London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Bermondsey 1911
Report on the sanitary condition of the Borough of Bermondsey for the year 1911
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Man, wife, boys 5 and 2
years.
Maze Pond
Living and sleeping,
1,200 cubic feet.
Back room, ground
floor,
937 cubic feet.
263
The husband is a waterside labourer in the winter, and in the summer
attends race meetings, with an average weekly wage of 20s. The
wife also earns a little in the summer fruit picking. The light and
ventilation were fair.
Man, wife, boys 7 and 5
years, and girl 2 years.
375
English Grounds
Sleeping,
1,050 cubic feet.
Room, second floor.
The husband is a waterside labourer, earning 30s. per week. The light
and ventilation were bad, and the room fairly clean at time of visit.
404
Man, wife, boys 9, 6 and 5
years.
Truscott Court
Sleeping,
1,050 cubic feet.
Room, first floor.
The husband is a casual dock labourer, earning from 18s. to 20s. per
week, and the wife earns 10s. per week as an office cleaner. The
room is small and the light and ventilation bad.
625
Vauban Street
Man, wife, boy 4 years,
girls 8, 6 and 1 year.
Living and sleeping,
1,600 cubic feet.
Front room, first floor,
975 cubic feet.
The husband is a cooper, but has been out of work for the past fortnight;
they have no other money coming in, and have had to pledge
their belongings to get food. The light and ventilation were fair.
The rent is 3s. 6d. per week.
White Lion Court
Boys 15 and 13 years.
Living and sleeping,
800 cubic feet.
Room, ground floor,
614 cubic feet.
186
The husband is in regular work, earning 3s. to 4s. per day. The boy,
15, earns 8s. per week. The rent is 4s. 6d. per week. The light
and ventilation were bad and the rooms dirty and untidy at the time
of visit.
362
Do.
Man, wife, boy 8, and girl
1 year.
Sleeping,
900 cubic feet.
Room, first floor,
538 cubic feet.
Overcrowding. The following cases of overcrowding were visited by the Medical Officer of Health during the year under report:—
| Address. | Occupants of overcrowded portion of house. | Cubic feet space required. | Rooms occupied and cubic space. | Deficiency. | State of Premises and Family. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ainsty Street | Man, wife, boys 10 and 2 years. | – | Room over coachhouse. | cubic feet 87 | The husband is a casual labourer, earning very little. The light and ventilation are bad, and the room, apart from the overcrowding, is insanitary, as it is situated over an old stable, the ceiling of which is not impervious to the emanations from stable manure. |
| Princes Street | Man, wife, girls 11, 9, 7 years and 7 months. | Living and sleeping, 1,800 cubic feet. | Front room, second floor, 1,284 cubic feet. | 516 | The husband, a waterside labourer, is at present out of work, and his earnings during the past two months are stated to average 9s. per week. The rent is 3s. 6d. The light and ventilation were bad at the time of visit. |
| Marshalls Place | Man, wife, boys 10 years and 7 months and girl 7 years. | Living and sleeping, 1,600 cubic feet. | Front room, first floor 800 cubic feet. | 800 | The husband is a leather worker in regular employment, and his wife works at a tin factory. The rent is 3s. 6d. The light and ventilation were fair at the time of visit. |
| Leroy Street | Girls 19, 16 and 13 years. | Sleeping, 900 cubic feet. | Back room, second floor, 533 cubic feet. | 367 | The mother, who is the occupier of the house, informed me two of the girls are out at work, one of the lodgers is leaving and they will then have more room. |
| Maze Pond | Man, wife, boys 5 and 2 years. | Living and sleeping, 1,200 cubic feet. | Back room, ground floor, 937 cubic feet. | 263 | The husband is a waterside labourer in the winter, and in the summer attends race meetings, with an average weekly wage of 20s. The wife also earns a little in the summer fruit picking. The light and ventilation were fair. |
| English Grounds | Man, wife, boys 7 and 5 years, and girl 2 years. | Sleeping, 1,050 cubic feet. | Room, second floor. | 375 | The husband is a waterside labourer, earning 30s. per week. The light and ventilation were bad, and the room fairly clean at time of visit. |
| Truscott Court | Man, wife, boys 9, 6 and 5 years. | Sleeping, 1,050 cubic feet. | Room, first floor. | 404 | The husband is a casual dock labourer, earning from 18s. to 20s. per week, and the wife earns 10s. per week as an office cleaner. The room is small and the light and ventilation bad. |
| Vauban Street | Man, wife, boy 4 years, girls 8, 6 and 1 year. | Living and sleeping, 1,600 cubic feet. | Front room, first floor, 975 cubic feet. | 625 | The husband is a cooper, but has been out of work for the past fortnight; they have no other money coming in, and have had to pledge their belongings to get food. The light and ventilation were fair. The rent is 3s. 6d. per week. |
| White Lion Court | Boys 15 and 13 years. | Living and sleeping, 800 cubic feet. | Room, ground floor, 614 cubic feet. | 186 | The husband is in regular work, earning 3s. to 4s. per day. The boy, 15, earns 8s. per week. The rent is 4s. 6d. per week. The light and ventilation were bad and the rooms dirty and untidy at the time of visit. |
| Do. | Man, wife, boy 8, and girl 1 year. | Sleeping, 900 cubic feet. | Room, first floor, 538 cubic feet. | 362 |