area with better-off, middle-class residents.

Overcrowded conditions

Living situations for migrants in subdivided houses.

Jewish community

Established in England since the 1650s, growing thereafter.

Ashkenazi Jews

German Jews attracted by economic opportunities in Britain.

Antisemitism

Prejudice faced by Jews in mid-nineteenth century.

Jews' Free School

Opened in 1822 for immigrant Jewish children.

Sabbath restrictions

Jews could not work on Saturdays, affecting trade.

First synagogue

Established in 1874, repurposed from a Huguenot church.

Russian Empire events

Catalysts for significant changes in Spitalfields.

Pogroms

Violent attacks against Jews, especially in 1881.

1882 May Laws

Restricted Jewish residency, property ownership, and education.

Spitalfields

Area with significant Jewish population by 1899.

Antisemitic backlash

Fear of discrimination against Jews by locals.

Charities for refugees

Organizations providing support to Jewish immigrants.

Soup kitchens

Food distribution centers for impoverished Jewish families.

Temporary shelter

Housing assistance for newly arrived Jewish refugees.

Population shift

Rapid increase of Jewish residents in specific areas.

Crime rate decrease

Lower crime observed in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods.

Racial tension

Conflict between Jewish immigrants and local residents.

Wentworth Street

Area known for poor housing and overcrowding.

Israel Zangwill

Author of 'Children of the Ghetto,' depicting Jewish life.

Children of the Ghetto

Zangwill's novel illustrating Jewish experiences in Spitalfields.

Yiddish Parade

1889 march demanding better treatment for garment workers.

Sweatshops

Factories with poor conditions employing Jewish workers.

Jewish Labor Exchange

Informal job placement for non-English speaking Jews.

Garment workers

Over 25,000 Jewish immigrants working in clothing industry.

Lewis Lyons

Trade unionist highlighting exploitation of child workers.

Hebrew Socialist Society

Revolutionary group advocating for workers' rights.

Arbeter Fraynd

Newspaper for Jewish workers promoting socialist ideas.

Strike fund

Financial support for workers on strike against employers.

Dockers' union

Labor group approached for assistance during the strike.

Garment Workers Strike

Six-week strike involving 10,000 workers for better conditions.

Petticoat Lane Market

Jewish market affected by proposed Sunday trading laws.

British Brothers League

Founded in 1900, opposed Jewish immigration in East London.

Aliens Defence League

Formed in response to anti-immigration sentiments.

Royal Commission on Alien Immigration

Government inquiry led by Major William Evans Gordon.

Aliens Act 1905

First UK law to regulate immigration controls.

British Union of Fascists

Fascist group active in East London during 1930s.

Jewish People's Council Against Fascism

Organized protests against BUF marches in 1936.

Lascar Seamen

British sailors from Asia, often abandoned in London.

EIC Lodging House

Early accommodation for Lascars established in 1801.

Ayahs

Indian women brought to work as nannies in Britain.

Suez Canal Opening

1869 event facilitating easier ship travel from Asia.