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

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London County Council 1901

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

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7
It may be pointed out that the figures are uot yet available which would enable comparison
to be made between the results shown in the preceding table and those obtaining for the
corresponding areas in the census year of 1891. Owing to the changes in London sanitary areas,
consequent upon the London Government Act of 1899, the figures shown in the census report
for 1901 relate to the present metropolitan boroughs, while the figures shown in the previous
census report for 1891 relate to the former sanitary areas. The figures for 1891 relating to the
areas of the metropolitan boroughs will, however, shortly be in the possession of the Council,
and it will be possible in my next annual report to compare the results obtained in the two
census years referred to. The following table shows for the registration county of London
the condition of the population as to " overcrowding," etc., in tenements of under five rooms
at the census of 1891 ; as the total area of the administrative county of London differs but slightly
from that of the registration county as it existed in 1891 the figures relating to these areas at
the two periods may, for this purpose, safely be compared.

Census 1891.—Registration County of London; population, 4,211,743; total tenements, 937,606.

Tenements withNo. of tenements?Percentage of all tenements.Total occupants.Percentage of population in each group of tenements.Average occupants per room.Overcrowding.
No. of 1 to 4 roomed tenements with more than 2 occupants per room.No. of occupiers of such tenements.Percentage of population in such tenements.
1 room172,50218.4386,4899.22.2456,622214,8435.10
2 rooms189,70720.2688,94216.41.8254,872330,2387.84
3 „153,18916.3664,34315.81.4524,524192,6494.57
4 „115,17112.3593,37814.11.299,49592,0352.19
Total630,56967.22,333,15255.5145,513829,76519.70

On comparing this table with the figures shown in the preceding table relating to the
administrative county in 1901 it will be seen that so far as conclusions can be drawn from the
figures a considerable improvement is manifest in the manner in which the people of Loudon
were housed in the year 1901, compared with the previous census year. Thus the total
number of tenements of less than five rooms has diminished in the county generally,
and the diminution is particularly marked in the case of tenements of one room, and is wholly
confined to tenements of one and two rooms. The total number of persons occupying tenements
of one to four rooms shows some increase in the later period, although it is evident from the
figures that the population is more favourably distributed with regard to house accommodation
in 1901 than iu the earlier census year. Thus the number of persons occupying tenements of
one room has considerably decreased, while the number of persons occupying tenements of two
rooms shows but slight increase, the main increase being confined to that portion of the population
occupying three and four rooms. The average number of persons per room has declined
in the case of each class of tenements; here again, the greatest decline has been manifest in
the case of the one.roomed tenements. In the case of " overcrowded " tenements it will be seen
that both the total number of such tenements and the total number of persons occupying such
tenements show a considerable reduction in the later census year compared with the former.
The percentage of the population occupying such tenements has declined from 19'70 to 16'01,
the decline being manifested in each class of tenement, but more especially in the case of
tenements of one and two rooms. The figures indicate, therefore, that in London as a whole
" overcrowding" in the sense here referred to, has declined during the last decade both in
quantity and intensity.
Marriages.
The number of marriages in the administrative county of London in 1901 (52 weeks)
was 40,010, giving: an annual rate of persons married of 17'6 per 1,000 living'.

The marriage rate in successive periods has been as follows—

1851-6020.6189217.4189718.5
1861-7020.3189317.2189818.8
1871-8019.0189417.0189918.6
1881-9017.5189517.2190018.0
189117.7189618.0190117.6

The accompanying diagram (I.) shows the marriage rate in each year since 1850 in
relation to the mean marriage rate of the period 1851.1901.
In the year 1901 among the males 4.4 per cent, married were under 21 years of age, and
among the females 15'0 per cent. The proportions in preceding periods are shown in the following
table; the proportions in England.and Wales are also given for the purpose of comparison—