London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Woolwich 1919
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich
This page requires JavaScript
90
At the present time, the population living thus can only be
estimated.
The following table, which is partly compiled from figures supplied by the Rating Department, shews the number of houses used as dwellings in the Borough in 1911 and in 1919, the civil population at these two periods, and the number of persons per dwelline :—
| Year. | No. of dwellings. | Population. | No. of persons per dwelling. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 22,254 | 115,633 | 5.19 |
| 1919 | 26,211 | 141,918 | 5.41 |
The above table shews a net increase in the number of houses
used as dwellings of 3,957, and an estimated increase in the
population of 26,285. If this increase were housed in the new
dwellings the number per house would be 6.64, i.e., that the
number of houses erected since the Census has not been sufficient
to maintain the Censal standard of density of population per
house. In 1911, 6.3 percent. of the population were living
more than two persons per room. If the same percentage of the
population is living under similar conditions to.day, it follows
that at least 8,940 persons are living more than two to a room.
This number is probably a low estimate owing to
(а) The tendency of overcrowding in this sense to move
outwards from the inner Boroughs of London ;
(b) The increased accommodation demanded by workers in
better economic circumstances, leaving less room for
others less fortunately situated.
There are no unoccupied dwelling houses in the Borough.
The number of houses which are occupied by two or more
families, and which have not been specially adapted for this
purpose, is estimated to be 4,000.