In 1868 the Gas Light and Coke Company acquired 540 acres of land of former marsh pastureland here and opened its new works in 1870. At one time they were the largest such facility in Europe, catering for 4.5 million customers. It was named Beckton after the Governor of the company, Simon Adams Beck. As a result of this housing was developed in the area, with the New Beckton estate built in 1881 and in 1903 East Ham Borough Council provided its first municipal housing project consisting of a row of 143 tenements for local workers along the park at Savage Gardens. By World War I the park had been laid out to the west of East Ham Manor Way, running along entire southern side of Savage Gardens. The park was remodelled and is now part of Beckton District Park.
