Did you know that the name Ratcliffe comes from a red sandstone cliff? This cliff stood above the marshes. It gave the area its original name: Red-cliffe. Today, we’re exploring Ratcliffe, a locality in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Ratcliffe sits on the River Thames’s north bank. It is between Limehouse and Shadwell. The name Ratcliffe isn’t used as much these days. But its history remains.
Ratcliffe was part of Stepney’s Manor and Ancient Parish. Stepney’s name came from “Stybbanhyð.” This old term means “Stybba’s landing place.” Stybba owned the manor. The landing place was likely in Ratcliffe. It was south of St Dunstan’s Church.
For administration, Ratcliffe was split between Limehouse and Stepney parishes. This lasted until 1866. Then, it became its own civil parish. By the late 1800s, Ratcliffe had improved. It was known for shipping and warehouses. The streets were paved. Gaslights illuminated the area. Water came from the Old Ford reservoir.
The Ratcliffe parish church was St James in Butcher Row. It was built in 1838. The church served the area until 1951. World War II damaged it. The parish then joined St Paul, Shadwell. In 1948, the church site became the Royal Foundation of St Katharine’s East London home.
Historically, Ratcliffe was in Middlesex county. But local groups managed military and civil matters. The Tower Division, also known as the Tower Hamlets, handled many tasks. In 1889, Ratcliffe became part of the County of London. Later, in 1965, it became part of Greater London.
Ratcliffe was once called “sailor town”. It was famous for shipbuilding. From the 1300s, it became known for ship fitting and supplies. In the 1500s, voyages of discovery used Ratcliffe. These included voyages by Willoughby and Frobisher. By the early 1600s, Ratcliffe had Stepney’s largest population with 3,500 residents.
Shipbuilding returned in the 1600s. The Royal Navy built warships here. One early frigate was the Constant Warwick built in 1645. The area near Narrow Street had lodging houses, bars, and opium dens. It became a squalid slum with many temporary residents. A fire destroyed half of Ratcliffe in 1794. But it remained a slum into the 1800s.
From the late 1500s, Ratcliffe was a center for non-conformist Christianity. John Penry preached here in 1592/3. He was caught by the local vicar and hanged. By 1669, about 200 Presbyterians worshiped in a Ratcliffe Cross warehouse. Quakers had a meeting house in Schoolhouse Lane. Soldiers demolished it in 1670.
In 1811, seven murders occurred on Ratcliffe Highway. The alleged killer was a sailor named Williams. He killed himself after being caught. Thomas De Quincey later wrote a fictionalized account of the murders.
The Ratcliffe Fire was huge. It was London’s largest fire between the Great Fire of 1666 and the Blitz in 1940. It started in July 1794. A small fire ignited a barge loaded with saltpetre. The fire destroyed over 400 homes and 20 warehouses. It left 1,000 people homeless. Tents were set up near St Dunstan’s Church while the area was rebuilt.
In 1801, Ratcliffe had 5,666 residents. By 1861, that number rose to 16,874. In 1901, the population was 14,810. Ratcliffe covered 111 acres.
Ratcliffe’s story is one of ships, sailors, fires, and faith. It’s a reminder of London’s rich and complex past.