Ming Street - the former King Street - was renamed in recognition of the then local Chinese community
A narrow pathway known as Back Lane existed on the south side of Pennyfields in what is now Ming Street. In 1802, the construction of Commercial (West India Dock) Road intersected Back Lane, resulting in its transformation into King Street around 1820. Initially, King Street ran north of the Blue Posts public house until 1827–8 when it was rerouted to the south, creating a direct crossing to Garford Street. This alteration allowed locals to avoid tolls on Commercial Road. The old branch of King Street became King Street West, while the main street itself was renamed Ming Street in 1938, likely in recognition of the local Chinese community.
The development of the north side of Ming Street took place in the early 19th century. By 1810, two small courts of cottages called Union Court (later Ulmar Place) and Prospect Place were established, consisting of five and eight houses respectively. Within ten years, several two-storey houses were also constructed along the street. In the 1830s, Eagle Place, a small court with three cottages, was added. Over time, the north side of the street saw incremental growth until it was fully built up by the mid-19th century. Adjacent to the east, there was a builder’s workshop and yard occupied by Carden & Hack from around 1840 to 1868. Subsequently, it became a depot for Pickford & Company. During the latter half of the century, houses on the north side of King Street underwent rebuilding, expansion, and conversion into workshops and warehouses, many of which were connected to maritime activities. Various trades such as ship-brass-founders, ship-joiners, ship-chandlers, ropemakers, sailmakers, riggers, and a shell merchant could be found in the area. In the early 20th century, the courts were cleared, and commercial enterprises expanded along the north side of the street.
On the other hand, the south side of Ming Street saw limited development, except for its eastern end. An extensive plot adjacent to Hanbury Place was used as a "garden" by local builders Thomas Morris, John Howkins, William Barker, and William Constable from 1808 to 1818. This site likely served as a convenient yard for their work at the West India Docks. It was subsequently acquired on lease in 1820 by another local builder firm, James Gates and William Horne, for the establishment of a gas works to provide lighting for Poplar. John and George Barlow, London iron merchants, initially undertook the project, leading to the formation of the Poplar Gas Light Company in 1821. The company obtained the freehold in 1836. To comply with the concerns of the West India Dock Company regarding the risk of fire near their warehouses, the Barlows constructed a T-shaped gas works featuring a gasometer with cast-iron tanks and columns. The extensive works, costing nearly £16,000, fulfilled high standards. The Poplar Gas Light Company began lighting Newby Place and Bow Lane in 1822, All Saints’ churchyard in 1823, Robin Hood Lane in 1824, and the East India Dock Road in 1826. In 1841, a second gas works was established in Millwall to serve the Isle of Dogs, driven by increased demand primarily from shipbuilding and manufacturing in Blackwall and Orchard Place.
However, the King Street gas works struggled to meet the surging demand. In 1846, despite proposals for expansion and the installation of larger mains, the Poplar Gas Light Company lost its gas supply contract for the parish. The contract was awarded to the Commercial Gas Company based in Stepney, which subsequently took over the Poplar Gas Light Company in 1850. As an experiment, Poplar received gas from the Stepney works one night in May that year. Mains were soon laid from Stepney to serve the Garford Street area and improve the gas supply in Poplar. In 1852, the King Street gas works ceased operations and were largely dismantled. Robert Warton, a surveyor from Finchley, intended to develop houses on the site but faced obstacles due to the high cost of building materials. Consequently, his plans did not materialize. The land was later leased to John Finney, an engineer and millwright, who transformed it into the Poplar Iron Works between 1853 and 1854.
