Ratcliff/Stepney in the late Georgian Period

[saw119]

I know this is a bit of a long shot but can anyone help out with a book or hints on where to look for the history of these places? I'm really looking more for Ratcliff but I'm finding quite a dearth of resources. I've got quite a few maps from online etc but I really feel I need to find out more. Will I have to do all the work myself? I probably can but don't really have he time or resources to invest in a large scale project like this at the moment. Is there a local history society I can contact? I'm interested from about 1770 through to 1810. I know it's ridiculously specific and not very useful, it's just I've got a bee in my bonnet about context with family history and I'm struggling to contextualise. They're not even a close family branch but they have such an interesting life I cannot help but be intrigued.

[maddys52]

Have you looked at vision of britain? some interesting info about Ratcliff.
http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/1796

Also Lockie's topography of London (1810) - more of a description of the buildings and streets
https://archive.org/details/lockiestopograph00lockiala

Modified to add:
Some info also  here "A new and comprehensive gazetteer of England and Wales" though it was written in 1835
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01lwv/

[maddys52]

There are some interesting accounts of the dramatic1794 fire in Ratcliff in the newspapers of the day if you have access?
eg London Chronicle, July 22, 1794 and Times, Thursday, July 24, 1794

[saw119]

There are some interesting accounts of the dramatic1794 fire in Ratcliff in the newspapers of the day if you have access?
eg London Chronicle, July 22, 1794 and Times, Thursday, July 24, 1794

Thanks for your work. I am aware of the devastating fire but not of the newspaper reports. I don't currently have access. Are they from FindMyPast? The family I'm working on would, presumably, been living in Ratcliff during the fire.

[Bookbox]

Ratcliff was one of the original 'hamlets' of Tower Hamlets. You may find the following websites useful for background material:

Mernick Brothers
http://www.mernick.org.uk/thhol/about.html

Victoria County History for Middlesex (see under Stepney)
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol11

The Spitalfields Life blog also covers this area, e.g. ...
http://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/02/10/the-lost-hamlet-of-ratcliff/

The local family history society is the East of London FHS.
https://www.eolfhs.org.uk/

The relevant local history archive is Tower Hamlets. They will answer specific enquiries about their holdings but will not normally undertake research. If you can get there, they have a very good library.
https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/leisure_and_culture/local_history/local_history__archives/local_history__archives.aspx

[maddys52]

Thanks for your work. I am aware of the devastating fire but not of the newspaper reports. I don't currently have access. Are they from FindMyPast? The family I'm working on would, presumably, been living in Ratcliff during the fire.

I'm using British Library Newspapers which I can access free online through my library card. I'm not sure what area you are in, but I'm sure your local library can assist you. If you like, send me a pm and I can copy a couple of articles (though there are quite a few!) and send you via email.

[saw119]

Ratcliff was one of the original 'hamlets' of Tower Hamlets. You may find the following websites useful for background material:

Mernick Brothers
http://www.mernick.org.uk/thhol/about.html

This link has provided some priceless information about glassmaking in Ratcliff which is one of the topics I'm most interested in. Great, thanks!