NAMES TELL A STORY. These signposts at Forest Gate reflect newer faiths in Newham. However, many street names still reflect the Borough's extensive Christian heritage.

UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENTS, INSTITUTES, HOSTELS, MISSIONS &  CHARITIES IN NEWHAM - A Brief History.

Background.

Mansfield House, Dockland Settlements and Canning Town Women's Settlement were the largest and best known. Trinity College Oxford Mission and St. Helen's Women's Settlement were in Stratford. They are all part of the Newham Story and each is a story in its own right.

 The Settlement movement began in the East End in 1884 with Toynbee Hall in Whitechapel.  Universities and public schools gave money, personnel and backing to 'settle' students in residential communities and build a range of centres and halls at the heart of urban poverty, unemployment and inequality.

 Locally, they provided a centre for social activities with thousands taking part in the sporting, health, educational and social programmes. Clinics and hospitals, nurseries and sports fields, social clubs and advice centres sprang from them. They spread out to include country and sea-side centres for recreation or convalescence

 Five Settlements were established in the old County Borough of West Ham in Canning Town, Plaistow and Stratford. Three were Anglican foundations and, unusually, two were Free Church (Congregational).

 University Settlements

Here is a summary of the University Settlements. Some records and pictures- particularly of Mansfield House and Canning Town Women's Settlement are in the Newham archives. Mansfield House has fuller notes here to illustrate the scope, development and decline of local Settlements.  Separate notes on the Docklands Settlement are available. 

The Harold Road congregation was settled in 1976 by members of the old Upton Manor congregation which had closed several years earlier.

October 1900 saw the opening of the Passmore Edwards Museum and the re-opening of the West Ham Municipal Technical Institute.

Colourful Buddhist banners and flags hang round the former Welfare Clinic in Maybury Road, Plaistow, E13.

Birds-eye view showing the extensive development of hostels and social care facilities provided by the Mission clustered around the Church.

An Impression of James Keir Hardie and his Constituency a year before he was elected in 1892, gives a flavour of what the area was like in Victorian times.

Presentation and Unveiling of a Bust of J. Keir Hardie took place at West Ham Town Hall, Stratford, on 20th January 1948. An eight-page pamphlet, admission ticket  and invitation card.

Plans have been announced that the Australian Olympic team are going to set up their Headquarters in Newham for the 2012 Games at the new Westfield Centre at Stratford, well the Sporting stars of Australia had a `second home` with West Ham (now Newham) for many years.

Since the arrival of Speedway (Dirt Track) Racing from Australia in 1928, invented by the Great Australian Showman Johnnie Hoskins in 1923, the Australians have always seen West Ham as being a` Home` for their Champions.

The first-ever Speedway meeting at West Hams Custom House Stadium in July 1928 showed three Australians who were to become Champions in Great Britain, Paddy Dean (who won the West Ham Invitation Handicap at this meeting), Billy Galloway and `Buzz` Hibbard (who became a member of the first West Ham team in 1929 along with another Aussie, Les Maguire).

Later, a young Australian called Arthur Wilkinson arrived and became a member of the team.

He was to become West Ham’s First World Speedway Champion in 1938, and know to all as `Bluey`.

The Orthodox Churches are the historic Christian congregations of Greece and Western Asia, of which there are several meeting in Newham.