My great Grand Mother Bridget Murphy, late of Denmark Street & Croydon Road, her son Richard was my Grandfather, (my mothers father)

This photo of the first Borough Council, 1886-7 is taken from the book "Fifty Years a Borough: The Story of West Ham", published by the council in 1936.
It is a personally interesting photo because it contains the only known image of my great great great grandfather, Simon Vinicombe (third row up). The family were particularly proud of his achievement and a copy of this image hung on my great grandmother's wall, although his face was almost worn away because of the number of times he had been pointed out.
Other images in this book include various views, illustrations, companies and persons connected with West Ham.

The Rt. Hon Stephen first entered Parliament through a by-election in 1994 as MP for Newham North East, being re-elected to the new constituency of East Ham in May, 1997

Stephen was born in 1955 and was educated at Farnborough Grammar School before reading mathematics at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He has lived in Newham since 1979.

Before entering Parliament, Mr Timms worked in the telecommunications industry for 15 years.

He was elected to Newham Council in 1984 and chaired the planning committee from 1987 to 1990 before serving as Leader of the Council from 1990 to 1994.

This table has been in the care of the London Borough of Newham since it was donated to the borough’s museum by the Thames Group Hospital Committee in 1976. The table’s history and significance is best explained by the inscription on its commemorative plaque:

Will Thorne CBE, MP, JP (1857 – 1946)

Will Thorne was born in Birmingham on 8th October, 1857. He started work at the age of six and had a number of different jobs.

In 1879 at the age of 22 he married Harriet Hallam. Both he and Harriet were illiterate. They moved to London in 1882 and Will started work at Beckton gas works. At that time he joined the Canning Town branch of the Social Democratic Federation. One of the other members, Eleanor Marx helped to teach Thorne how to read and write. He lived at 1, Lawrence road, Upton Park

Harold Mugford, was East Ham's third Victoria Cross winner. He was born in London in 1884 and attended East Ham Grammar School. Mugford's later life was spent in Essex, he died on 16 June 1958 and was buried at Southend. His Victoria Cross is on display at the Imperial War Museum.

Harold Sandford Mugford was 22 years old, and a Lance-Corporal in 8 Squadron (Cavalry), Machine Gun Corps at Monchy-Le-Preux, France.

Private Sims V.C., born in Bloomsbury, London in 1835, one of two Victoria Cross winners buried in the City of London Cemetery, Manor Park. Sims died a pauper in the Union Workhouse in the City of London on 6 December, 1881. He was buried in an unmarked grave in the City of London Cemetery. The memorial plaque was erected in April 2003 by the management of the Cemetery.

Private Sims of 34th Border Regiment was only 19 years old when posted to the Crimea.  He was mentioned in Dispatches published in the London Gazette, 24th February 1857

"For having, on 18th June 1855, after the Regiment had retired into the trenches from the assault on the Redan, Crimea, gone out into the open ground under heavy fire in broad daylight and brought in wounded soldiers outside the trenches."

Sergeant Patrick Mullane V.C. 1858-1919, a veteran of the Defeat of Maiwand, Afghanistan, 1880, was living with his sister, Mrs E. Mahoney at 31 Coronation Road, Plaistow when he died on 20 November 1919.  Aged 61, he was then working as a Writer at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. He was buried in an unmarked grave in St Patrick's Catholic Cemetery, Leytonstone. There is a memorial plaque in the cemetery chapel, given by his regiment, the Royal Artillery.

Mullane, an Irishman, was born in Ahmednager, Deccan, eatern India in October 1858.

During the 2nd Afghan War, Sergeant Mullane of the Royal Horse Artillery earned his Victoria Cross at the Defeat at Maiwand, north of Khandahar on 27 July 1880.  On the day of battle, the Afghan hordes surged forward overwhelming the British infantry.

Sergeant Patrick Mullane V.C (1858 - 1919) of 31 Coronation Road, Plaistow

The plaque, in the chapel at St Patrick's Catholic Cemetery, Leytonstone, was given by his regiment, the Royal Artillery.

Sergeant Patrick Mullane VC of E/B Battery RHA at the Defeat of Maiwand, Afghanistan, 1880, who won his medal when the gun position was overrun by the enemy."

Midshipman George L. Drewry VC

George Drewry was born on 3rd November 1894, the son of Thomas and Mary Drewry of 58 Claremont Road, Forest Gate. He attended Merchant Taylors' School in the City of London.

He was 20 years old and serving as a Midshipman in the Royal Naval Reserve on HMS Hussar when he won his Victoria Cross during the Gallipoli landings on 25 April 1915.