The Sanitary Evolution of LondonJephson, Henry (Henry Lorenzo)
History
The Sanitary Evolution of London
Jephson, Henry (Henry Lorenzo)
Public health -- England -- London
For the first time full details were obtained and published as to the
numbers of the people living in tenements of less than five rooms and
the numbers and character of the tenements they lived in.
A tenement was defined as "any house or part of a house separately
occupied either by the owner or by a tenant."
These tenements were classified into those of one room, two rooms,
three rooms, and four rooms; and the number of persons inhabiting
each of these classes of tenements was given.
The nearest approach to information of this sort had been given by Mr.
Marchant Williams in 1884, but it was only for a particular area in
London. The information now given related to the whole of London.
The total number of tenements in London in 1891 was stated to be
937,606.
Of these, 630,569 were tenements of less than five rooms. And of these--
172,502 were tenements of one room.
189,707 " " two rooms.
153,189 " " three "
115,171 " " four "
An examination of the detailed figures revealed some astounding facts.
In the central group of parishes and districts, in the parish of St.
Luke 21,937 persons, or over one-half of the population, lived in
tenements of one or two rooms; in Clerkenwell, over 33,000 persons; and
in Holborn, over 16,000--practically one-half.
In the eastern group, in Whitechapel, close on 33,000 people, or over
44 per cent., lived in tenements of one or two rooms. In Shoreditch,
over 50,000, or 40 per cent.; in Bethnal Green, 45,000 persons, or 38·4
per cent.; in St. George-in-the-East, 43 per cent. of the population.
In the northern group, in St. Pancras 95,000, or over 40 per cent.,
lived in tenements of one or two rooms; and in one district of
the Parish, namely Somerstown, 57 per cent. of the population were
living in such tenements. In St. Marylebone over 58,000 lived in such
tenements.
In the western group over 173,000 persons lived in tenements of one or
two rooms.
And on the south side of the Thames, in Bermondsey close upon 24,000
lived in tenements of one or two rooms; in Camberwell, 30,000; in
Lambeth, 61,000; in Newington, 31,000; in St. Saviour over 41 per
cent., and in St. George-the-Martyr 26,000, or over 43 per cent.
And examining the numbers of persons living in one-room tenements, it
appeared that in Chelsea one-tenth of the population lived in such
tenements; in St. Marylebone somewhat less than a sixth; in Holborn
a fifth; and in St. George-in-the-East between a fourth and a fifth.
These figures show how large a proportion of the population began,
spent, and ended their existence within the four walls of a single-room
tenement.
The total result shown was that in the metropolis 1,063,000 persons,
or one quarter of the population, lived in one- or two-room tenements,
and 1,250,000 in three- or four-room tenements; making a total of over
2,310,000, or well over half of the population living in tenements of
less than five rooms.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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