istory• In this issue - • Hackney and the restoration of Charles II • Stoke Newington and the origins ofsuburban gardening • Hackney and the improvement ofpublic health • Town hall architecture - a new perspective on Shoreditch • The business ofscientific instrument-making Hackney History is the annual volume ofthe Friends ofHackney Archives. The Friends were founded in 1985 to act as a focus for local history in Hackney, and to support the work ofHackney Archives Department. As well as the annual volume they receive the Department's regular newsletter, The Hackney Terrier. Hackney History is issued free ofcharge to subscribers to the Friends. In 199 8 membership is £6 for the calendar year, rising to£8 in 1999. For further information telephone 01712412886, fax 01712416688, e-mail [email protected]. ISSN 1360 3795 £4.00 free to subscribers HACKNEY History volume/our Abbreviations used 2 Hackney and the beginnings of nonconformity Philip W Plumb 3 Shirley Hibberd: Stoke N ewington' s forgotten gardener Anne Wilkinson 13 The Victorian values of Dr Tripe Carole Pountnry 23 Shoreditch Town Hall Chris Miele 29 Casella : the London progress of a scientific instrument-making company Jane Inslry 39 Contributors to this issue 47 Acknowledgements 47 About this publication 48 THE FRIENDS OF HACKNEY ARCHIVES 1998 Published by the Friends of Hackney Archives Hachney Archives Department 43 de Beauvoir Road Nl 5SQ HACKNEY AND THE BEGINNINGS OF For further details see page 48 NONCONFORMITY Edited by Isobel Watson Cover design by Jacqueline Bradshaw-Price Printed by Sackville Printers, Heddon St Wl Philip W. Plumb ISSN 1360 3795 The Tyssen Collection of sermons (see Hack­ Many loyalist incumbents attracted criticism © Friends of Hackney Archives and contributors, 1998 ney History 3) throws light on the beginnings for their neglect of pastoral duties, their per­ of Nonconformity. The books, collected by a sonal bad behaviour and particularly the abuses scholar with a deep interest in the religious arising from the widespread existence of plu­ history of the area, with many contacts and rality whereby clergy held simultaneously the the opportunity to collect rare and vital works livings of more than one care of souls, thus on the subject, allied with contemporary and enjoying the tithes from each. modern sources, portray a picture which shows Hackney to have been at the very centre of 'Malignant Priests' the rise of Nonconformity. Most prominent During the Long Parliament (1640-1660), among the Presbyterian leaders were Thomas John White, a barrister, member of parliament Manton, rector of Stoke Newington 1645-56, and strong opponent of episcopacy, was ap­ William Spurstowe, vicar of Hackney, 1643- pointed chairman of the House of Commons 62, William Bates, later to be minister of the Committee on Religion. He told the Com­ Mare Street meeting-house, 1694-99, Simeon mons that eight thousand of the clergy were Ashe, lecturer at Hackney, and Richard Baxter, 'unworthy and scandalous' and deserved to be ABBREVIATIONS a close friend of Spurstowe who always stayed cast out. During the 1640s clergymen were at his house during his many and important sequestered1 for more than one reason. All HAD Hackney Archives Department visits to London. clergy who espoused the King's cause were VCH Victoria County History The struggle between the Laudians, who treated as 'malignant' and in most cases ex­ defended the episcopacy as being in the di­ pelled from their parishes: those who were held All publications cited are published in London rect line of church government since the to be guilty of erecting rails before the com­ unless otherwise indicated. Apostles, and the Puritans, who considered munion table, or of bowing to the altar, were that this system would lead to a return to likewise deprived, while many others were Roman Catholicism, was complicated by the arraigned on account of their alleged moral support of the monarchs of the day for the deficiencies. If one type of charge could not bishops. An attack on the bishops could be be substantiated then another probably would. construed as anti-Royalist. When Charles I The number of ministers thus deprived has lost control of the country, the bishops be­ given rise to much controversy over the years, came increasingly vulnerable. but it was certainly at least two thousand. 