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

Coulsdon and Purley 1946

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]

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AREA AND POPULATION.

Table: The District has an area of 11,142 acres, these being distributed among the wards as follows:—

The District has an area of 11,142 acres, these being distributed among the wards as follows:—

Coulsdon East2,812
Coulsdon West1,253
Kenley1,292
Purley685
Sanderstead2,311
Selsdon and Farleigh1,924
Woodcote865

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This is 2,507 acres more than in 1915, owing to revisions of the
boundaries, the last of which was in 1933.

Table: The steady increase in population preceding the war is indicated by the following figures:—

The steady increase in population preceding the war is indicated by the following figures:—

191517,920
1921 census21,493
1931 census37,666
1938 (Registrar-General's estimate)55,070
„ (Local estimate)58,000
1939 (Registrar-General's estimate)56,400
,, (Local estimate)approximately 60,000

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In 1945 the Registrar-General estimated that recovery from the wartime
fluctuations had occurred to the extent that 53,460 persons were
residing in the District, and by mid-1946 that the population had increased
to 60,390.

Table: This number includes persons resident in Institutions in the District, the numbers of which at the end of 1946 were as follows:—

This number includes persons resident in Institutions in the District, the numbers of which at the end of 1946 were as follows:—

Cane Hill Hospital2,256
Netherne Hospital2,195
Russell Hill School219
Reedham Orphanage252

Table: In 1915 there were 4,141 occupied houses, chiefly in Purley and Woodcote, whereas in 1946 there were 16,692 occupied houses distributed as follows:—

In 1915 there were 4,141 occupied houses, chiefly in Purley and Woodcote, whereas in 1946 there were 16,692 occupied houses distributed as follows:—

Coulsdon East2,402
Coulsdon West2,787
Purley2,564
Woodcote1,570
Sanderstead4,121
Selsdon & Farleigh1,764
Kenley1,156
Hooley328

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This suggests an average of 3.6 persons per occupied house in 1946,
compared with 3.5 in 1938 and 4.3 in 1915. It must, however, be remembered
that this average is based on two estimates, neither of which is
completely reliable; also that more houses classified as occupied are
used for purposes other than dwellings than was the case before the war.
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