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
Kensington 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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The businesses carried on at the registered premises are set out in the subjoined list:—
| Trade or Business. | Workshops. | Factories. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art needlework | 3 | _ | 3 |
| Blind maker | 1 | — | 1 |
| Blouse maker | 2 | — | 2 |
| Boot maker and repairer | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Boot closer | 1 | — | 1 |
| Cabinet maker | — | 1 | 1 |
| Chemist | 1 | — | 1 |
| Cigarette maker | 1 | — | 1 |
| Corset maker | 7 | — | 7 |
| Dressmaker and ladies' tailor | 195 | 4 | 199 |
| Dyer and cleaner | 24 | 3 | 27 |
| Fancy work and painting | 1 | — | 1 |
| Florist | 13 | — | 18 |
| Furrier | 14 | 2 | 16 |
| Hairdresser | 15 | — | 15 |
| Hair-dye manufacturer | 1 | — | 1 |
| Invisible mending | 1 | — | 1 |
| Jeweller | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Lace worker | 7 | — | 7 |
| Lampshade maker | 2 | — | 2 |
| Laundry | 38 | 45 | 83 |
| Milliner | — | 41 | |
| Non-inflammable composition manufacturer | — | 1 | 1 |
| Outfitter | 12 | 1 | 13 |
| Pastry cook | 1 | — | 1 |
| Photographer | 11 | — | 11 |
| Pictorial advertisements | 1 | — | 1 |
| Picture frame maker | — | 1 | 1 |
| Pipe maker | — | 1 | 1 |
| Powderpuff maker | 1 | — | 1 |
| Printing | — | 2 | 2 |
| Restaurant | 2 | — | 2 |
| Sweet maker | 1 | — | 1 |
| Tailor | 50 | — | 50 |
| Toilet requisites | 1 | — | 1 |
| Typist | 1 | — | 1 |
| Toy maker | 2 | — | 2 |
| Umbrella maker | 2 | — | 2 |
| Upholsterer | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| Weaving | 3 | — | 3 |
| Wire brush maker | 1 | — | 1 |
| Wig maker | 1 | — | 1 |
| Total | 471 | 64 | 535 |
Routine inspections of the workshops shown on the above list were carried out during the
year, and complaints from His Majesty's Inspectors or anonymous sources received immediate
attention.
Overcrowding.—Employers are provided by the Council with cards showing the maximum
number of workers allowed in each workroom and cases where the number is deliberately
exceeded are now of rare occurrence.
Cleanliness—Nine workrooms were cleansed and whitewashed after notice and three other
sanitary defects were dealt with.
Sanitary Conveniences.—During the year two defective sanitary conveniences in workshops
were found and remedied.
HOME WORK.
Of the 190 outworkers registered, some are employed on premises which are factories or
workshops within the meaning of the Factory and Workshops Act, 1901, others work in domestic
workshops, whilst the remainder are the genuine "Home Workers" engaged in their homes on the
work given out to them by various firms and contractors in Kensington and other districts.
The number of outworkers belonging to each of these three classes is shown in the following
Table:—
The number of outworkers belonging to each of these three classes is shown in the following
T able:—