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The sanitary district of St. Saviour, Southwark, consists of the two parishes, Christchurch an
St. Saviour, and is situated on the southern bank of the Thames.
The soil, as shown by borings for wells, is a superficial deposit of made ground, brick earth,
and gravel or sand overlaying the London clay, and having a thickness in one locality of 27½ feet, and
in another of 34 feet.
The total area of the district is 255 acres, of which 51 are tidal or foreshore
The parishes of St. Saviour and Christchurch are now sub-districts of the registration district
of St. Saviour, Southwark, which includes with these sub-districts the sanitary districts of St. Georgethe-Martyr
and Newington.

The sanitary district of St. Saviour, Southwark, has at any rate for some years contained a
large proportion of persons engaged in industrial occupations. The census report for the year 1861,
(the last report which gives the occupations of this particular population), shows that of 9,754 males
over 20 years of age, the industrial class in that year constituted 64.6 per cent., the proportion in
London as a whole being 54.4 per cent. More recent account of the population is given in Mr. Charles
Booth's work, "Labour and Life of the People," published in 1891, from the appendix to which, the
following statement relating to four areas is taken. The first three of these areas are situated
wholly in the sanitary district of St. Saviour, Southwark, the last is, in about equal proportions, in the
two sanitary districts of St. Saviour and St. George-the-Martyr.
(a) E. Southwark Bridge-road
N. River Thames
W. Gravel-lane
S. Union-street
Many poor, rough, water-side labourers in a network of old
alleys near the river. Better streets contain many small
tradesmen and skilled mechanics, whose lodgers are
generally poorer. People in blocks of Peabody models earn
sufficient to live decently.
(b) E. Gravel-lane
N. River Thames
W. Blackfriars-road
S. Little Charlotte-street
Mostly business premises, &c., north of Southwark-street,
majority of the inhabitants belong to a respectable, though
poor, working class, with some exceptions in fairly regular
work. Remainder are fairly comfortable class of artisans,
small shopkeepers, clerks, printers, &c.
(c) E. Blackfriars-road
N. River Thames
W. Broadwall
S. Great Charlotte-street
Very mixed block, some good houses and busy business
premises in main thoroughfares, and small old houses in
courts out of them. Many mechanics and labourers, some
very poor and casual, working at waterside, &c., with a
number of printers and tradesmen.
A very large proportion of the people, labourers, hawkers,
charwomen, sweeps, &c., are living in great poverty, with
many bad characters among them. The principal streets
contain many shopkeepers and artisans who generally let
upper floors to poor people.
(d) E. Southwark-Bridge-road
N. Union-street, Charlotte-street
W. Blackfriars-road
S. Friar-street

The classes into which the population of each of these blocks and districts is divided are as follows:
A. The lowest class—occasional labourers, loafers, and semi-criminals.
B. The very poor—casual labourers, hand-to-mouth existence, chronic want.
C & D. The poor—including alike those whose earnings are small, because of irregularity of
employment, and those whose work, though regular, is ill-paid.
E & F. The regularly employed and fairly paid working class of all grades.
G & H. Lower and upper middle class and all above this level.