East Street was one of the entrances into Spitalfields Market.
A market franchise was granted for the ’Spital Field’ in 1682. The market field had reduced in size between 1672 and 1677 by building on its southern side and the enclosure of the field to leave passageways to it along the streets bounding its four sides.
These passageways in time became East Street, West Street, North Street and South Street. West Street was lost in the passage of time.
The existing buildings of (Old) Spitalfields Market were finished in 1893. When the market was extended west to Steward Street in 1926, the named compass point streets, though continuing to exist, lost their official designations.
