London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1900
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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An examination of the preceding table shows that in seven districts the increase in population
exceeded the natural increase, in seventeen districts the increase of population was less than
the natural increase, while in seventeen other districts the population has decreased.
In my annual report for 1892 I pointed out that a decrease in population had occurred
during the inter-censal period 1881-1891 in the following districts—
St. George, Hanover-square. Clerkenwell.
Westminster. St. Luke.
St. James. London—City.
Marylebone. Shoreditch.
St. Pancras. St. George-in-the-East.
St. Giles. Limehouse.
St. Martin-in-the-Fields. St. Saviour, Southwark.
Strand. Bermondsey.
Holborn.
It will be seen from the foregoing table that two of these districts—St. Pancras and Limehouse—show
slight increase of population in the inter-censal period 1891-1901, while the district
of St. George-in-the-East shows the somewhat remarkable increase of 3,273 persons, although it
will be seen that this increase is less than half the natural increase, viz., excess of births over
deaths. The table also shows a decrease in the population of the districts of Chelsea, St. Olave,
and Rotherhithe, although in the inter-censal period 1881-1891 the population of these districts
had increased.
The accompanying chart (A) shows (a) the districts in which an actual decrease of population
has occurred as shown by the recent census; (b) districts in which the increase in population
during the ten years 1891-1900 has been less than the natural increase, i.e., excess of births over
deaths; and (c) districts in which the increase in population during the decennium has been
greater than the natural increase.
The population of each of the 43 sanitary districts of London (as constituted prior to the London Government Act of 1899), estimated to the middle of the year 1900, is shown in the following table—
| Sanitary district. | Estimated population, 1900. | Sanitary district. | Estimated population, 1900. | Sanitary district. | Estimated population 1900. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddington | 126,952 | St. Giles | 35,080 | St. George, Southwark | 60,708 |
| Kensington | 172,749 | St. Martin-in-the-Fields | 11,813 | Newington | 122,035 |
| Hammersmith | 110,813 | Strand | 20,740 | St. Olave, Southwark | 10,743 |
| Fulham | 133,496 | Holborn | 30,092 | Bermondsey | 82,651 |
| Chelsea | 94,146 | Clerkenwell | 64,383 | Botherhithe | 38,727 |
| St. George, Hanover-square | 77,393 | St. Luke | 38,044 | Lambeth | 298,490 |
| City of London | 27,422 | Battersea | 168,399 | ||
| Westminster | 52,282 | Shoreditch | 118,440 | Wandsworth | 226,568 |
| St. James, Westminster | 21,810 | Bethnal-green | 129,694 | Camberwell | 258,557 |
| Marylebone | 133,646 | Whitechapel | 78,666 | Greenwich | 183,291 |
| Hampstead | 81,291 | St. George-in-the-East | 48,850 | Lee | 46,110 |
| St. Pancras | 235,876 | Limehouse | 58,160 | Lewisham | 127,187 |
| Islington | 335,602 | Mile-end Old-town | 112,383 | Woolwich | 41,595 |
| Stoke Newington | 34,185 | Poplar | 169,011 | Plumstead | 66,909 |
| Hackney | 218,182 | St. Saviour, Southwark | 23,529 |
Marriages.
The number of marriages in the Registration County of London in 1900 (52 weeks) was
40,499, giving an annual rate of persons married of 18.0 per 1,000 living.
The marriage rate in successive periods has been as follows—
| 1851-60 | 20.6 | 1892 | 17.4 | 1897 | 18.6 |
| 1861-70 | 20.3 | 1893 | 17.2 | 1898 | 18.9 |
| 1871-80 | 19.0 | 1894 | 17.0 | 1899 | 18.7 |
| 1881-90 | 17.5 | 1895 | 17.2 | 1900 | 18.0 |
| 1891 | 17.7 | 1896 | 18.1 |
The accompanying diagram (I.) shows the marriage rate in each year since 1850 in
relation to the mean marriage rate of the period 1851-1900.
Births.
The number of births registered in the Administrative County of London in 1900 (52
weeks) was 131,362 giving a birth rate of 291 per 1,000 living per annum; this is the lowest birth
rate recorded in London since civil registration began.