JEWISH
EAST END OF LONDON PHOTO GALLERY & COMMENTARY
London's East End Synagogues, cemeteries and more......
My personal journey through the Jewish East End of London
 |
| Evelina Mansions, Four per cent
Industrial Dwellings Company, Camberwell, named after
Evelina de Rothschild, wife of Ferdinand de Rothschild owner
of Waddeson Manor. Evelina died in childbirth at the
age of 27 in 1866 |
The
Four Per Cent Industrial Dwellings Company Ltd
- founded
in 1885 by Anglo-Jewish philanthropists.
This is the story behind the mysterious arch in Wentworth Street
(photo left) whose
inscription states: "Erected by the Four Per Cent Industrial Dwellings
Company Ltd, 1886". It is a story of slum dwellings, poverty and
overcrowding in the Jewish East End of London, and the efforts of 19th
century Anglo-Jewish philanthropists to do something about it.
The Wentworth Street Arch was originally located in Thrawl Street
and was one of two that marked the entrances to Rothschild
Buildings. Rothschild Buildings were demolished in the 1970s.
Lloyd P Gartner’s excellent book ‘The Jewish Immigrant
1870-1914’ has this to say about living conditions and slum clearance
in the Jewish East End of London at the end of the C19th:
"Demolition
was the surest cure for the ills found in most of the Jewish
Immigrants houses. In fact, the removal of these dwellings and their
replacement by suitable living quarters had begun slowly to nibble
away at London’s immense mass of desolate slum acreage in the 1870’s.
One reason for the slowness, besides the weakness of parochial
Governmental bodies, was that model housing could not be built by
public bodies but had to be undertaken by combining public
condemnation with private wrecking and new construction, according to
fixed specifications. Two ventures were prominent in
the
earlier years of slum clearance, the Four Per Cent Industrial
Dwellings Company Ltd (see photo left of Stepney Green Court erected
by the 4% company), and the East End Dwellings Company Ltd
(see photos right of their Dunstan Houses in Stepney Green,
opposite Stepney Green Court, erected
in 1899). Both of these enterprises were the outcome of the
United Synagogue’s enquiry into ‘spiritual destitution’ in the East
End in 1884, which found that physical hardships were far more pressing. The former
company assumed its title to emphasise that it was no charity and
proposed a four per cent rate of return to investors. Objections to
the project were heard, but with Rothschild as chairman and prime
mover, the capital was speedily raised and the houses were opened for
occupancy in 1886. The flats in the ‘Rothschild houses’ were fair
specimens of the quasi-public housing of their day. Each had two
rooms, shared a toilet and kitchen with the adjacent flat, and opened
to outdoor halls and stairways. In order to reimburse investors at
the promised rate, the six storey buildings occupies no less than 50%
of the ground space and tenants paid about 5s to 6s a week (25p to
30p). These grey stone houses were drab and draughty, but they were
also solid and sanitary, and were probably better flats than those in
other projects of the time. Although they were not restricted to
Jews, all or nearly all of the inhabitants were coreligionists of the
chairman.
By 1894 2990 persons resided in the ‘four percent’ houses,
and perhaps 1000 more in the East End Dwellings. But many more
crowded in as ‘lodgers’, for unlike Miss Octavia Hill’s housing
projects, the ‘Rothschild houses’ did not supervise the domestic life
of their inhabitants."
On the
left and right are photos of Mocatta House in Brady Street, erected in
1905 by the Four Per Cent Industrial Dwellings Company Ltd
Contemporary reports from
Jewish Chronicles of the time of the 1885 founding of the
company had this to say about them:
From the Jewish Chronicle 13th March 1885:
"Improved dwellings for
the poor: a
meeting was held on Monday at the offices of Messrs Rothschild, New
Court to consider the establishment of a company to erect improved
dwellings for the Jewish poor, as recommended in the report of the
East End Commission appointed by the Council of the United
synagogue. There were present: Sir Nathaniel Rothschild, Bart MP,
who presided; Dr A Asher, Messrs, E Berg, Lionel L Cohen, Louise
Davidson, D. Davis, J De Castro, Ellis A. Franklin, Maurice Hart, H. Hyams, N.S. Joseph, A. Mocatta, F.D. Mocatta, Claude Montefiore,
Samuel Montagu, Asher I. Myers, H. Pentree, Edward Raphael, A.E.
Sydney.
After some
discussion, a formal resolution was passed expressing the desirability
of establishing the proposed company. A draft prospectus was
circulated in the room. The title of the company will be “The Four
Per Cent Industrial Dwellings Company.” The capital will be £50,000
in 5000 shares of £10 each. Nearly all the capital has already been
privately subscribed. It is not proposed to limit the occupation of
the tenements to Jews.
It is
estimated that if the rentals were based on a net return of 4 per
cent excellent accommodation consisting of two rooms, a small
scullery, and w.c. could be supplied at a weekly rental of five
shillings per tenement; and it is considered that many investors will
be found willing and even anxious to contribute their capital towards
a scheme, which while yielding a moderate and safe return, will
largely tend, not only to improve the dwellings of the poor, but also
reduce the high rates now paid for the minimum of accommodation.
It is
proposed to commence operations by erecting on a freehold site of
about three quarters of an acre, in the neighbourhood of Whitechapel,
a block of Model Dwellings affording accommodation for 186 families,
each tenement having two or three rooms, with separate w.c. and
scullery: the expenditure for land and building estimated at £40,000.
We are
requested to mention that Sir Nathaniel de Rothschild, Bart, M.P; Dr
A. Asher, Mr N.S. Joseph and Mr A.E. Sydney will be glad to afford
further particulars to any person desiring to co-operate. Immediate
response is invited in order to secure the building site which is now
available."
From the Jewish Chronicle of 10th December
1886
"….that the dwellings in course
of erection in Thrawl Street, Flower and Dean Street, and George
Street, Spitalfields are now all roofed in, and it is expected they
will be completed at the end of next month. They will afford
accommodation for upwards of 150 families."
From the Jewish Chronicle of 17th
December 1886
Reporting
the Annual General Meeting of the company in December 1886 the J.C.
said "....the following directors of the company were
re-elected: The Right Hon. Lord Rothschild, Chairman; Messrs.
L. Lewisohn, F.D. Mocatta, Samuel Montagu, M.P., Edward Raphael,
Charles Samuel, H.S. Samuel and Henry Solomon (names
well known in the World of Jewish philanthropy). Mr
Samuel Montagu stated that he had been over the buildings which were
thoroughly well built."
In 1952 the
four per cent Industrial Dwellings Company Ltd
became the Industrial Dwellings Society (1885) Ltd, and
in 2007 manages over 1,300 properties in Hackney, Tower
Hamlets, Southwark, Redbridge and Barnet. It still has strong
Jewish connections and its current President (2007) is a member of the
Rothschild family: Sir Evelyn de Rothschild. Quoting from their
website in 2007 they say of themselves:
"IDS was established as the
Four Per Cent Dwellings Company in 1885 by a group of Jewish
philanthropists who hoped to relieve the overcrowding in homes in
the East End of London......Our tenants are reflective of the
general ethnic mix but we maintain strong links with Jewish
communities and, in this respect, are regarded as a specialist
housing provider."
