Anglican Churches in Stepney, Middlesex in 1890

Much of the information on this page was provided by John Henley, who regularly answers questions on mailing lists about Middlesex parishes and churches.

Here is a list of all the Anglican churches of Stepney in 1890/1905, with the dates of the parish formation if known. Original registers if not still with church are mostly deposited in the London Metropolitan Archives. In the list below, the name of the church as it appears in LMA Catalogue is shown (in capitals) followed by the words "for registers at LMA".

C of E Churches in Stepney in 1890: . with date founded where known. Stepney is the original parent parish of all, and the first-named in each group, parent parish to those within it.

We have separate lists of Bethnal Green churches and Poplar churches which were at one time within Stepney, as described in the next paragraph.

Additional note: Parishes soon became a convenient unit for the Crown to use for civil administration, but after about 1840 division of parishes was not followed automatically by the division of the coterminous civil parish. In the case of Stepney, nine hamlets (whence the name of the modern London Borough, Tower Hamlets) are listed in Hatton's New View of London (1708) - Spitalfields, Bethnal Green, Mile End New Town, Mile End Old Town, Stratford-le-Bow, Ratcliff, Limehouse, Poplar, & Blackwall. By 1708 some of these were already separate parishes. Stepney's history, with its proximity to the City, is especially convoluted. The original four hamlets were Ratcliff, Poplar, Limehouse (separate parish 1720) , and Mile End (+Stratford-le-Bow (church 1311, parish 1719) by the 16th century), Whitechapel having been created as a parish out of Stepney as early as 1329; Bromley St. Leonard c.1536, and out of Whitechapel came the hamlet of Wapping-on-the-Wose, later Wapping (chapel of ease 1617, parish 1694). Then out of Ratcliff (not a parish until 1838) came the hamlets of Shadwell (1645, parish 1670), Wapping-Stepney (or St. George's in the East) (1670,parish 1728); out of Poplar (separate parish 1817) came Blackwall and the Isle of Dogs (never separate civil parishes); out of Mile End came Bethnal Green (1597, parish 1746), Sipitalfields (1662, parish 1729); and Mile End New Town (1691, parish 1838); leaving Mile End Old Town (parish, 1840). By 1890, there were some 67 parishes. Now there are only 23. For civil administration most of the parishes founded before 1837 also became civil parishes. The county was Middlesex until 1890, then the new County of London. The parishes and vestries became part of Metropolitan
Boroughs in 1900 - Bethnal Green - Bethnal Green group, Stepney - Stepney group, + Limehouse, Mile End New Town, Ratcliff, Shadwell, Spitalfields, St. George-in-the-East , Wapping, Whitechapel; Poplar - Poplar, Bromley St. Leonard, St. Mary Bow. In 1965 all these M.B.s became part of the new London Borough of Tower Hamlets, almost if not entirely co-terminous with the original parish of Stepney!.

A good site for more info on this area is the East of London Family History Society.

I've tried to comment about their IGI status, but if you go to FamilySearch and Browse > Browse Library Catalogue > Placename Search [enter Poplar or St George in the East or Stepney or Bromley or Bethnal Green etc and select the one in Middlesex - it can be picky about the spelling of the placename , if no luck first time try all possible variations] ] > Church Records and Church Records-Indexes, you will see a list of all the LDS film holdings. Batch numbers are on the archived version of the NZ SoG Hamilton site and IGI Batch Numbers, Middlesex and London, places A to M and
IGI Batch Numbers, Middlesex and London, places N to Z provided by Hugh Wallis. Some churches may appear on the British Vital Records Index (BVRI - an index on CDROM available for sale from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) rather than the IGI. If on the IGI or BVRI then the LDS has a film of the registers.[which may not be complete].

LIMEHOUSE, St. Anne, Commercial Road [out of Stepney 1720] still open
see SAINT ANNE, LIMEHOUSE, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 32 on outline map

Limehouse, St. James, Butcher Row, Ratcliff [1838] damaged in WW2, , Royal Foundation of St. Katherine moved to site from Regent's Park, 1952, 1951 parish united to St. Paul, Shadwell.
see SAINT JAMES, RATCLIFFE, BUTCHER ROW, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Docklands Ancestors index to the parish registers is available on FindMyPast.
Parish is no. 31 on outline map

Limehouse, St. John the Evangelist, Limehouse Fields [1853] Bombed 19 September 1940. Church gone? 1951 parish united to St. Matthew Stepney. 1956 united parish abolished and divided between Stepney St. Dunstan w.All Saints and Limehouse St. Anne .
see SAINT JOHN, LIMEHOUSE FIELDS, HALLEY STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 18 on outline map

Limehouse, St. Peter, Garford Street [1885/87] restored 1961. Closed 1968, demolished 1980s. 1971 parish united to St. Anne's
see SAINT PETER, LIMEHOUSE, GARFORD STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 33 on outline map

MILE END NEW TOWN, All Saints, Buxton Street [1838] Closed 1951 and - demolished -when?? 1951 united parish united to Spitalfields Christ Church.
see ALL SAINTS, MILE END NEW TOWN, BUXTON STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 8 on outline map

Mile End New Town, St. Olave, Hanbury Street [1875] - Closed 1914 and parish united to previous.
see SAINT OLAVE, MILE END NEW TOWN, HANBURY STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 9 on outline map

MILE END OLD TOWN - see under Stepney.

