Let me introduce you to this pillar + two plaques, all dated 1870; some of my favourite historic features of the #Dalston & #Hackney area, and my first local historic environment obsessions of 2020. Here’s what I know about them — feel free to tell me more! #IronworkThursday 1/17 
The lettering on the pillar helps explains the considerably briefer details given on the plaques. Their “DR S C” = the pillar’s “Revd Dr Spurstowe’s Charity”, an institution with a history that goes back *much* earlier than the ironwork. 2/
The Charity’s roots can be traced back to the 17th century. Its origins lie in the monetary bequest made in the will of Rev Dr William Spurstowe — vicar of Hackney 1643-62, died 1665 — that paid for the construction of six almshouses for “six poor widows”, completed in 1666. 3/
We know this because in part because it was inscribed on the front of the almshouses (or at least their early 19th-century rebuilt versions). This also gives due credit to William’s brother, Henry, who was left to “Perfect & Establish ye Drs good worke” — which he did in 1667. 4/
(More about the great little book pictured w/ the last tweet later)
Perhaps Henry Spurstowe’s key contribution was the gift of two meadows named Badbrooke’s Meadows to the nascent charity — as we’re about to find out. 5/
Perhaps Henry Spurstowe’s key contribution was the gift of two meadows named Badbrooke’s Meadows to the nascent charity — as we’re about to find out. 5/
Skipping forward to the 1830s we can see these meadows + other Spurstowe Charity land marked on Thomas Starling’s 1831 map of the area (SA presumably = Spurstowe Almshouses). The snaking line of Dalston Lane at the top may help orientate you in the present urbanised landscape! 6/
Look more closely and immediately below the Spurstowe fields is “Wilton Walk”, later Wilton Road, now Wilton Way. This I think may hold the 🔑 to why the pillar & perhaps plaques are where they are (map from a 2019 heritage statement; search “Thomas Starling Map 1831” to find) 7/
The area had been mostly but not entirely built over by the time of the OS 1st Edition mapping of 1870 (same date as pillar/plaques). Wilton Road/Way + Graham Road were still works in progress. The boundaries of the Spurstowe Charity fields had been erased but not forgotten... 8/
A lot of development seems to have happened not long prior to 1870. One of the plaques is attached to the Spurstowe Arms pub, dated 1862. The other is at the far end of the row in the 2nd pic, thus of similar date? Building on Navarino Rd began in 1860: british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol1… 9/
Flip to pages 66-67 of another book, Clarke’s Glimpses of Ancient Hackney & Stoke Newington (based on a series of 19thC newspaper articles—see below) & we find the Spurstowe Charity deriving income from ground rents of ~£900pa in 1892-93 from houses built on its old fields 💸 10/
My guess (& it’s little more than that as they seem to have gone unnoticed at least online) is pillar + plaques mark the bounds of Spurstowe Charity lands after houses were built: former (P) @ the east edge of the estate on Wilton Way, latter — p x2 — @ other boundary points? 11/
Note the almshouses stood elsewhere, on Sylvester Path, at least til 1966 when they were replaced by a warehouse that’s since been superseded by an apartment block. There’s a commemorative stone plaque + some of the 19thC front walls survive (map from british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol1…) 12/
The surviving walls fronting onto Sylvester Path include this gate pier, the writing on top of which I couldn’t quite decipher...
...until I looked closer at the photo of the almshouses taken prior to their demolition. “STICK NO BILLS”. Of course!💡😃 13/
...until I looked closer at the photo of the almshouses taken prior to their demolition. “STICK NO BILLS”. Of course!💡😃 13/
Btw in a totally normal & expected turn of events we’ve Orson Welles to thank for much of what’s known about the demolished almshouses in their sunset years — they featured in an episode of his 1955 tv series ‘Around the World with Orson Welles’. Check londonremembers.com/memorials/spur… 14/
The almshouses were reestablished at a new site on Navarino Road in 1966, and they too have been rebuilt since (in 2012 housingcare.org/housing-care/f…). Perhaps I’m overthinking this, but the present site looks to fall with Spurstowe Charity land as mapped all the way back in 1831. 15/
Let’s finish with BOOKS, as most of what I have recounted in this thread about the Spurstowe Charity and almshouses has been gleaned from two publications you may like to read/purchase: the aforementioned Glimpses..., a 1986 @hackneycouncil & @HackneySociety joint edition... 16/
...and Lost Hackney by Elizabeth Robinson, a glorious little book published by @HackneySociety in 1989. Both books unfortunately are out of print but’ll be in some libraries & 2nd-hand shops (Take a gander at hackneysociety.org/category/publi… for the Society’s available titles) 17/17 FIN.
