Frying Pan Alley - Historical Overview

Jul 5, 2024

Frying Pan Alley - Lecture Notes

Introduction

  • Location: Near Spitalfields Market and Liverpool Street Station, London.
  • Historical Significance: Despite its modern appearance, Frying Pan Alley is a reminder of a forgotten era.

Importance of Frying Pan Alley

  • Common Street Name: In the 18th and 19th centuries, many such alleys existed across London.
  • Association with Ironmongers: Frying pans were hung outside shops as advertisements.
  • Sign of Poverty: Frying Pan Alleys were indicators of impoverished and sometimes dangerous areas.

Historical Examples

Clerkenwell Frying Pan Alley

  • Location: Off of Turnmill Street, near Farringdon Station.
  • Size: Very narrow (26 inches wide, 20 feet long).
  • Notable Events:
    • Death of Mrs. Atkins, a fortune teller (1763).
    • Story of juvenile thieves George Cowley and Thomas Head (1821).
    • Unfit living conditions and cleared in a slum clearance.

Southwark Frying Pan Alleys

  • Dead Man's Place Frying Pan Alley:
    • Named due to proximity to a burial ground.
    • Poor conditions described in a 1781 edition of St James' Chronicle.
  • Near London Bridge:
    • Demolished in the 19th century for railways.
  • Near Guy's Hospital:
    • Record from 1836 about the death of Mr. McCarthy who starved to death.

Lambeth Frying Pan Alley

  • Location: Near Whtart Dock.
  • Historical Photo: mid to late 19th century image showing living conditions.

Barnes Frying Pan Alley

  • Location: Pleasant Riverside area in Southwest London.
  • Described in a 1950 letter to Richmond Heav as a poor, dirty area.
  • Modern-day: Known as Malt House Passage and improved significantly.

Surviving Frying Pan Alley in Spitalfields

  • History: Dates back to the mid-18th century.
  • Famous for: Barnet's salmon smokehouse until 1975.
  • Associated with: Jewish community and Jack Solomons, a famous boxing promoter.
  • Depicted in: "People of the Abyss" by Jack London (1903).

Cultural Impact

  • 1870s Novel: "Frying Pan Alley" by Theresa Cornwallis West, describing poor conditions.
  • Jack London’s description in "People of the Abyss": Detailed look at the horrendous living conditions of the time.

Conclusion

  • Modern Perspective: Although bland today, the history of Frying Pan Alley reflects significant socio-economic conditions of its time.
  • Invitation to Add Information: Viewers encouraged to share other mentions of Frying Pan Alley.

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