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Parish of Saint George the Martar, Southwark
SUPPLEMENT AND TABLES TO COMPLETE THE
ANNUAL REPORT, 1857.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,
In order to complete my quarterly reports; and so, according to your wish, to make them
presentable as an annual report; permit me to supplement them with the necessary Tables, and some few
explanatory observations. I have, during the year 1857, read 25 before you ; four of them, quarterly
reports, were printed by your order. Almost all, have also appeared in the Local Journal, and have, as
I know, been read by many beyond these walls and this parish. 1 hope, however feebly, I may set
forth the almost numberless instances of injury coming upon society ; and especially upon the poor, from
neglect of sanitary principles ; that, nevertheless, the continual appearance of practical reports, setting
forth as much as in us lies, the evil and the remedy ; will not fail to produce a conviction, in the minds of
all, that this work is not only necessary, but is one of the most practical forms of working out our " duty
to our neighbourespecially our poor, ignorant, and more destitute neighbour : I have therefore studied
to put my reports in shape as interesting as possible; and I have to acknowledge the courtesy of the
gentlemen connected with our Local Journal in giving me the necessary space, and occasionally their
most valued approbation. Considering the amazing strides made in our time, it seems most strange
that we should now be obliged to confess ourselves on the very threshold of this knowledge upon which
life and health, and the best of this world's comforts depend ; and still more strange is it, when we recollect
that 3,500 years ago the Jewish legislator promulgated laws and duties, almost identical with those we
are now engaged in carrying out as new in the nineteenth century ; but so it is.
I beg now to request your attention to the added Tables.
In the first Table, fifth col., is shown the population for 1851 of the respective parishes usually
mentioned in my reports; and in small figures I have estimated the population to the middle of 1867.
In some parishes the population appears to be stationary ; in others, including ours, a more or less increase
is shown. You will observe, on comparing the sixth column with the sixteenth, that in the poorer
parishes the excess of births over deaths is most considerable. In St. James's, seven in the 1,000 more are
born than die; in Hampstead, seven ; in St. George's, twelve; in Bethnal Green, sixteen. It may be
slated as a sort of rule, that where there are more deaths, there are generally more births ; the fourteenth
and fifteenth columns will show this. It appears also that the rich have fewer children ; 1,000 persons,
each representing 12/. 13s. 4d., in St. James's, produce annually 27 births; 1,000 persons, representing
each 5/. 16s, in Hampstead, have 29 births; with us 1,000 persons, representing each 31. 6s. Ad.,
have 35 births, while the same number, representing each 1l. 10s., in Bethnal Green, have 40 births.
Table 2 shows 393 deaths in the Kent Road district, or 20'34 in 1,000.
373 „ London „ or 19-57 „
In the Borough Road, including the workhouse, and a few cases imported there from the other districts,
■183 deaths are shown, or 28 55 in 1,000, I have often stated that the Borough Road or Mint Street
district, is much more densely populated, and more fatal than the others; and have from time to time
stated to you what I consider to be the causes. Some spots in all the districts are remarkably unhealthy,
and to these the principal part of our sanitary attention has been given. The fourth Table will, to some
extent, show which these are; it cannot at present be done perfectly, for the very worst places are often
so crowded, or otherwise so unfit; that the extremely sick are removed, and the deaths are recorded else-