Isle Of Dogs History
The original name for the island was Stepney Marsh or Stebunheath. It is thought that the Isle of Dogs name originated in the 16th century. Nobody really knows where this name came from, but there are plenty of theories. Some say that the name was given to the area because of the number of dead dogs that washed up on its banks. Others think that the modern name is a variation of other names given to the area, such as the Isle of Dykes or the Isle of Ducks.
Until industrialisation started to spread outside of the City of London, the island was a quiet place. Most of this area was marshland that was relatively uninhabitable until the land was drained and reclaimed in the 13th century. Even then, it did not have many inhabitants and most people who lived there were farmers or fishermen. In the 1600s, life started to change on the island. Windmills were erected on its west side to grind corn and millers joined the local community. This area of the island became known as Millwall because of these mills.
London started to expand during the next couple of centuries. The East End’s proximity to the Thames saw a big boom in shipbuilding and maritime industries in the area. Seeing a need to expand dock areas, a group of sea merchants asked to build docks on the north of the island. By 1802, the West India Docks opened. These were followed by the East India Docks, bringing with them shipyards, iron works and a lot of related businesses.
The island’s population also increased significantly, as workers moved into the area to work for local businesses. This led to the need for more housing and developments such as William Cubitt’s Cubitt Town. It is thought that the local population grew to over 14,000 by the mid 1800s and to over 20,000 by the start of the 20th century. In the early part of the 19th century, the Isle of Dogs had been home to just a few hundred people.
