Centuries old East End tradition reinstated
- Heritage of London Trust
- Oct 11, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 18, 2024
The restored George Green tomb in Trinity Gardens, Poplar was unveiled last week. Green was one of the most important 18th century shipwrights in the East End. His charitable work included the founding of schools, almshouses and a Sailors’ Home and he spent over £100,000, the equivalent of over £11 million today, on philanthropic causes. When he died aged 82, the shops in Blackwall and Poplar were closed as a mark of respect and the population lined the route from his house to Trinity Chapel. Every vessel in the East and West India Docks flew its flag at half-mast. Much of George Green’s charitable work continues to benefit the local community today.
His tomb was isolated and in a very poor state with broken railings, illegible inscriptions and open to further damage. It was restored this autumn in a project working closely with George Green’s descendants (who contributed funding), George Green School, the Mayflower Primary School, George Green’s almshouses charity, The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights and Tower Hamlets Council. As part of our Proud Places programme, local pupils learnt about George Green as well as met the stonemasons working on site.
After decades of abandonment, the centuries old tradition of George Green pupils laying a wreath to their founder has been reinstated. Headteacher of George Green School, Jon Ryder, spoke, alongside George Green school pupils Summayah Begum and Amina Taleb, 15, primary school pupils Ayman, Inara, Sabrina and Maryam, from Mayflower Primary School.
“This is a very proud moment for me as current Headteacher of George Green's School. Today, the School is thriving thanks to George Green's vision and generosity. Tens of thousands of children have passed through our gates over the past 200 years. All of them have benefitted from George Green's belief in the importance of education. His tomb should stand as a symbol of the importance and significance of education. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be part of this project."
Jon Ryder, Headteacher, George Green School
Really interesting to read about the restoration of George Green’s tomb and the effort to keep local history alive for future generations. On a lighter note, when I’m looking for some entertainment in my free time, I often play Subway Surfers —it’s a fun and relaxing way to unwind after reading stories like this.
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