Manilla Street was originally Alfred Street, renamed in 1875.
Alfred Street was named after Alfred Batson. Its name was changed in 1875, matching the change to international names of other streets in the area.
A Limehouse shipbuilder, Robert Batson, had purchased land in 1793 and rented parcels of it out.
Robert Batson senior died in 1806. His son, also called Robert Batson, set about laying out the first formal streets. One street ran along the southern boundary of the rope walk, and he named this Robert Street. A little further south, he created Alfred Street, named after his younger brother. They were connected by a short street, named Cross Street.
By 1818, a map was showing piecemeal development along Alfred Street. It would be the 1860s before the street was fully developed when newer streets were built in the area.
By 1862, the east end of Alfred Street shared a corner with the fledgling Alpha Road.
The houses were plain: two-up, two-down, terraced cottages with narrow round arched doorways. As late as the First World War several houses still had no kitchen, scullery or wash-house.
