The origins of the East End textile industry can be traced to the 14th century when Flemish artisans set up dye works on the River Lea. In the late 17th century the Huguenots arrived in Spitalfields bringing their skills with silk-weaving, lace-making, fan-making, etc. Then the Jewish tailors arrived and enriched the area further.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
garment and textile industries in the East End
Commemorated ati
Bowler plaque - Scissors and Buttons - Brick Lane north
We failed to find this plaque in Dec-Jan 2017, but it is identical to that fu...
Bowler plaque - Scissors and Buttons - Brick Lane south
There is meant to be another identical plaque further north in Brick Lane but...
Bowler plaque - Shuttle and Bobbins
The plaque shows a shuttle and two bobbins, representing the local weaving tr...
Whitechapel Threads sculpture
The artists worked with the Rope Makers Guild to produce this image of two sk...
Other Subjects
Royal Opera Arcade
Designed by John Nash, completed in 1816-18, considered to be London's oldest existing arcade having survived a fire, dereliction and the blitz. See Her Majesty's Theatre for the history of the bui...
1 memorial
Wilson Smithett & Co Ltd
Wholesalers of coffee, tea, cocoa and spices, located at 202 Blackfriars Road (2021). The Daily Mail has an interesting 2004 article about tea tasting at the Wilson, Smithett tea brokers office, S...
1 memorial
St Saviour’s Dock
Our picture source, HSomerville provides a thorough history of this area and says "St Saviour's Dock was created in the 13th century by the Cluniac monks of Bermondsey Abbey."
1 memorial
1 memorial
1 memorial
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