London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1897

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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10
addition, has similar provision for the doubles and single women. In the sixth there are two washhouses,
each with two basins under a roof in the yard, intended for, but not used by the]sexes separately.
In the seventh there is one washhouse beneath a roof in the yard, with four fixed basins and cold
water laid on, used by the single men and doubles. In the eighth, a washhouse in the backyard is
provided for the single men, and the back addition has three fixed basins with cold water laid on for
the marrie:! couples. In the ninth, three fixed basins with cold water laid on are situated beneath a
roof in the yard, and used by both sexes. In the tenth, a washhouse is provided in the yard for
the men, with fixed basins and cold water laid on, and the women wash in the scullery of an adjoining
house let in lodgings. In the eleventh there is an enclosed and roofed structure in the yard, having
three loose basins with water laid on. and used in common by both sexes. All the houses are well
supplied with wash-tubs, and most of the houses have coppers, which are used principally on Sundays.
Wandsworth.—There are five common lodging-houses in this district receiving women. Three
receive doubles and single men, one doubles and single women, and another while receiving mostly
single men and doubles occasionallv receives a sino-le woman

The extent of and charges for accommodation are shown below—

Common lodging-house.Single women.Single men.Doubles.
1154d.88d.
2524d. and 5d.108d.
3124d.4Is.
484d.108d.
514d.214d.48d.

1 he first consists of three adjoining terrace houses, each two storeys in height with back
additions, having a common back yard for two houses, which communicates with the back yard of the
third. The second is a house three storeys in height, having a large building attached to it at the
rear, erected purposely for use as part of the common lodging-house. The third consists of two houses
three storeys in height, with back additions and a common back yard. Adjoining is a house for single
men which, however, is entirely separate from the others. The fourth consists of two houses two
storeys in height, having a common back yard. The fifth also consists of two houses two storeys in
height, the back-yards of which communicate. The women are mostly casuals, and were said to be in
very large proportion hawkers, the houses being much more largely occupied in winter than in summer.
I was told there was no special demand by families for accommodation. The keeper of one common
lodging-house has two adjoining houses which she lets as furnished rooms, charging one shilling per
night. The accommodation was poor.
In the first common lodging-house, consisting of three houses, two of the houses (having a
common back yard) are used for doubles, the third house, having a back yard communicating with
that of the others, being used exclusively by single men. In the second the doubles are accommodated
on the top floor of the front house, the single men on the floor below, and in the back building. In
the third and fourth there is no constant arrangement of the use of the rooms. In the fifth, consisting
of two houses, the ground floor of one house, which is approached from the back yard, accommodates
doubles and occasionally a single woman ; the upper floor is approached from the same floor of the
next house; this floor of the two houses accommodating doubles and single men, the ground floor of
the second house accommodating single men.
The bedsteads throughout are iron, with the usual shaving or straw mattresses and flock palliasses.
Kitchens.—In the first common lodging-house there are two kitchens, the ground floor of
one house providing one kitchen and the back addition the other. In the second the ground floor of
the front house provides a kitchen for the doubles and the ground floor of the back buildings for the
single men. In the third the back room on the ground floor of each of the two houses provides the
kitchen. In the fourth house the arrangement was the same. The kitchens were intended for separate
use by the sexes, but this evidently was not adhered to. In the fifth house there is a kitchen on the
ground floor of one house for the inmates of both.
Waterclosets.—The waterclosets of each house are situated in the back yards, and only in the
first house could be regarded as separate for the two sexes.
Waslihouses.—In the first house the back addition of one house is furnished with three fixed
basins and cold water for the doubles and single men. In the second a washhouse is provided on the
ground floor of the back building, and has seven fixed basins and cold water for the doubles and single
men. There is also a small washhouse for clothes, used by the keeper, and where lodgers may wash
clothes; hot water is available. In the third house, a scullery in the back addition of each house
serves as the washhouse. In the fourth a sink under a roof in the back yard serves as a washhouse.
In the fifth a scullery is used as a washhouse for both sexes. Coppers are provided in all the houses
but the second, wooden tubs are generally provided.
Battersea.—There is only one common lodging-house in this district receiving women. The inmates
are said to be mostly hawkers, laundrywomen, &c.. and the house is most occupied in winter. I was
told by the keeper that she often had requests from families for accommodation, but she had no furnished
lodgings. It consists of three houses, accommodates single women, single men and married couples, also
a family room containing a double bed and a single bed. Thus 30 doubles, 1-5 single women, 10 single men
and one family can be received, the charges being 4d. for single beds, 8d. for doubles, and Is. for the
family. Each house contains doubles, two are also occupied by single women, the other by single
men. The rooms in the basement of two of the houses are thrown together and provide a large and
somewhat dark kitchen for both sexes. The back additions of one of the houses is fitted up as a
washhouse, with fixed basins and cold water laid on, for the three houses. The water-closets for
women are situated in a back-yard which is common to two houses. The water-closets for men in a
separate back-yard.