Drawing on the documentary sources and visual collection of Hackney's Archives Department, this text tells the story of Hackney from Roman times, describing how it changed from a country parish to today's diverse community. Hackney has a reputation for radicalism in religion and politics, but also has a long history as a place of innovation. The 17th-century diarist, Samuel Pepys, tasted his first orange in a Hackney garden, and the plant nurseries of Hackney contributed to the development of new plant species and garden designs. Among Hackney's industries were pioneers in the manufacture of paint and plastics, while petrol was first so named at Hackney Wick. The book takes the story of Hackney from the early days when it was a parish of scattered hamlets, through Victorian building development, to the late 20th century. The proximity of the City of London made Hckney home to bankers and merchants, yet it has been enriched by people from a wide range of communities. Jews and Huguenots arrived in the 17th century, Germans in the 19th and people came from the Caribbean, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, eastern Europe and Turkey in the modern day.