POPLAR
Including Blackwall, Cubitt Town, Isle of Dogs & Millwall

Poplar was a hamlet of Stepney until it became a separate parish in 1817. A few fishermen lived here in medieval times; but the village, centred on the High Street, grew from the 16th century onwards because of its nearness to London by road and its ability to cater for ocean-going vessels at Blackwall. The East India Company had many of its ships built in the Blackwall Yard and erected almshouses and a chapel. The Chapel was built as a chapelry of Stepney, but in 1823 Poplar became a parish and a new church [All Saints] was built. The registers of Poplar Chapel were transferred to the new church, the old building was then renamed St. Matthias and a new set of registers started.

By 1801, the population was only 4,500, but within ten years the opening of the East and West India Docks linked to London by the new East India Dock Road and Commercial Road provided the opportunity for rapid expansion. The population reached about 55,000 by 1881 and the last portion of open space was built over soon afterwards. Poplar became a metropolitan borough in 1900 including Bow and Bromley.

Millwall, the western part of the Isle of Dogs gained its name from the mills which stood on the marsh wall in the 17th and 18th centuries and helped drain the low-lying land. They were removed in the 19th century when industrial premises were erected along the riverside, the most notable of which was John Scott Russell's ship-building yard. It was here that Brunel's Great Eastern was built and eventually launched in 1859.

Greenwood's Maps 1827:

Poplar and surrounding area [207 Kbytes]
Isle of Dogs and surrounding area [225 Kbytes]

Church Records:

• All Saints, East India Dock Rd (including Poplar Chapel)
  Baptisms 1728-1985, Marriages 1711-1989, Burials 1802-1917 : LMA
  Burial Order Book 1824-1838 : EoLFHS Publications
• All Hallows, East India Docks
  Baptisms 1880-1940,
  Marriages 1880-1947 : LMA
  Church closed and demolished
• Christ Church, Manchester Rd
  Baptisms 1876-1950,
  Marriages 1857-1963 : LMA
  Baptisms 1950- date,
  Marriages 1963- date : Not deposited
• St. Cuthbert's District Chapel, Millwall
  Baptisms 1937-1950
• St. Mildred's House Chapel
  Baptisms 1940-1943
• St. Frideswide, Follett St
  Baptisms 1883-1947,
  Marriages 1906-1947 : LMA
  Burials - allotted area at the East London Cemetery, Plaistow
• St. Gabriel, Chrisp St
  Baptisms 1869-1947,
  Marriages 1869-1947 : LMA
• St. John, East Ferry Rd, Cubitt Town
  Baptisms 1872-1940,
  Marriages 1873-1952 : LMA
• St. Luke, West Ferry Road, Millwall
  Baptisms 1864-1951,
  Marriages 1871-1952 : LMA
• St. Mark, Cadogan Terrace
  Baptisms 1869-1952,
  Marriages 1873-1955 : LMA
  Baptisms 1952- date,
  Marriages 1955- date : Not deposited
• Christ Church, Old Ford Rd
  Baptisms 1907-1929
• St. Matthias, Woodstock Terrace
  Baptisms 1867-1976,
  Marriages 1867-1976 : LMA
• St. Nicholas Chapel of Ease, Blackwall Stairs
  Baptisms 1900-1941 : LMA
• St. Saviour, Northumbria St
  Baptisms 1874-1975,
  Marriages 1875-1975 : LMA
  Burials - allotted area at the East London Cemetery, Plaistow
• St. Stephen, Tredegar Rd
  Baptisms 1858-1961, Marriages 1858-1961 : LMA
• St. Stephen, East India Dock Rd
  Baptisms 1867-1940,
  Marriages 1867-1947 : LMA
• St. Edmund (Roman Catholic),
  West Ferry Rd, Millwall
  Baptisms 1870- date,
  Marriages 1875- date : Not deposited
• St. Mary and St. Joseph (Roman Catholic), Canton St
  Baptisms 1818- date,
  Marriages 1818- date : Not deposited
• Methodist Chapel, Bow Rd
  Baptisms 1862-1955,
  Marriages 1866-1916 : LMA
• Methodist Chapel, Central Hall, Bruce Rd
  Baptisms 1833-1940 : LMA
• Methodist Chapel, Cubitt Town
  Baptisms 1865-1947 : EoLFHS Publications
• Methodist Chapel, Emery Hall, Augusta St
  Marriages 1918-1954 : LMA
• Millwall Chapel (Independent)
  Baptisms 1823-1836 : PRO
• Poplar Workhouse, Poplar High St
  Births 1837-1914,
  Baptisms 1881-1939,
  Deaths 1860-1931 : LMA
• Union Chapel (Independent), Bow Lane
  Baptisms 1812-1837 : PRO
• Wesleyan Chapel, Hale St
  Baptisms 1812-1837 : PRO

Links

• More Poplar Church Photos

Click the image to view