ST.GEORGE'S-IN-THE-EAST, St. George in the East, Cannon Street Road [out of Stepney 1729] bombed 1941, smaller church built in shell of old, opened 1954. - still open
see SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST, CANNON STREET ROAD, TOWER HAMLETS for registers (to 1901) at LMA
Parish is no. 27 on outline map

St. George's-in-the-East, Christ Church, Watney Street [1841] - now gone?? 1951 Parish united to St. George's
see CHRIST CHURCH, WATNEY STREET, WATNEY STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 23 on outline map

St. George's-in-the-East, St. John the Evangelist-in-the-East, Grove Street [1870] -now gone??? 1951 Parish united to St. George's
?see SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST, STEPNEY, GOLDING STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 22 on outline map

St. George's-in-the-East, St. Mary. Johnson Street (Cable Street) [1850] still open
see SAINT MARY, STEPNEY, CABLE STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 24 on outline map

St. George's-in-the-East, St. Matthew Pell Street, Princes Square [1860] - now gone??? 1890 parish united to St. George-in-the-East.
see SAINT MATTHEW, STEPNEY, PELL STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 26 on outline map

St. George's-in-the-East, St. Peter, Old Gravel Lane, London Docks [ 1866] still open
see SAINT PETER, LONDON DOCKS, LONDON DOCKS, STEPNEY, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Docklands Ancestors index to the parish registers is available on FindMyPast.
Parish is no. 28 on outline map

St. George's-in-the-East, St. Saviour's Mission [?]

SHADWELL, St. Paul, High Street [1656, out of Stepney 1669] still open
see SAINT PAUL, SHADWELL, THE HIGHWAY, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Docklands Ancestors index to the parish registers is available on FindMyPast.
Parish is no. 30 on outline map

SPITALFIELDS, Christ Church, Commercial Street [out of Stepney 1729] still open
see CHRIST CHURCH, SPITALFIELDS, COMMERCIAL STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 7 on outline map

Spitalfields, St. Mary, Church Passage, Spital Square [1854] now gone. 1911 parish united to previous.
see SAINT MARY, SPITAL SQUARE, SPITAL SQUARE, NORTON FOLGATE, STEPNEY, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 5 on outline map

Spitalfields, St. Stephen, Commercial Street [1858] now gone. 1911 parish united to previous
see SAINT STEPHEN, SPITALFIELDS, COMMERCIAL STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 6 on outline map

STEPNEY, St. Dunstan, (St. Dunstan & All Saints)White Horse Street [the mediæval parish church of Stepney] - still open
see SAINT DUNSTAN AND ALL SAINTS, RECTORY SQUARE, STEPNEY, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 16 on outline map

Stepney, Cologne Street Mission [18??] [in previous parish] - long gone

Stepney, Holy Trinity, (Morgan Street) Tredegar Square (MILE END OLD TOWN) [1840] [now worshipping at Bow Road Methodists] c.1990 Parish united to Bromley All Hallows, Devons Road.
see HOLY TRINITY, MILE END OLD TOWN, MORGAN STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 4 on outline map

Stepney, Christ Church, Jamaica Street [1877] 1951 Parish divided between Stepney S.Augustine w.S.Philip and Stepney St. Dunstan and All Saints w. S.Thomas & S.Faith. Church now gone ??
see CHRIST CHURCH, JAMAICA STREET, JAMAICA STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 14 on outline map

Stepney, St. Augustine, Settle Street (Commercial Road [1879/80] bombed 1940 . 1951 parish united to St. Phiip the Apostle.
see SAINT AUGUSTINE, STEPNEY, SETTLE STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 12 on outline map

Stepney, St. Benet, Mile End Road (MILE END OLD TOWN) [1870/73] bombed 1940 now chapel of Queen Mary's College[?]. 1951 parish united to St. Peter Cephas Street
see SAINT BENET, MILE END ROAD: STEPNEY, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA. A now removed parish page on East of London FHS tells us that Baptism registers 1872-1931, Marriages 1872-1929 were destroyed in World War 2, Baptisms 1931-1940, Marriages 1929-1951 are at LMA
Parish is no. 3 on outline map

Stepney, St Faith, Shandy Street.Opened 1891, badly damaged by bomb blast in 1940 see Prebendary Royall's East London church list. Baptisms 1891-1945, Marriages 1891-1940 are at LMA.
Shandy Street is in the area of St Benet (no. 3 on outline map) which lies South of the Mile End Road (which is the line dividing area 2 from areas 14 and 16 on the map). Can anyone tell us if St Faith's also took part of St Dunstan's?

