POPLAR, a parish, formerly a hamlet, joint with Blackwall,
in the parish of STEPNEY, now a parish, in the Tower
division of the hundred of OSSULSTONE, county of MIDDLESEX,
3 miles (E. by S.) from London, containing, at
the time of the last census, 12,223 inhabitants, and at
present (1830) nearly 16,000. This place, which was separated
from Stepney, and erected into a parish, by act
of parliament, in 1817, derived its name from the number
of poplar trees with which it abounded, and for the
growth of which its situation near the river was ex-
tremely favourable. It is situated at the south-east extremity
of the county, and is bounded on the east, west
and south, by the river Thames, and on the north by
the parishes of Bromley and Limehouse. It is inhabited
chiefly by persons engaged in the shipping interest
by numerous artizans employed in the various yards
for building and repairing ships, and by a multitude
of labourers, who find employment in the docks. The
West India docks, an extensive establishment for the
accommodation of the homeward and outward bound
fleets, were constructed in this parish, in 1802; and, from
the peculiar advantages of its situation, the East India
docks were also established here, in 1804; these magnificent
undertakings, which are honourable to the
commercial enterprise of the country, have been described
under the head of BLACKWALL. The parish is
partially paved, well lighted with gas, and amply supplied
with water by the East London water-worksi
It is within the jurisdiction of the court of requests,
for the Tower Hamlets, for the recovery of debts under
the amount of 40s., and within the limits of the new police
establishment. The town hall was erected in 1770, on
the removal of an ancient edifice, which stood in th$
highway, and which was taken down in the preceding
year. The management of the poor, and the superintendence
of the watching, paving, and lighting of the
parish, were, by act of parliament in 1813, vested in
certain of the parishioners, who were subsequently appointed
a vestry to regulate the parochial concerns.
The living is a rectory not in charge, in the jurisdiction
of the Commissary of London, concurrently with
the Consistorial Episcopal Court: the present incumbent
was appointed by the inhabitants, but at his
decease, the right of presentation will lapse to the
Principal and Fellows of Braseiiose College, Oxford.
The church, dedicated to All Saints, was erected by
the parishioners, at an expense of £37*000: it is a
handsome structure in the Grecian style of architecture,
with a lofty steeple of the Composite order; the interior,
of which the central part is appropriated to the use
of the poor, is conveniently arranged, and chastely
ornamented, and ample accommodation is provided for
the children of the numerous schools in the parish,
It is situated on the south side of the East India
road, in the centre of a spacious cemetery, on the
west of which is a handsome house for the rector. A
chapel of ease, dedicated to St. Mary, was built by subscription
in 1654, at an expense of £2000, on a piece of
ground given for that purpose by the East India Company,
by whom it was almost entirely rebuilt in 1776; it is
a neat building, and has a spacious burial-ground; the
living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the
Hon. the East India Company, being attached to the
hospital supported by them here. There are places
of worship for Baptists, Independents, and Wesleyan
Methodists. The boys' school, established in 17H, iQ
union with the parish of Limehouse, for thirty children,
but now a separate institution, affords instruction
on the National system to two hundred and
thirty boys, of whom seventy are annually clothed.
The free school, instituted in 1816 by subscription, for
children of Poplar, Blackwall, and the neighbourhood,
is,liberally supported, and affords instruction to three
hundred boys and two hundred girls, of whom, one hundred
and fifty of each arc clothed; a school-room tor
boys, and another for girls, with houses for the master
and mistress, have been erected, at an expense of
£,3,037. 1. ll., on a piece of ground given by the East
India Company. This institution has an income of
& 240, arising from benefactions; the master's salary is
£100 per annum, and that of the mispress £70, with
an allowance of coal and candles; it is open to children
of all religious denominations. A Roman Catholic
school, for the children of .the numerous Irish labourers
employed in the docks, affords the means of instruction
to upwards of one hundred and fifty) and
in the Ladies' charity school, in union with the National
Society, one hundred girls are taught and annually
clothed, under the superintendence of a committee
of ladies. An infant school has recently been
erected, and is solely maintained by George Green, Esq.,
ship-builder, who has been a munificent benefactor
to the parish, and a zealous promoter;of the schools,
to the establishment and support of which, and to
other charitable uses, he has appropriated more than
£10,000.
The East India hospital, in connexion with the chapel,
which the inmates attend for divine service, was established
for the maintenance of widows of officers and
seamen in the Company's service; it is a spacious and
substantial quadrangular structure, comprising twentytwo
tenements, having been entirely rebuilt by the Company
in 1802: the south front contains the chaplain's residence
in the centre, and on each side dwellings for the
hospitallers; and to the north of the chapel are superior
dwellings for the widows of superior officers: the institution
is maintained partly by contribution from the pay
of seamen employed in the East India service, and by
funds appropriated by the Company. Sir Henry Johnson,
in 1683, bequeathed £300 for the purpose of building
six almshouses for poor ship-carpenters, which
design was not accomplished till 1756, when they were
erected chiefly through the' exertions of Dr. Glo'ster
Ridley. Mrs. Esther Hawes founded an almshouse for
six aged widows, and endowed it with £9 per annum;
and Mr. John Till, by will, gave four almshouses at Blackwall
for poor watermen. The workhouse is a substantial
brick building, with a handsome front elevation, and is
in every respect well adapted to the comforts of the poor.
There are various charitable bequests for distribution
among the necessitous and aged parishioners. George
Stevens, the celebrated commentator and editor of Shakspeare's
plays, was born here in 1736, and buried in' the
chapel in 1SOO, where is a monument to his memory,
with a fine bas relief, in which he is represented contemplating
the bust of his favourite author. In the
cemetery are the tombs of Dr. Glo'ster Ridley, minister
of Poplar, who died in 1774, and of his son, the Rev.
James Ridley, author of the "Tales of the Genii:" he
died in 1765. Among the eminent men who occasionally
resided here were, Ainsworth, the compiler of the Latin
Dictionary, who kept a school in the neighbourhood j
and Sir Richard Steele, coadjutor with Addison in the
Tatler and Spectator; he is said to have had a laboratory
here, and to have expended large sums of money
in. the study of alchymy.