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

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London County Council 1898

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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5
From the above table it appears that the population is by no means uniformly distributed
among the several sub-districts. Indeed St. Pancras, which has a density of 90 persons to the acre,
will be found to include sub-districts varying in density from 61 to 191 persons to the acre. The
largest sub-district, Kentish-town, is the least densely populated. Regent's-park has 90 persons per
acre, Camden-town 98 persons per acre, and the three remaining sub-districts are much more densely
populated, Somers-town having 178, Tottenham-court 186, and Gray's-inn-lane 191 persons to the acre.
The population of five sub-districts (i.e., of all the sub-districts save Somers-town) will be seen
to have increased in 1896 as compared with 1891. A comparison made between the censuses of 1881
and 1896 shows, on the other hand, diminution in every sub-district except Kentish-town, the increase
in Kentish-town being, however, sufficient to more than counterbalance the diminution in all the other
sub-districts, and to leave a total increase for the parish of 4,506 persons.
Some indication of the character of the population in the sub-districts may be obtained by
study of the figures obtained at the 1891 census, showing the manner of occupation of tenements of
less than five rooms. The census return shows that 14.6 per cent. of the population was housed in
single-room tenements, and taking the census definition of overcrowding, i.e., the occupation of a room
by more than two persons, 8.6 per cent. of the total population was living in single rooms under
conditions of overcrowding. In two-room tenements 25.9 per cent. of the population was accommodated,
13.15 per cent. under conditions of overcrowding. In three-room tenements the corresponding figures
are 16.1 per cent. and 4.87 per cent., and in four-room tenements 9.8 per cent., and 1.49 per cent. Thus,
in the whole group of tenements of less than five rooms, 66.4 per cent., just about two-thirds of the total
population, was housed, and 27.62 per cent., or more than one-quarter of the population was found to be
living in tenements of less than five rooms under conditions of overcrowding, using this term in the
sense already defined. The corresponding percentages deduced from the figures relating to London as
a whole are 55.5 per cent. and 19.7 per cent. Hence the percentage of the population of St. Pancras*
living in tenements of less than five rooms is considerably higher than in London as a whole, while the
percentage of the population living in such tenements under conditions of "overcrowding" is as compared
with the corresponding percentage for London nearly in the proportion of three to two. Indeed it
will be found that this St. Pancras percentage of "overcrowding" is greater than that which obtains
in any district in north or west London, and, with the exception of the crowded districts of St. Saviour,
St. Olave and St. George-the-Martyr, Southwark, greater than that of any sanitary district in south
London, and only therefore, with the exceptions referred to, exceeded in central and east London,
Considerable interest attaches to the question as to the extent to which the figures for
St. Pancras as a whole are followed in the case of the six sub-districts.
The particulars as to sub-districts are not given in the census return but the figures have been
obtained by the kindness of Dr. Tatham, superintendent of statistics of the General Register Office,
moreover, I find that they have already been analysed by Dr. Sykes, in his annual report for 1897.
(vide pages 55 and 56.)

From one of Dr. Sykes' tables the following particulars have been taken—

One-room tenements.Two-room tenements.Three-room tenements.Four-room tenements.Percentage of population living in overcrowded tenements of less than five rooms.
Registration sub-district.Population.Number of occupiers of overcrowded tenements.Percentage of total population in overcrowded tenements.Number of occupiers of overcrowded tenements.Percentage of total population in overcrowded tenements.Number of occupiers of overcrowded tenements.Percentage of total 'population in overcrowded tenements.Number of occupiers of overcrowded tenements.Percentage of total population in overcrowded tenements.
Regent's-park36,5902,3706.484,75012.981,3343.654651.2724.38
Tottenham-court26,3213,69214.033,53013.429253.51152.5831.54
Gray's-inn-lane27,4553,03511.053,50912.789663.523001.0928.44
Somers-town32,8294,32813.187,18721.892,1426.536121.8643.46
Camden-town15,4197314.741,62310.528165.293142.0422.59
Kentish-town95,7654,8425.0610,21810.675,2315.461,6581.7322.92
St. Pancras234,37918,9988.1130,81713.1511,4144.873,5011.4927.62

It will be seen that in the three sub-districts of Tottenham-court, Gray's-inn-lane and Somerstown,
the percentages of the populations living under conditions of "overcrowding" are higher than
those in the district as a whole, while in the other three sub-districts these percentages are lower than in
St. Pancras. Thus, unfavourable as is the position St. Pancras assumes when compared with other
London sanitary districts, in respect to this question of overcrowding, a considerably more unfavourable
position is seen to be taken if the population of these three sub-districts is submitted to a similar
comparison. In thus treating these three sub-districts as an aggregate, the total population dealt with
is 86,605, a population larger than that of many entire sanitary districts. The case of the sub-district
of Somers-town is particularly exceptional, in this area with its population of 32,829 persons the figures
as to "overcrowding" are only exceeded in the case of two London sanitary districts, St. Luke and
Whitechapel.
In an address read before the Statistical Society, Mr. Charles Booth gave the results of an
inquiry based on the 1891 census, and showed how London districts could be classified in the order in
* It may be noted that St. Pancras contains a larger population living in cne and two-roomed dwellings than any other London
sanitary district.