Stepney, St. Luke, Burdett Road [1869] church blitzed WW2 and demolished. 1951 united to St. Paul's, Burdett Road as Bow Common St. Paul w.St. Luke parish
see SAINT LUKE, LIMEHOUSE, BURDETT ROAD, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 17 on outline map

Stepney, St. Matthew, Commercial Road/Salmon Lane [1872] Church closed 1955. - now gone?? 1951 parish united to Limehouse Fields St. John.1956 united parish abolished and divided between Stepney St. Dunstan w.All Saints and Limehouse St. Anne .
see SAINT MATTHEW, LIMEHOUSE FIELDS, SALMON LANE, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 19 on outline map

Stepney, St. Paul, Burdett Road, Bow Common [1856/58] blitzed WW2, rebuilt 1960 - still open
see SAINT PAUL, BOW COMMON, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 20 on outline map

Stepney, St. Peter. St. Peter's Road / Cephas Street [1838/40] still open 1978, now closed, and converted into flats
see SAINT PETER, MILE END OLD TOWN, CEPHAS STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 2 on outline map

Stepney, St. Anthony, Globe Road [1879] 1936 Parish united to Bethnal Green St. Simon Zelotes. Church now gone???
see SAINT ANTHONY, STEPNEY, GLOBE ROAD, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 1 on outline map

Stepney, St. Philip the Apostle, New Road (Stepney Way)/Newark Street [1819, parish 1837] rebuilt 1892 as magnificent vaulted church.the largest church in Stepney 1951 parish united to St. Augustine's Closed 1979, in 1988 it became the Medical Library for the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.
see SAINT PHILIP, STEPNEY, NEWARK STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 13 on outline map

Stepney, St. Thomas, Arbour Square [1838] bombed 1940 ,closed 1940,church ruins demolished 1955 and replaced by flats, 1951 parish united to St. Dunstans.
see SAINT THOMAS, STEPNEY, ARBOUR SQUARE, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 15 on outline map

Stepney, Emmanuel Mission

WAPPING, St. John, Church Street [1617, out of Stepney 1694] gutted in WW2, tower remains,small church built in ruins, parish united to St. Peter, London Docks.
see SAINT JOHN OF WAPPING, GREEN BANK, STEPNEY, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Docklands Ancestors index to the parish registers is available on FindMyPast.
Parish is no. 29 on outline map

WHITECHAPEL, St. Mary, (St. Mary Matfelon)Whitechapel Road [out of Stepney in 1323] bombed, WW2, not rebuilt. 1951 parish divided between Spitalfields Christ Church with All Saints and Stepney St. Augustine w.S.Philip.
see SAINT MARY, WHITECHAPEL, WHITECHAPEL HIGH STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 11 on outline map

Whitechapel, St. Jude, Commercial Street [1848] 1923 parish united to St. Mary Whitechapel. Church now gone???
see SAINT JUDE, WHITECHAPEL, COMMERCIAL STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 10 on outline map

Whitechapel, St. Mark Goodman Fields, St. Mark's Street [1841] 1926 Closed and Parish united to Whitechapel St. Paul Dock Street. Church now gone???
see SAINT MARK, GOODMAN'S FIELDS, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 21 on outline map

Whitechapel, St. Paul, Dock Street [1847] closed 1990. Parish united to St. George-in-the-East.
see SAINT PAUL, DOCK STREET, DOCK STREET, TOWER HAMLETS for registers at LMA
Parish is no. 25 on outline map

OTHER INSTITUTIONS WITH ANGLICAN CHAPELS/CHAPLAINS:

• London Hospital,Whitechapel ;
• Bethnal Green Workhouse ;
• Whitechapel Workhouse and Infirmary ;
• Operative Jewish Converts' Institution ;
• Oxford House.
• City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery [do not confuse with the City of
  London Cemetery at Ilford] ;
• Mile End Workhouse, Infirmary and School ;
• Poplar Union ;
• Stepney Union ;
• St. George's-in-the-East Workhouse, Infirmary and Schools ;
• Poplar and Stepney Sick Asylum ;
• City of London Union, Bow Road ;
• Church Workers' Training Home.

The link from each parent parish leads to a GENUKI page with an 1868 Gazetteer description of the area, and link to a modern map for that location. For old maps, on-line or printed, see street and map sites list

Maps

On our page of Middlesex maps there is a section for maps recommended by John Henley for use with his lists of churches