3 HACKNEY History The Beginnings of Nonconjormiry Parliament ordered later that the wives of titioned the Parliamentary Committee for church established in England. The Long Par­ system never fully operated over the whole sequestered ministers should receive about one Compounding that he had taken a lease on liament in June 1643 set up the Westminster country, and there were many problems in fifth of the amount of their livings so that land in Hackney on behalf of Edward Webb Assembly of Divines to reform the English those parishes which did operate under this their families should not starve; but often this but Webb was now disturbed by William Cut­ Church. There were 151 nominated members: regime. Some incumbents were unhappy at was not regularly paid. Bishop Hall, whose ler, of Hackney, who 'mowed the grass and 30 lay assessors and 121 divines. The latter sharing responsibility with the elders. Many writings had provoked the Smectymnuus pam­ keeps petitioner off the premises with armed were selected from widely divergent views and parishioners did not like the ways in which phlets of Spurstowe and others, had all his men'. In reply, Cutler claimed that he had, fell into four groups: the Episcopalians, who their elders exercised their responsibilities: in property seized, 'not leaving so much as a dozen six years previously, purchased 11 acres of played very little part in the proceedings, Bolton, for example, the elders tried to make trenchers or my children's pictures'. Puritans marsh land in Old Ford, Middlesex, but was largely out of loyalty to the King; Presbyteri­ all those wishing to receive holy communion who may have disliked ceremonial but were now interrupted by William Northey, pre­ ans, who included all the Smectymnuus au­ on the Sunday apply to them the previous guilty of reverence for the Crown did not es­ tended steward of Stepney and Hackney man­ thors as well as Anthony Tuckney, chairman Friday for a communion token. cape. The rector of Okerton was four times ors. Northey, 'on pretence that the lands be­ of committee (and later to marry Spurstowe's In London the system of classes was put into pillaged by Government troops, sent to prison longed to the Earl of Cleveland', got a lease widow), and Richard Vines; Independents, effect. The 13 7 parish churches of the capital thrice and lost all his possessions so that he of them for Webb in trust for himself. Cutler among whom was Philip Nye, one of the com­ were arranged in twelve classes with the had to borrow a shirt. Another sequestered begged leave to enjoy the land having paid bined lecturers at Hackney in 1669; and Chapel of the Rolls, the two Serjeants' Inns minister, John Haggar of Chilcomb, Hants, most of the purchase money. Erastians, who stood for the ascendancy of and the four Inns of Court together making who had a family, was so poor that he was There were other Hackney worthies in trou­ the state over the Church and were thus in up the thirteenth. The Ordinance of 20th reduced to roaming the streets looking for ble for supporting Charles I. Thomas Reston, opposition to the Independents who wished October 1645, which appointed William bread that might have been dropped there and, who compounded for delinquency in Septem­ to be completely free of the state. Spurstowe and George Clarke, of Hackney, as when finding some, 'hath dropt his Glove on ber 1646, in bearing arms against Parliament, Despite the many disputes between Presby­ Triers and Judges of the abilities of Elders in it, took it up, and eaten it with Greedines'. 2 'was taken a year ago and carried to Glouces­ terians and Independents, eventually a Pres­ London, shows that Hackney was in the eighth In Hackney, George Moor, who had been ter. By reason of sickness and great expense, byterian State Church was approved by Par­ classis together with St Andrew Undershaft, rector since 1622, refused to appear before the could not make his peace with Parliament. liament, and in 1646 the system began to be St Katherine Creed, St Helen's and Aldgate. House of Lords in December 1640 to answer Has taken the National Covenant and Nega­ established. Each parish had to elect elders to charges in the petition of Calibut Downing, tive Oath.' He was fined £54. Sir Henry Wood, exercise discipline in co-operation with the The Puritan Lecturers the vicar, but seems not to have been deprived. on 31st May, 1649, pleaded that he had been minister. The newly-formed presbyteries were The importance to the Puritans of preach­ The vicar of Stepney, William Stamp, was not from childhood in the house of the late King grouped together in classes to which each sent ing the gospel was often frustrated by the re­ so lucky. He was taken in custody to the House and for 24 years a sworn servant, which put a representative. Above these were regional luctance of many of the incumbents of livings of Commons in July, 1642, accused of being an extraordinary obligation on him to attend assemblies and finally a national assembly. The to satisfy the desires of the laity in this re- one of those interfering violently with the his Majesty, his wife, and children. 'In 1641 enlisting of volunteers to serve under the Earl was appointed to wait upon the Queen in of Essex, on Sunday, 22nd July, in Stepney Holland, for making and overseeing her ordi­ churchyard.