St Augustine's Tower – Dating back to the 13th century, this is Hackney Central's oldest building. It is all that remains of the original medieval parish church, which was demolished in the late 18th century (September 2005).
Hackney was a parish in the historic county of Middlesex. The parish church of St John-at-Hackney was built in 1789, replacing the nearby former 16th-century parish church dedicated to St Augustine (pulled down in 1798). The original tower of that church was retained to hold the bells until the new church could be strengthened; the bells were finally removed to the new St John's in 1854. See details of other, more modern, churches within the original parish boundaries below.
The vestry of the parish, in common with all parishes in England, was entrusted with various administrative functions from the 17th century. The parish vestry administered the Poor Law until 1837, until it became part of the Poor Law Union of Hackney. The ecclesiastical and civil roles of the parish increasingly diverged, and by the early nineteenth century they covered different areas.
A map showing the wards of Hackney Metropolitan Borough as they appeared in 1916.
A distinct civil parish dates from 1855, with the incorporation of The Vestry of the Parish of Hackney in the County of Middlesex by section 42 of the Metropolis Management Act. With Stoke Newington it formed part of the Hackney District, governed by the Hackney District Board of Works, within the area of the Metropolitan Board of Works.
Under the Metropolis Management Act 1855 any parish that exceeded 2,000 ratepayers was to be divided into wards; as such the parish of St John at Hackney within the Hackney District Boards of Works was divided into seven wards (electing vestrymen): No. 1 or Stamford Hill (15), No. 2 or West (18), No. 3 or De Beauvoir Town (18), No. 4 or Dalston (18), No. 5 or Hackney (18), No. 6 or Homerton (15) and No. 7 or South (18).[1][2]
In 1894, the district and board were dissolved, with the Hackney vestry taking on its duties within the parish.
In 1894 as its population had increased the incorporated vestry was re-divided into eight wards (electing vestrymen): Stamford Hill (15), West (18), Kingsland (12), Hackney (12), Mare Street (15), South (15), Clapton (12) and Homerton (21).[3][4]
The boundaries of the civil parish were identical to the ancient parish, and it covered 3,289 acres (13.3 km2). The populations recorded in National Censuses were:
St John's parish church, Hackney. (September 2005)
The ancient parish, was originally dedicated to St Augustine. By c. 1660 it was rededicated to St John the Baptist and usually referred to as St John at Hackney.[6] It and its successors are in the Diocese of London. From 1825, building and the population of Hackney increased rapidly and new parishes were formed, a few of which have since been dissolved:[7]
St John of Jerusalem, South Hackney in 1825
St James, West Hackney aka (West Hackney Church) in 1825
St Thomas the Apostle, Stamford Hill in 1828
St Philip, Dalston in 1841
St Peter, De Beauvoir Town in 1841
St Barnabas, Homerton in 1846
St James the Greater, Clapton in 1863
St Augustine of Canterbury, Hackney Wick in 1867
St Matthew, Upper Clapton in 1866
Christ Church, Clapton in 1871
All Saints, Lower Clapton in 1873
St Luke, Homerton in 1873
Holy Trinity, Dalston in 1879
All Souls, Clapton Park in 1884
St Michael and All Angels, Stoke Newington Common in 1886
St Paul, Lower Homerton in 1889
St Mary of Eton, Hackney Wick in 1893
St Bartholomew, Dalston in 1897
Periphal parts of the ancient parish contributed to three other new parishes as follows:
St Michael and All Angels, South Hackney London Fields in 1865 — with parts of St Jude, Bethnal Green
Christ Church, South Hackney in 1871 — with parts of St James the Less, Bethnal Green, St John, Bethnal Green, and St Stephen, Haggerston
St Mark, Dalston in 1871 — with parts of St Matthias, Stoke Newington
