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120
It is, however, convenient to consider the Ward in detail on the
lines adopted in previous Reports.
District No. 1.—The population was estimated in 1901 at 642, but
has been reduced by demolition of premises in Millbank, Wood Street,
Great College Street, Little College Street and the north end of Tufton
Street. The existing property adjoining the Abbey consists chiefly of
good-class private residences in Great College, Barton and Cowley
Streets, a part of Westminster Mansions and large public buildings and
offices.
District No. 7 adjoins No. 1 on the other side of Great Smith Street.
The larger part of the population of this and District No. 6 are housed
in the Peabody Buildings in Orchard Street and Old Pye Street, part of
Westminster Mansions, Parliament Mansions, and Dacre Chambers,
Strutton Ground. There are very few other dwellings remaining in
Districts 6 and 7, and they consist of small houses in St. Matthew Street,
St. Aim's Lane, and the piece of Great Peter Street, between Great
Smith Street and Strutton Ground. The population of the two districts
was 3,115, of which 2,400 were housed in the dwellings belonging to
the Peabody Trustees.

This gives an average death rate of 14 7 per 1,000 for the seven years on
an average population of 2,342. The rate for the whole City being 13'9.
With the exception of Rochester Buildings, which are of an older
date and were acquired by the Peabody Trust in 1876, the Buildings
occupy the site of a number of small courts and narrow streets, the
whole of which were the subject of official representations made by
Dr. Barnard Holt, the Medical Officer of Health, under the Artizans'
Dwellings Act, 1875, in the years 1876 and 1878. The houses
occupying the site were old and in bad condition, the rooms small and
ill-ventilated, the courts were confined and deficient in air space.
There were eighteen common lodging-houses in the area. After an
inquiry schemes were approved, and the ground was cleared by the
Metropolitan Board of Works by 1880. The ground was acquired by
the Peabody Trust, who erected these Buildings, giving accommodation
for 2,232 persons. Those displaced numbered 1,512, of whom 459
occupied common lodging-houses. Several streets were widened
throughout or in parts, viz., Orchard Street, Old Pye Street, St. Ann's
Street, New Pye Street, Perkins' Bents, and St. Matthew Street.