New Church, Stepney

The population of Stepney rose rapidly in the early nineteenth century as poorer and immigrant workers were priced out of living in central London. By 1817 the area had a population of 35,000 but provision in Anglican churches for only 1,500. Local residents therefore raised the money to build St Philips as a proprietary chapel, but the project soon went well over budget and the church building commissioners had to provide funds. It was consecrated as a new parish church in 1823. The architectural writer James Elmes approved of its perpendicular gothic design, commenting in his and Thomas Hosmer Shepherd’s book ‘Metropolitan Improvements’ (1827-30), for which this drawing was made, that ‘The whole composition has a very striking English and ecclesiastical character.’