Saffron Hill, Hatton Garden, Ely Rents and Ely Place facts for kids
Saffron Hill, Hatton Garden, Ely Rents, and Ely Place was once a special area in London, a bit like a small, independent district. It was known as a "liberty," which meant it had some unique local rules. Later, it also became a "civil parish," which is a type of local government area. This historic area was part of a larger parish called St Andrew Holborn.
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Where Was This Area?
This interesting area was located in the heart of London. Its southern edge was the street we now call Holborn. To the west, it was bordered by Leather Lane.
The area stretched north past Clerkenwell Road, between Back Hill and Herbal Hill. It reached up to where Warner Street and Ray Street meet today. On the eastern side, its boundary was close to Farringdon Road and Farringdon Street.
The liberty included the full length of streets like Saffron Hill, Hatton Garden, and Ely Place. Ely Rents was a collection of houses owned by the See of Ely, which was the office of the Bishop of Ely.
Looking After the Community
From 1730, this liberty had its own "workhouse." A workhouse was a place where poor people could live and work, usually in exchange for food and shelter. It was a way for communities to help those in need during that time.
Later, in 1836, this area joined with others to form the Holborn Poor Law Union. This union was a group of parishes that worked together to manage support for the poor across a wider area.
Population Changes Over Time
The area of Saffron Hill, Hatton Garden, Ely Rents, and Ely Place was quite small, covering about 30 acres. Over the years, its population changed a lot.
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,781 | 7,482 | 9,270 | 9,745 | 9,455 | 8,728 | 3,980 | 4,506 | 2,561 | 1,733 | 825 |
As you can see from the table, the population grew in the early 1800s but then started to decrease significantly by the late 1800s and early 1900s.
How It Was Governed
For local government, this area was part of the Holborn District (Metropolis) from 1855 to 1900. This district helped manage services like sanitation and roads.
After 1900, it became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Holborn. A "borough" is a larger administrative area, similar to a modern-day council area.
The End of the Liberty
The special status of the liberty ended in 1889. This happened because of a law called the Local Government Act 1888. This act brought many of these old liberties into the surrounding counties.
Before this, the liberty was surrounded by Middlesex county. However, the 1888 act created a new area called the County of London in the metropolitan part of London. So, the liberty became part of this new county instead.
The civil parish of Saffron Hill, Hatton Garden, Ely Rents, and Ely Place continued for a while longer. But it was finally abolished in 1930, meaning it no longer existed as a separate administrative area.
