Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
On March 27th, 1839, the Mercers Company conveyed the site of three houses in Watney Street to the Church Building Commissioners. The foundation stone of Christ Church was laid on March 11th 1840 and the local firm of G. and J.W. Bridger began the erection of the church. In 1845 two houses in Watney Street were bought and adapted as a vicarage.
Most of the area was a terrible slum. The vicar, William Quekett managed to force the absentee landlord to improve conditions. He also founded the church of Saint Mary Cable Street (P93/MRY3), and built new schools. By the time he left Christ Church in 1854 the parish well established. The story of Quekett's work in the East End was told by Charles Dickens in Household Words (1850 ) under the title ' What a London Curate can do if he tries'.
The church and vicarage were damaged by enemy action in 1941 and the congregation had to share the church of Saint George in the East (P93/GEO). The ruins of the building were destroyed.