You’ll find on my website about my neighborhood – www.newingtongreen.org – a local history section. I recently discovered a book in the Islington library which details the origins and history of each street done as a retirement project by the reference librarian of Islington’s central library. The book is Streets With a Story by Eric Willats published 1988 by the Islington Local History Education Trust but as far as I know out of print.
I discovered that Poet’s Road (on which I live) is named after Samuel Rogers (who lived at the corner of Ferntower and Newington Green Road). There’s also a connection with Sir John Masefield – the poet laureate from 1930 to 1967 (best known for “I must down to the seas again for the call of the running tide/Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied”) after whom Masefield Court on this street was named
I also learned that the estate near me was built on the site of Dalston Synagogue not during WWII (when as I had heard a bomb dropped on it) but in 1967. I guess it had simply fallen into disuse by that point – I would be interested to hear if anyone else knows anything about it (or anything about Poet’s Road or the history Newington Green area not already mentioned on the website).
