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61
THE NOTTING DALE SPECIAL AREA
The attention of the late Vestry was drawn, in 1896, to the unsatisfactory vital and mortal
statistics of a limited portion of North Kensington, known thereafter as the "Notting Dale Special
Area"*: it comprised a population of about 4,0 00 persons in five streets; viz. Bangor Street,
Crescent Street, Sirdar Roadt (part of), St. Katharine's Road, and Kenley Street.‡ I had, on
more than one occasion,§ reported on the unsatisfactory condition of the district, as indicated by the
high rate of mortality—general, infantile, zymotic—and otherwise2 and in March, 1896, it was
resolved—
"That the several reports which th6 Medical Officer of Health has submitted to the Vestry
relating to the Notting Dale Special Area, be referred to a special committee for consideration,
and report as to whether any steps can be taken by the Vestry, either singly or in conjunction
with some other authority, to effect an improvement in the conditions at present prevailing in the
district in question."
*
The Committee, which had for its Chairman Mr. T. W. (now his Honour Judge) Wheeler, K.C.,
and for one of its most active and interested members, the then Chairman of the Vestry (nowthe Lord
Bishop of Peterborough), held several meetings, inspected the locality, and received evidence as to
the condition of the inhabitants, from resident clergymen, Poor Law and School Board officials, the
inspector of police, and others. The report of the Committee, to which reference will be made later
on, was in due course submitted to the Vestry and unanimously adopted.
My attention continued to be directed to the condition of the district and its inhabitants, and
in 1897 I made an inquiry with respect to sickness of persons in receipt of medical relief, dealing
separately with the statistical records kept by the Medical Superintendent of the Infirmary, relating
to in-door cases, and those of the Relieving Officers and the District Medical Officers, relating to
out-door cases, for the official year 1896-7. The results of the inquiry were set out in the annual
report for 1897, pages 132-140.
Ten years having elapsed, I thought it would be interesting to make a similar inquiry for the
official year 1906-7, with a view to ascertaining what improvement, if any, had taken place in the
district, as indicated by the number of admissions to the infirmary therefrom, and of medical orders
issued for home, and for Poor Law dispensary cases respectively.
I now submit the comparative results of the two inquiries; and firstly with regard to—
The In-door Sick.—In the annual report for 1897, it was stated that during the Poor Law year
ended 31st Marchj there had been 681** admissions to the infirmary from four of the streets
above named; 467 upon Relieving Officers' orders, the remaining 214 representing transfers from
the workhouse, and admissions otherwise than by such orders. Of these admissions 243 were from
common-lodging-houses in Bangor Street, Crescent Street, and St. Clement's Road. The total
admissions to the infirmary during the year, (less 38 from Kenley Street) were 3,421, so that the
streets constituting the Special Area, which comprised only one forty-seventh of the population of
the parish, as a whole, contributed one-fifth of the total number of in-door sick.
In the official year 1906-7, the admissions to the Infirmary from the same streets were 580f+,of
which 473 were bv Relieving Officers' orders, the remaining 107 representing transfers from the
workhouse, and admissions otherwise than by sucn orders. Of these admissions 202 were from
common lodging-houses. The total admissions to the infirmary during the year (less 13 from Kenley
Street) were 3,511; so that the four streets estimated to comprise about one-fiftieth of the
population of the Borough, as a whole, contributed one-sixth of the total number of in-door sick.
The reduction in admissions to the infirmary in 1906-7, compared with 1896-7, was 101, or about
15 per cent.
The admissions to the infirmary from the district, which in 1896-7 had been 19.68 per cent,
of the total number, were only 16-50 per cent in 1906-7.
The Out-door Sick.—The statistics with respect to the out-door sick in 1906-7, compare not
less favourably with those of 1896-7. In the latter year the Relieving Officers issued medical
orders to the number of 1,500,$ J including 467 for the infirmary, the remaining 1,033 patients having
been treated locally, either at Mary Place Poor Law Dispensary or at home.
* See Note 1, page 65, " Origin of the Special Area."
†Sirdar Road was known as " St. Clement's " Road in 189(5.
‡Kenley Street was known as " William" Street in 1896 Since then nearly all of the properties in the street have been
acquired by the Council; the houses on the north side having been remodelled, and practically reconstructed, those on the
south side having been demolished and replaced by six blocks of artisans' dwellings. The street has therefore been
eliminated from the "Special area."
§ In monthly reports dated January 9th and 31st, and March 2nd, 1896.
** The number given in the report, 723, included 42 from Kenley Street.
††The number given in the report, 596, included 16 from Kenley Street.
‡‡The orders actually issued in 1896-7 (1,689) included 189 for inhabitants of Kenley (then William) Street, now no
longer reckoned as part of the special area.