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at the recent census. The Conduit, Grosvenor, and Knightsbridge
Wards appear to have decreased in population since 1861, but the
Victoria Ward has shown an increase on some occasions and a
decrease on others, and has now nearly the same population it had
in 1881.
The Westminster Group.—The population of the parish of St.
Margaret, including what is now the hamlet of Knightsbridge and
the Close of St. Peter, numbered 17,508 at the beginning of last
century, it increased up to 1851, when it reached 31,314, and since
that date it has decreased to 21,335 in 1901. The Ward of St.
Margaret, as now constituted, contained 14,666 persons at the 1896
census, and 13,784 in 1901; while the hamlet, which was 7,076 in
1896, now numbers 7,601, the increase being chiefly due to the
addition of 510 inhabitants, the difference in population of the areas
interchanged with Kensington.
St. John's Ward contained only 8,375 persons at the first census
in 1801; in 1871 its population reached its maximum of 38,478, and
since then it has declined to 29,914.
The St. James's Group.—This group, which constituted St. James's
Parish, had 34,462 inhabitants at the first census, 37,398 was
reached in 1841, since when it has declined to 21,588. This
decrease has been greatest in the Regent and Great Marlborough
Wards, their population now being just half what it was in 1841.
The figures for Pall Mall Ward show similar fluctuations to those
noted in the St. George's Group, and apparently, although there is
a decrease in 1901 as compared with 189(5, there is an increase on
the figures for 1881 and 1891. The true population of that Ward
may be taken to have been slowly decreasing.
St. Anne's Ward, which forms with St. James's Parish the area
of the Westminster Union, may be taken in connection with this
group. Details relating to its population in the past have already
been presented by me in a special report dealing with the late area
of the Strand District Board of Works. It is, therefore, only
necessary to point out that the population has decreased from
12,317 in 1'891, to 12,048 in 1896, and 11,493 in 1901, the larger
part of the reduction in the last five years being in females, as noted
on page 8.
Strand Group.—The Strand, Covent Garden, and Charing Cross
Wards have decreased in population very considerably during the
last 10 years, due to improvement schemes connected more or less
intimately with the new street from Holborn to the Strand; thus
the Strand Ward, which had 11,030 inhabitants in 1891, had only
7,002 in 1901.