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14
In Westminster the total number of inhabited houses was 18,366,
against 23,068 in 1891, a decrease of 20.3 per cent. Part of this
decrease is real, as in Covent Garden and Strand Wards,* but in
other Wards it is due, in part, to the erection of blocks of residential
dwellings, each of which is reckoned as "one house," although
containing many dwellings, and in part to the error (referred to by
the Registrar-General in the footnote to p. 13) which made the
number of houses in St. George's, Hanover Square, too great in
1891. There is no doubt, however, that there is a continuous
conversion going on of dwelling-houses into places of business, as
shown by the fact that there were, in 1901, 2,427 houses used solely
as places of business, and not occupied by night, as compared with
2,230 in 1896, an increase of 8.3 per cent. The proportion of such
houses varies very considerably in the City, for in the area of
St. George's Union (including St. Margaret and St. John Wards)
there are only six solely business premises to every 100 inhabited
houses; in Westminster Union the proportion goes up to 33.6, while
in the Strand Union it is 69. In addition, there are many other
houses which have been converted in part into business premises, or
have persons residing in them as caretakers only, and these are,
therefore, not included in the list of business premises.
The number of persons per inhabited house averaged 9.9 for the
whole City, and varied from 6.7 to 13.8 (see Table VII).
Separate Tenements.—There were 41,244 families or separate
occupiers on the night of the census (as compared with 46,247 in
1891), giving an average of 4.44 persons to a family, the same as in
all London. The number of tenements of less than five rooms
was 26,668, being 64.6 per cent. of the total, as compared with
65.9 per cent. for the County of London.
The proportion of tenements with less than five rooms showed
marked variations in the Metropolitan Boroughs. The lowest percentages
were 30 9 in Lewisham, 42.2 in Hampstead, and 42.3 in
Wandsworth; while the highest percentages were 80.5 in Stepney,
82.9 in Southwark, 84.l in Bethnal Green, 81.9 in Shoreditch, and
85.1 in Finsbury.
With the exception of the City of London, the proportion of 64.6
was exceeded by all the other Boroughs adjoining the City of
Westminster.
* In St. Clement Danes, St. Mary-le-Strand, and St. Paul Parishes there are 250
properties less on the rate books.