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

Finsbury 1912

Annual report on the public health of Finsbury for the year 1912

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157
In the area covered by systematic house-to-house inspection
2,844 families occupied 0,838 room*, or 2.22 rooms per family. Of
the total number of rooms inspected 6.1 per cent, were empty;
this shows that the crowding is not due to lack of available
accommodation.
It is difficult sometimes to appreciate the stress on room
accommodation that is experienced in the poorer quarters of the
Borough. By way of illustration, the rooms, occupants, cubic
space, and disposition for sleeping purposes are given below in two
houses in the same street. Both houses contain a basement, a
ground floor and 3 upper floors—10 rooms.

Table: In the first house there are 9 families or one family in each room except on the third floor. In the second house each family luxuriates in the occupation of one whole floor.

In the first house there are 9 families or one family in each room except on the third floor. In the second house each family luxuriates in the occupation of one whole floor.

Floor.RoomCubic Space.Occupied at night by
BasementFront1,082 c. ft.Father, mother, boy 8, girl 2 years.
BasementBack965 c. ft.Mother, girls 14, 9, hoy 3 years.
GroundFront960 c. ft.Widow.
GroundBack1,827 c. ft.Father, mother, girl 10, boys 12, 8 years.
FirstFront1,116 c. ft.Maiden lady.
FirstBack1,829 c.ft.Father, mother, boy 7, girls 6, 3 years.
SecondFront936 c. ft.Father, mother, girl 6 years.
SecondBack1,578 c. ft.Father, mother, girls 9, 8, 3 years and baby 15 months.
ThirdFront566 c. ft.Father, mother, boy 18 months, baby 3 weeks.
ThirdBack938 c. ftBoys 13, 5, 3, and girl 8 years.