Raine's House - Raine Street, Wapping, London, UK
N 51° 30.399 W 000° 03.480
30U E 704162 N 5710272
This building was constructed as the Raine Charity School in 1719 for the education of 50 boys and 50 girls. The building is now called Raine House and is to be found on the south side of Raine Street. Education ceased here in the 19th century.
Waymark Code: WMNDHJ
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/21/2015
Views: 1
Over the door, in the centre of the building is a stone plaque that is inscribed with the school motto and the year of construction:
Come in & learn
your duty
to God and man
1719
The St George-in-the-East church website tells us:
Henry Raine (1679-1738) was a wealthy local brewer and devout churchman, born into a Wapping family of brewers, where he became proprietor of the Star Brewhouse at New Crane Wharf. In 1714 he built Hurst House at Woodford in Essex - anticipating the move of many later East Enders who made good! - which was also known as 'The Naked Beauty' because of one of its statues.
On 13 August 1725 he married Sarah Petre, daughter of a sea captain from Mile End New Town. She died on 26 February the following year, and was buried in the churchyard of St George-in-the-East (he was closely involved with the founding of the parish) even though the church was not yet complete. He never remarried; when he died, he was buried near her.
In 1719 Henry Raine re-organised a charity school (founded three years earlier in Fawdon Fields) to provide education for 50 boys and 50 girls from the neighbourhood of Wapping-Stepney, with a resident master and mistress, in Charles Street off Old Gravel Lane [now Raine Street, off Wapping Lane] - an area which at that time was within the parish of St George-in-the-East. His money was supplemented by donations and charity sermons. He wrote rules for pupils and staff.
The building still stands - the stone over the door bears the school motto and the date, and in niches on either side are statues of a boy and a girl in the school uniform. These are copies; the originals moved with the school when it moved elsewhere, and are now preserved inside the current school premises. The building has been used for many purposes since the school left; for a time, St Peter's Church next door used it as a base for work with men and boys, funded by Radley College - one of the clergy held the title of Radley College Missioner. Now, as Raine House, it is a community centre, and also houses the offices of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
The building is Grade II listed with the entry at the English Heritage website telling us:
1719. Founded as a school by Henry Raine but used for other purposes since the removal of the school in the C19.
Brown brick with red brick dressings and parapet. Stucco plinth. 2 storeys, 7 windows with 2 windowed wing on east (formerly the Schoolmaster's house). Similar wing formerly on west. Brick Corinthian pilasters extending full height of building at each end of main block and each side of centre bay containing entrance (now closed). Segmental heads to ground floor windows, semi-circular heads at 1st floor except 2nd and 6th openings, which have pedimented niches. Windows have flush frames with glazing bars (now covered). Entrance to Schoolmaster's house is on return.
The buildings are in a derelict condition. The 2 contemporary figures of a boy and a girl, formerly in the niches, together with other original objects from the school are preserved at the modern Raine's Foundation School in Arbour Square.
The last paragraph is not entirely true. The building has been restored and put to use and replica figures have been installed.