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50 YEARS AGO
In 1921 the census revealed the population of the boroughs of Bethnal Green,
Poplar and Stepney, which now form the borough of Tower Hamlets, tobe 530,656. There
were 13,650 births (rate 25.7) and 6,863 deaths.
Cases of infectious disease notified in Stepney included 1,996 scarlet fever,
956 diphtheria and 573 pulmonary tuberculosis, There were 41 deaths from measles ,
24 from whooping cough, 180 deaths of children from "summer diarrhœa," 42 deaths from
influenza and 299 from tuberculosis.
In Poplar 1,423 cases of scarlet fever were notified, 648 diphtheria and 392 of
pulmonary tuberculosis. Deaths included 182 from pulmonary tuberculosis, 64 diphtheria,
39 measles, 29 whooping cough and 5 from typhoid fever.
The Medical Officer of Health, Stepney,reported that the decline in popu1ation
was due to the erection of business premises, the conversion of living rooms in upper
parts of dwellings into workshops, conversion of ground floor rooms in houses into
food shops and the demolition of slum properties. Free milk supplied during the year
cost the Council £12,000. He reported that unemployment was very prevalent during the
year,the health visitors stating that the only food in the house, on some occasions,was
the municipal milk, and that if it had not been for this provision many babies would
have had a poor chance of surviving. Typhoid fever used to be prevalent but has now
nearly disappeared; in 1901 there were 245 cases notified, with 47 deaths, compared
with this year's 20 cases and 2 deaths. He stated that in spite of the Tuberculosis
Regulations 1912 which required notification of tuberculosis, half of the deaths
registered had never been notified.
The Chief Health Visitor of Poplar reported that no less than 19 of the notified
cases of zymotic enteritis were dead when notifications were received.
Registered workshops in Poplar included those of two Glassblowers and two Clay
Pipe Makers.
In the three boroughs there were 1,219 deaths ofchi1dren under one year of age,
giving an infant mortality rate of 91.8 per 1,000 live births.
The Mayor and Members of the Council of the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar were
imprisoned by order of the High Court for disobeying an Order of the Court and refusing
to levy certain rates for precepting Authorities, and Minutes of the Council contain
reco.rds of meetings of the Council held in Cell No. 5 (Councillor G. Lansbury's cell)
of Brixton Prison. The male Members of the Council were joined by women Members,
transported from Hoi 1oway Prison. This dramatic event led to a change in the rating
system - an ;Act was passed equalising the rate burden over the whole of London.
Poplar Council resolved that the Ministry of Education and the London County
Council be urged to raise the school leaving age to 15 years, with full maintenance
grants for children attending elementary and day continuation schools between the
ages of 14 and 16 years.
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