I was working on my London genealogy at the weekend and needed a large scale street map of Bethnal Green and a Google search brought up this website which offers some great maps online. The maps are part of the East London Family History Society’s website and many thanks to them for putting these maps online.

The areas covered are Bethnal Green, Stepney, Bow, Bromley and Poplar, the maps range from the 1769 Rocque maps to a modern 2008 map and a lot in between. It was very easy to located the little alley that some of my ancestors were lurking down when the census enumerator came to call and I can now pinpoint where all the family were living during the 19th century.

I was intrigued by Thomas Milne’s 1800, “Land Use Map of London & Environs” as

I hadn’t come across it before (always something new to learn in genealogy!) There is a key showing what use the land was being put to so if your ancestors were living in this rural area around 1800 you can get a good idea of what sort of farming/market gardening they were employed in.

The East London Family History Society website has much to offer those with ancestors from this area so well worth a look.

http://www.mernick.org.uk/elhs/ELHS.htm