Hackney history

Hackney’s name apparently comes from the Anglo-Saxon for ” kill with a sword or axe”, presumably as in “to hack”. The church tower was built by the Knights Templar in the 14th century. In the 19th century, much of Hackney was market gardens or nurseries. By the 20th century, the whole area had been developed as residential housing for London’s growing population. Housing estates have replaced a lot of the original Georgian and Victorian houses. Dick Turpin used to drink at a the White House public house next to Hackney Marsh. Hackney Marsh was also the site of a victory by Alfred the Great over the Danes – he diverted the river Lea so their ships ran aground. Although most of Hackney’s original open spaces disappeared under new streets and housing, the marsh land was bought for the public in 1893.