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
Bermondsey 1910
Report on the sanitary condition of the Borough of Bermondsey for the year 1910
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Medley Place
Man, wife, boys 2 years and
3 months respectively.
Living and sleeping,
1,200 cubic feet.
Second floor room,
688 cubic feet.
512
The husband is a waterside labourer, with casual work. His wife is
not at work. The light and ventilation were bad and the room was
very dirty and dilapidated.
Man, wife, boy 6, and girls
5 and 2 years.
Man, wife, boys 5 and 3,
and girl 8 years.
Living and sleeping,
1,400 cubic feet.
Sleeping,
1,050 cubic feet.
Ground floor back
room, 1,306 cubic feet.
First floor room,
637 cubic feet.
94
The husband is a pill-box maker, earning about 10s. per week. The
room was dirty and the light and ventilation fair at the time of visit.
Osborne Buildings
413
The husband is a railway porter, earning 22s. per week. The rent is
6s. 6d. The room was very dirty and verminous and the light and
ventilation bad at the time of visit.
Kintore Street
Man, wife, and boy 2 years.
Living and sleeping,
1,000 cubic feet.
First floor room,
929 cubic feet.
71
The husband is a waterside labourer, with very uncertain earnings. The
room was in good condition and the light and ventilation good
at the time of visit.
Medley Place
Ante-room,
482 cubic feet
The house is owned by this family. The husband is a dock labourer
whose work is rather slack at present. The light and ventilation
were fair and the place clean at the time of visit.
Temeraire Street
Boys 8 and 4, girls 11, 9 and
6 years.
Sleeping,
900 cubic feet.
418
The husband is a gasworks labourer, earning 25s. per week. The light
and ventilation were fair at the time of visit. These people have
now obtained another place to go to, and are only waiting for the
rooms to be done up; the first-mentioned family will then take
over the whole house.
Do.
Man, wife, and boys 4 and 3
and 10 months.
Sleeping,
1,050 cubic feet.
First floor back room,
591 cubic feet.
459
The mother, a widow, works at a fur factory, and the two eldest sisters
each earn 10s. per week. The bedding was scanty and dirty, but
the light and ventilation were fair at the time of visit. The rent is
7s. 6d. per week.
Great Maze Court
Woman, girls 20,18 and 13
years.
Sleeping,
1,200 cubic feet.
First floor room.
427
Overcrowding. The following cases of overcrowding were visited by the Medical Officer of Health during the year under report:—
| Address. | Occupants of overcrowded portion of house. | Cubic feet space required. | Rooms occupied and cubic space. | Deficiency. | State of Premises and Family. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osborne Buildings | Man, wife, boys 5 and 3 years. | Living and sleeping, 1,200 cubic feet. | Ground floor room, 846 cubic feet. | cubic feet 354 | The husband, a deal porter at Surrey Commercial Docks, is at present without work owing to slackness of trade. He hopes to get work in March. His wife works at a jam factory, earning about 9s. weekly. The light and ventilation were bad at the time of visit. |
| Anchor Street | Woman, girls 19,12, 10 and and 10, boy 15 years. | Living and sleeping, 2,400 cubic feet. | Top front room, 1,440 cubic feet. | 960 | The mother is a widow and an invalid, occasionally earning 2s. or 3s. per week. A son and daughter each contribute 6s. 6d. weekly, and she receives 4s. 6d. per week from the parish. The rent is 5s. 6d. The light and ventilation were fair at the time of visit. |
| Swan Lane | Man, wife, boys 6 and 4 years. | Sleeping, 900 cubic feet. | First floor front (right) room, 428 cubic feet. | 472 | The husband is a decorator, earning from 7s. to 12s. per week, and the rent is 4s. The wife is phthisical. The place was clean at the time of visit, but the people seem very poor. |
| Brunel Road | Boys 14, 13, 8, 6, girls 12, 10 and 5 years. | Sleeping, 1,650 cubic feet. | First floor back room, 667 cubic feet. | 983 | The husband is a dock labourer, earning very little at present. The place was very clean at the time of my visit and the light and ventilation fair. There has been some re-distribution, but the overcrowding is only partially abated |
| Bethel Place | Man, wife, girls 7, 4½ and 3 years. | Living and sleeping, 1,400 cubic feet. | First floor room, 946 cubic feet. | 454 | The husband is a waterside labourer, his work being casual and very slack at present. His wife is a rag sorter. The room was dirty and the light and ventilation bad at the time of visit. |
| Medley Place | Man, wife, boys 2 years and 3 months respectively. | Living and sleeping, 1,200 cubic feet. | Second floor room, 688 cubic feet. | 512 | The husband is a waterside labourer, with casual work. His wife is not at work. The light and ventilation were bad and the room was very dirty and dilapidated. |
| Osborne Buildings | Man, wife, boy 6, and girls 5 and 2 years. | Living and sleeping, 1,400 cubic feet. | Ground floor back room, 1,306 cubic feet. | 94 | The husband is a pill-box maker, earning about 10s. per week. The room was dirty and the light and ventilation fair at the time of visit. |
| Kintore Street | Man, wife, boys 5 and 3, and girl 8 years. | Sleeping, 1,050 cubic feet. | First floor room, 637 cubic feet. | 413 | The husband is a railway porter, earning 22s. per week. The rent is 6s. 6d. The room was very dirty and verminous and the light and ventilation bad at the time of visit. |
| Medley Place | Man, wife, and boy 2 years. | Living and sleeping, 1,000 cubic feet. | First floor room, 929 cubic feet. | 71 | The husband is a waterside labourer, with very uncertain earnings. The room was in good condition and the light and ventilation good at the time of visit. |
| Temeraire Street | Boys 8 and 4, girls 11, 9 and 6 years. | Sleeping, 900 cubic feet. | Ante-room, 482 cubic feet | 418 | The house is owned by this family. The husband is a dock labourer whose work is rather slack at present. The light and ventilation were fair and the place clean at the time of visit. |
| Do. | Man, wife, and boys 4 and 3 and 10 months. | Sleeping, 1,050 cubic feet. | First floor back room, 591 cubic feet. | 459 | The husband is a gasworks labourer, earning 25s. per week. The light and ventilation were fair at the time of visit. These people have now obtained another place to go to, and are only waiting for the rooms to be done up; the first-mentioned family will then take over the whole house. |
| Great Maze Court | Woman, girls 20,18 and 13 years. | Sleeping, 1,200 cubic feet. | First floor room. | 427 | The mother, a widow, works at a fur factory, and the two eldest sisters each earn 10s. per week. The bedding was scanty and dirty, but the light and ventilation were fair at the time of visit. The rent is 7s. 6d. per week. |