Editing Bethnal Green (section)

===Growth===
[[File:Image taken from page 751 of 'Old and New London, etc' (11191645916).jpg|thumb|Bethnal House Lunatic Asylum. A notorious 'private madhouse' from 1727, variously known as Wright's House, The Blind Beggar's House, and Kirby's Castle.]]
The Green and Poor's Land is the area of open land now occupied by [[Bethnal Green Library]], the [[Young V&A]] and [[St John on Bethnal Green|St John's Church]], designed by [[John Soane]].

In [[John Stow]]'s ''Survey of London'' (1598) the hamlet was called ''Blethenal Green''. It was one of the hamlets included in the Manor of Stepney and Hackney. Hackney later became separated.

In 1678, the owners of houses surrounding the Green purchased the land to save it from being built on and in 1690, the land was conveyed to a trust under which it was to be kept open and rent from it used for the benefit of poor people living in the vicinity. From that date, the trust has administered the land and its minute books are kept in the [[London Metropolitan Archives]].

Bethnal House, or Kirby's Castle, was the principal house on the Green. One of its owners was Sir Hugh Platt (1552–1608), author of books on gardening and practical science. Under its next owner it was visited by [[Samuel Pepys]]. In 1727 it was leased to Matthew Wright and for almost two centuries it was an [[Sanctuary|asylum]]. Its two most distinguished inmates were [[Alexander Cruden]], compiler of the ''[[Cruden's Concordance|Concordance to the Bible]]'', and the poet [[Christopher Smart]]. Cruden recorded his experience in ''The London Citizen Grievously Injured'' (1739) and Smart's stay there is recorded by his daughter. Records of the asylum are kept in the annual reports of the Commissioner in Lunacy. Even today, the park where the library stands is known locally as "Barmy Park".

The original mansion, the White House, was supplemented by other buildings. In 1891, the Trust lost the use of Poor's Land to the London County Council. The asylum reorganised its buildings, demolishing the historic White House and erecting a new block in 1896. This building became the present Bethnal Green Library. A history of Poor's Land and Bethnal House is included in ''The Green'', written by A.J. Robinson and D.H.B. Chesshyre.

Boxing has a long association with Bethnal Green. [[Daniel Mendoza]], who was champion of England from 1792 to 1795 though born in [[Aldgate]], lived in Paradise Row on the western side of Bethnal Green for 30 years. [[Joe Anderson (boxer)|Joe Anderson]], 'All England' champion of 1897, was from Bethnal Green.<ref name="ARD">{{Cite episode |title= Bare-Knuckle Fighter |series= Antiques Roadshow Detectives |series-link= Antiques Roadshow Detectives |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05qtckx |access-date= 19 April 2015 |network= [[BBC Television]]  |date= 8 April 2015 |series-no= 1 |number= 3 }}</ref>

The north end of the Green is associated with the Natt family. During the 18th century they owned many of its houses. Netteswell House is the residence of the curator of the Bethnal Green Museum. It is almost certainly named after the village of [[Netteswell]], near [[Harlow]], whose [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] was the Reverend Anthony Natt. A few of its houses have become [[University settlement]]s. In Victoria Park Square, on the east side of the Green, No. 18 has a [[Tudor style architecture|Tudor]] well in its cellar.<ref>''The Green, Land assessments records'', Gascoyne's survey of 1703.</ref>

The silk-weaving trade spread eastwards from [[Spitalfields]] throughout the 18th century. This attracted many [[Huguenot]] and Irish weavers to the district. Large estates of small two-storey cottages were developed in the west of the area to house them. A downturn in the trade in 1769 led to the [[Spitalfield Riots]], and on 6 December 1769, two weavers accused of "cutting" were hanged in front of the Salmon and Ball [[public house]].

Bethnal Green Road Market on the road of the same name, founded in the 18th century, grew and grew and became more full with stalls. By 1959 stalls were choking the streets and the council attempted to relocate the market but had no success. In 1986 there had been many shop closures but the stalls were still trading. The street market is now today recognised as a major local shopping area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bgbusinessforum.org.uk/about/sample-page/|last=Bethnal Green Business Forum|title=History|date=2014|access-date=1 June 2019|archive-date=2 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902075438/http://bgbusinessforum.org.uk/about/sample-page/|url-status=dead}}</ref>