Editing Stepney (section)

====Church and parish====
{{main|Stepney (parish)}}
[[St Dunstan's, Stepney|St Dunstan's Church]] was founded (or rebuilt) around 952, by [[St Dunstan]] himself when he was [[Bishop of London]], and therefore also Lord of the Manor of Stepney. Many bishops lived in the manor and Dunstan may have done the same. The church was dedicated to Dunstan after he was canonised in 1029, making him the [[patron saint]] of Stepney.<ref>The Metropolitan Borough of Stepney Official Guide – 10th Edition – 1961 – Published by Ed J Burrow and Co Ltd p29</ref> The bells of the church, cast at the [[Whitechapel Bell Foundry]], appear in the [[nursery rhyme]], [[Oranges and Lemons]]

{{blockquote|''" 'When will that be'? say the bells of Stepney"''}}

The church is known as "The Mother Church of the [[East End]]"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stdunstanstepney.com/|title=St Dunstan and All Saints Stepney|website=stdunstanstepney.com|access-date=18 September 2022}}</ref> as the very large parish covered most of what would become inner East London, before population growth led to the creation of a large number of daughter parishes. It is also known as "The Church of the High Seas" due to its traditional maritime connections. In 1720 the historian [[John Strype]] wrote that Stepney (together with its daughter parishes) should be esteemed a province rather than a parish, due to its large population, area and the diversity of urban, rural and maritime industries.<ref>A survey of the Cities of London and Westminster Book 4, Chapter 5, p47</ref>

Stepney formed a [[Stepney (parish)|large Ancient Parish]] in the [[Tower division]] of the [[Ossulstone]] hundred of [[Middlesex]]. The parish included the hamlets of [[Mile End Old Town]], [[Mile End New Town]], [[Ratcliff]], [[Wapping-Stepney]], [[Bow, London|Bow]], [[Shadwell]], [[Bethnal Green]], [[Limehouse]] and [[Poplar, London|Poplar]]. The Hamlets were territorial sub-divisions (as opposed to small villages), which ultimately became independent daughter parishes.