View report page

45
In 1869 Dr. Griffith condemned several houses in the courts of
Turnmill Street, and these were closed under the Artizans' Dwellings
Act, 1868. These courts yielded just one-seventh of the entire
Olerkenwell mortality from Cholera in 1866, when that disease was
prevailing in London. The houses were not fit for human habitation.
They were small and dark without through ventilation. The
courts were narrow and the privies existed only at the rate of one
to every 40 to 60 persons, and were untrapped and without water.
Eleven Areas.—In 1884 Dr. Griffith also made representation
to the Metropolitan Board of Works (under Cross's Acts) in respect
to Smith's Place, Slade's Place, and Bishop's Court. Also he made
a representation to the Vestry of Clerkenwell under Torrens' Acts
as to Fox Terrace, Union Place, John's Place, Exmouth Place,
Bolton Court, Margaret Court, 13-15, Eagle Court and Rhodes
Buildings. The Metropolitan Board declined to take action in
regard to the areas referred to then, being of opinion that they were
rather within the scope of Torrens' Acts than Cross's Acts. All the
areas were therefore considered by the Vestry and legal notices
served, and certain houses were demolished and rebuilt, and others
altered and repaired. But it is evident, as Dr. Griffith admits, "the
whole proceedings came far short of what was intended by the Acts,
namely, that the close unventilated slums should be swept away."
In 1887 Dr. Griffith represented 19, Little Sutton Street, and the
house was closed by order of the Vestry.
The seven houses in Bolton Court, Margaret Street, were first
represented by the late Dr. Griffith as far back as 1884 as "in a
state dangerous to health and unfit for human habitation." The
causes of the evil were stated to be three, viz.: insufficient height
of rooms on first and ground floors, defective and dilapidated condition
of premises generally, defective paving of yard and insufficiency
of water closet accommodation. The premises were
closed in and without back ventilation. In 1856 the Vestry of
Clerkenwell purchased a lease of the houses with a view to demolition.
The mode and means of dealing with these 7 houses was matter
of discussion for fifteen years, at the end of which time it was
resolved by the Vestry to commence proceedings de novo under