London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

Wandsworth 1866

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth District, The Board of Works (Clapham, Putney, Streatham, Tooting & Wandsworth)]

This page requires JavaScript

Text

Copy text to clipboard

20
CLAPHAM.
Upon the table with which I have usually commenced
my annual report, but few comments need be offered, but
I would beg to draw attention for a moment to the unusual
number of marriages appearing in the register during the
year 1866. Although these marriages somewhat fluctuate
in number for a few years between 1856 and 1859, the
remainder of the table exhibits a very gradual increase
from the year last named down to the present time, when
it will be seen that the number rather more than doubles
that of 1856, showing most incontestably the progressively
prosperous condition of the locality, conducing by the
abundance of food and no want of employment to the
marriages referred to.

Table: MARRIAGES, BIRTHS, AND DEATHS.

MARRIAGES, BIRTHS, AND DEATHS.

Years18561857185818591860186118621863186418651866
Marriages154151150156183182175181227221310
Births527550533594608624622685640707711
Deaths286321344328429390343355408393425
Excess of Births over Deaths241229189266179234279330232314286

Text

Copy text to clipboard

In this table is shown that a continuous increase in the
number of births has also taken place since 1856, and that
it has been unusually large in both the past years, 1865
and 1866, thus affording another indication of the general
prosperous condition of the inhabitants.
Statistics of Mortality.—With so large an increase of
population as must have taken place within the last few
years, it is but reasonable to expect a corresponding annual
increase in the number of deaths.
The increase of the past year over the rate of the