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

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Kensington 1895

The annual report on the health, sanitary condition, &c., &c., of the Parish of St. Mary Abbotts, Kensington for the year 1895

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DISTRIBUTION OF THE POPULATION.
It is commonly, but erroneously, believed that the populaion
of the northern division of the Parliamentary borough is
much larger than that of the southern division. In fact, however,
as the census of 1891 made known, the northern division
comprises rather less than a moiety of the population; viz.,
82,633 persons, compared with 82,675 enumerated in the
southern division. The 82,633 persons in North Kensington
were in occupation of 9,507 houses, and certain public institutions;
whilst the 83,675 persons comprising the population of
South Kensington were in occupation of 12,577 houses, and
certain public institutions. Another error, somewhat widely
disseminated, viz., that Kensington is essentially a parish of
the rich and well-to-do, may be corrected by a reference to the
official report of the census, from which we learn that 70,718
persons, or 42*5 per cent, of the population, were living in
20,052 tenements of less than five rooms. The 166,308 persons,
comprising the entire population of the parish at that date,
were in occupation of 35,953 tenements, and certain public
institutions. No fewer than 6,398 of these " tenements " consisted
of a single room; and these rooms were inhabited by
13,655 persons. The two-roomed tenements were 6,965, and
their inhabitants 26,020. The three-roomed tenements were
4,115, and their inhabitants 18,119. The four-roomed tenements
were 2,574, and their inhabitants 12,924. Stated in
another way, it appears that B'2 per cent, of the parishioners
lived in one-roomed tenements; 15'6 per cent, lived in tworoomed
tenements; 10'9 per cent, lived in three-roomed
tenements; and 7'B per cent, lived in four-roomed tenements.
In North Kensington there were approximately 8"7 persons to
a house; in South Kensington less than 67. But many
houses of eight rooms in North Kensington contained, and
contain now, upwards of 20 persons to a house, and some more
than 30 persons. Before leaving the subject of population, it
may be mentioned that the population of North Kensington,