16.11.2023 – Stoke Newington History Talks 20

The 20th Stoke Newington History Talks event, which also marked the 7 year anniversary since the first event in 2016, was a great evening with 100 people in attendance and fascinating talks by Sue Doe and Breda Corish. Ticket sales from the event raised £678 for Sandbrook Community Playgroup, bringing the total raised for 12 charities in the last 13 events to £8,146.

1930’s Stoke Newington: Rediscovering a Decade of Profound Change by Amir Dotan

Recording

Summary

This presentation by Amir Dotan explores the decade of the 1930s in Stoke Newington, a period of rapid municipal transformation and infrastructure development. The decade was marked by the Housing Act of 1930, which spurred significant slum clearances and the construction of new public housing, shifting the area from an old parish to a modern municipal borough.

Key developments and milestones include:

Public Amenities: The decade opened with the construction of a new swimming bath on Clissold Road (1:10-2:30). By 1936, a new filtration plant was added at the West Reservoir (22:18-22:37).
Transport Infrastructure: The 1930s saw major changes to local transport. The Manor House pub was rebuilt to accommodate the new Manor House Tube Station (2:35-3:52, 5:51-6:47). Additionally, road widening projects—such as the demolition of Park Lane Bridge in 1931—were implemented to handle increasing traffic (4:05-5:50).
Housing Schemes: A significant portion of the talk focuses on the transition from “slums” to social housing. Major developments included:
- Lordship South Estate (11:04-12:48)
- Millington House (18:24-19:10)
- Denon House (24:24-25:40)
- The ambitious Woodberry Down estate, which was delayed by the outbreak of WWII (28:25-29:10).
Municipal Governance & Culture: Stoke Newington adopted a new coat of arms in 1934 (14:02-14:38) and completed a new town hall on Church Street in 1937 (15:13-16:00, 26:48-27:14). The local cultural scene also grew with the opening of the Savoy Cinema in 1936 (17:08-17:35).
Urban Renaming: In 1937, the London County Council oversaw a large-scale project to rename duplicate streets to streamline city navigation, with some old street names still visible as historical relics today (23:32-24:07).

The presentation concludes by noting how the optimism of the 1930s came to a sudden halt in 1939 with the onset of the Second World War, as the new town hall was repurposed for civil defense (29:40-30:52).

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Finding Ireland in Stoke Newington’s Dissenting History: A Street, a Pamphlet, a School, a House and a Gravestone by Breda Corish

Recording

Summary

In this talk from the 20th Stoke Newington History Talks event, Breda Corish explores the intersections between the Irish history and the dissenting tradition of Stoke Newington. Through five historical vignettes, she illustrates how local figures and landmarks are deeply tied to key moments in Ireland’s past, particularly concerning religious and political power struggles.

Key themes and examples:

Cromwellian Era and Fleetwood House (0:36 – 8:22): The history of Fleetwood House is linked to Charles Fleetwood, a parliamentarian general who became Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1652. This section details the brutal Cromwellian conquest and the mass confiscation of land that displaced native Irish Catholics.
Religious Dissent and Daniel Defoe (8:26 – 11:09): Breda Corish discusses Daniel Defoe and his satirical responses to the anti-Catholic penal codes and the discriminatory treatment of dissenting Protestants in Ireland under the reign of Queen Anne.
Mary Wollstonecraft (11:11 – 14:59): The talk highlights the Irish connections of Mary Wollstonecraft, who served as a governess for the wealthy Kingsborough family in County Cork. Her time in Ireland provided insights into aristocratic life that influenced her radical work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
The Quaker Forsters (15:02 – 18:08): The history of Kersley House (originally Paradise House) reveals the origins of the Forster family’s wealth, rooted in land appropriations in County Cork following the Battle of the Boyne.
The Reed Cross and Celtic Revival (18:09 – 25:29): The talk concludes with the Reed Cross in Abney Park Cemetery. Corish argues that this monument—inspired by ancient Irish high crosses—reflects both the late 19th-century Celtic Revival and the Reed family’s deep ties to Londonderry/Derry through their business and political interests.

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Women from Hackney’s History: Stoke Newington by Sue Doe

Recording

Summary

This presentation by Sue Doe, discusses ongoing research into remarkable women from Hackney’s history. Following the success of Volume 1 (published in 2021), the team is currently compiling a second volume featuring new discoveries and updates on previously researched figures.

Key figures discussed include:

Edith Garrud (2:30 – 6:31): A jiujitsu instructor who trained the Suffragette bodyguard. The talk covers her links to Stoke Newington and challenges in securing blue plaques for historical figures.
Margaret Graham (6:32 – 9:06): A Victorian aeronaut and the first woman to fly solo. The talk highlights the crowdfunding of her headstone at Abney Park.
Rebecca Jarrett (9:07 – 12:06): A former prostitute turned Salvation Army worker who assisted in a major journalistic expose. Her story includes her involvement with the Congress Hall in Clapton.
Susanna Bostock and Florence ‘Effy’ Boys (12:07 – 14:44): The presentation explores the intriguing, close, and enduring relationship between these two women within the context of the Bostock menagerie circus family.
Megan Watts Hughes (14:45 – 18:17): A multitalented opera singer, scientist, and philanthropist known for her ‘voice figures’ (patterns created in sand through resonance).
Sophia de Morgan (18:18 – 20:12): An intellectual and campaigner who tutored Ada Lovelace and contributed to numerous reform movements.
Georgina Eagle (20:13 – 24:32): A Victorian magician and hypnotist whose career is often shrouded in myths, including unverified links to Queen Victoria and spiritualism.
Harriet Grote (24:33 – 26:27): A radical political strategist and suffragist who played a crucial role behind the scenes of her husband’s political career and helped innovate the ballot box.
Eileen Hawthorne (26:28 – 28:07): A 1920s celebrity model whose life ended tragically.
Emily Lawrence (28:08 – 29:26): A diamond thief captured in Stoke Newington in 1860, whose story includes local legends about hidden treasure.