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

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Islington 1906

Fifty-first annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington

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9
[1906
Council should have some inkling as to its tenour, and therefore it seems to
the Medical Officer of Health necessary to quote the following extract
from it:—
"Now with respect to the number of separate families living in the borough,
I find that in 1891 there were 72,652 families distributed among 37,875 houses,
which give an average of 1.91 (nearly 2) families per house, and that they had
increased in 1901 to 79,129 families, living in 38,645 houses, or an average
of 2.04 families per house. Thus there was an inciease of 0.13 family
per house. This is not a very large increment, but when it is recollected
that there are many thousands of houses occupied by single families, it
represents much more than it appears to do by a mere recital of the fact, for
the increase occurs only in tenement houses. This is more apparent when the
different sub-districts are examined separately. It is not, however, possible to
contrast the figures calculated from the last census returns with figures based
on the 1891 census, because the latter unfortunately did not give the necessary
information for the sub-districts. I have, however, made calculations on the
figures obtained in the census of 1901, and I find that—
In Upper Holloway, 22,357 families live in 12,149 houses, or
1.84 families per house.
In Lower Holloway, 9,243 families live in 4,118 houses, or
2.24 families per house.
In Barnsbury, 13,781 families live in 5,558 houses, or
2.48 families per house.
In Islington, South East, 18,847 families live in 8,034 houses, or
2.34 families per house.
In Highbury, 14,901 families live in 8,786 houses, or
170 families per house.
"It is, therefore, found that the houses in Lower Holloway, in Barnsbury
and Islington South East, contain more families per house than the average
which obtained throughout the Borough, and that those in Upper Holloway,
and Highbury contain fewer families.
"These facts do not, however, enable me to come closely in touch with the
small areas of the Borough containing comparatively few people, that is to
say, from 1,000 to 1,500, and with houses that are overcrowded, although they
do direct attention to particular districts which might be all the better for
closer examination.