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
Islington 1906
Fifty-first annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington
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7
[1906
Census Years. Enumerated Actual Decennial Percentage
Population. Increases. Increases.
l801 10,212 — —
l8l1 15,065 4,853 39.7
1821 22,417 7,352 40.5
1831 37,316 14,899 66.4
1841 55,776 18,460 49.4
1851 95,329 39,553 70.7
l86l 155,341 60,012 63.1
1871 213,749 58,408 37.1
1881 282,865 69,116 32.3
1891 319,155 36,290 12.8
1901 334,991 15,836 4.9
The annual increase has fallen to 0.49 per cent. now, which is the lowest
in the history of Islington. It is a moot question, however, whether
or not this percentage increase shall fall still lower. The probability is that
it will not, because, although there are empty houses in Islington, the
majority of which were occupied by members of only one family, it is more
than likely that many of these will be lei out in the future to two or more
families, probably occupying a lower status in the community than their
former tenants, so that the population may possibly increase at a greater
rate than at present. Of course, this would mean more crowding in an
already fully peopled Borough, and would tend to promote a less favourable
condition of health in the community. Hence it becomes more essential than
hitherto not only not to abate by one jot or tittle the stringency of sanitary
inspection, but to keep even more vigilant watch and ward over the sanitation
of the borough and the food of the people.
Housing of the Population.— It is not easy to obtain information as
to the actual number of inhabited houses in the Borough, as the rate books
only show rateable premises or hereditaments, of which there were 46,531† in
1906, and do not distinguish those that are dwellings from mere business
places or other unoccupied premises. We are, therefore, compelled to fall
back on the census of 1901 for the necessary figures, at which period it was
found that there were 38,645 occupied houses, each of which contained on an
average 8.6 persons. These last figures indicated the greatest amount of
crowding hitherto recorded in the old parish or more modern borough of
† In 1896 the number was 44,748.