Maryam Centre (London)

 islam, community centre / hall, prayer ground / prayer hall, women/girls-only

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2009-13, women's prayer hall and community centre

An 1873 map shows that the Maryam Centre sits squarely on the site of a sugar refinery, the later development of which took it almost to Whitechapel Road where the East London Mosque now stands. The sugar refinery was at 17 Fieldgate St, the building across the yard, beyond the gatehouse, was 16.

There had been sugar refining at two separate locations in Fieldgate St, the earlier record being 1736, but we don't get a true indication of who was working the refinery adjacent to Orange Row until 1817 when it was listed as James & Edward Friend. William Boden became a partner in 1821 and took over the company when the partnership was dissolved in 1830, following a fire the previous year. The 1851 census shows that Boden lived in the dwelling house at the refinery, while fifteen, mostly single, German sugarbakers lived in the men's room at no. 16. Other sugarbakers would have lived in the streets nearby. Men's rooms, with many bedrooms and a mess room, had always been part of the larger London refineries, giving the newly arrived young workers secure lodgings and guidance from the one or two experienced workers who also live in. The records for this particular refinery make it clear where the men's room was relative to the refinery.

William Boden retired in 1851 and took himself off to converted salt workers' cottages in Clevedon, Somerset. The business was purchased by Sydney B Hodge. He ran it through to his death in 1878 when his son took over, but by 1882 it was losing money, production ceased and the extensive premises were put up for sale. The building were described in an advertisement in The Times: 'A brick built sugar house 67ft by 61ft of ground and 7 floors, warehouse brick built of ground and 5 floors, cistern house, dwelling house, and offices of 4 stories and basement, sample room with gatekeeper's house over, manager's office, large stone paved yard enclosed with pair of folding gates, lofty brick built chimney shaft, steam engine house, and a freehold dwelling house no. 16 Fieldgate St containing 12 rooms and in the basement a mess room for the men. A brick built charcoal house 60ft by 55ft with ground and 2 floors over, smith's shop, and gateway entrance, brick built stable and store with dwelling rooms over, stoke hole in rear and yard, and a brick built dwelling house with 3 rooms with yard in rear. Source: surveyoflondon.org/map/feature/872/detail/