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 1907
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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The accompanying diagram (II.) shows the London birth.rate in each year since 1850, in
relation to the mean birth-rate of the period 1851-1907.
The following table shows the birth-rate in the several sanitary areas per 1,000 persons living
and per 100 married females aged 15-45 in the period 1902-6 and in the year 1907 :—
The following table shows the birth-ratein the serval sanitary areas per 1,000 persons living and per 100 married females aged 15-45 in the period 1902-06 and in the year 1907:-
| Sanitary area. | Births,11907 (52 weeks). | Birth-rate1 per 1,000 persons living. | Legitimate births1 per 100 married females aged 15-45. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902.6. | 1907. | 1902.6. | 1907. | ||
| Paddington | 3,258 | 23.3 | 21.8 | 19.2 | 18.1 |
| Kensington | 3,448 | 20.0 | 19.0 | 18.5 | 17.4 |
| Hammersmith | 3,092 | 26.9 | 25.3 | 20.7 | 19.4 |
| Fulham | 4,617 | 32.0 | 27.8 | 21.0 | 18.5 |
| Chelsea | 1,513 | 21.9 | 20.3 | 19.0 | 17.6 |
| Westminster, City of | 2,962 | 18.0 | 17.2 | 16.1 | 15.4 |
| St. Marylebone | 2,663 | 21.7 | 20.9 | 18.0 | 17.7 |
| Hampstead | 1,368 | 17.2 | 15.1 | 16.0 | . 13.9 |
| St. Pancras | 5,837 | 27.3 | 24.7 | 20.3 | 18.6 |
| Islington | 8,646 | 26.6 | 25.0 | 20.3 | 19.0 |
| Stoke Newington | 1,068 | 21.5 | 20.0 | 18.0 | 16.8 |
| Hackney | 5,653 | 26.3 | 24.3 | 21.2 | 19.7 |
| Holborn | 1,066 | 22.2 | 19.4 | 17.7 | 15.5 |
| Finsbury | 2,871 | 31.3 | 29.8 | 24.1 | 22.9 |
| London, City of | 277 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 16.5 | 15.3 |
| Shoreditch | 3,802 | 34.4 | 33 .0 | 26.3 | 25.2 |
| Bethnal Green | 4,152 | 34.9 | 31.8 | 27.4 | 25.1 |
| Stepney | 10,361 | 36.4 | 33.6 | 28.3 | 26.2 |
| Poplar | 5,282 | 33.3 | 31.0 | 26.4 | 24.5 |
| Southwark | 6,232 | 31.9 | 29.8 | 23.4 | 21.8 |
| Bermondsey | 4,054 | 32.8 | 31.7 | 26.0 | 25.1 |
| Lambeth | 7,806 | 27.0 | 24.6 | 20.6 | 18.7 |
| Battersea | 4,615 | 28.0 | 25.5 | 20.3 | 18.5 |
| Wandsworth | 7,176 | 26.8 | 25.6 | 21.1 | 20. 1 |
| Camberwell | 6,733 | 27.1 | 24.4 | 21.7 | 19.6 |
| Deptford | 3,292 | 29.3 | 28.3 | 22.2 | 21.6 |
| Greenwich | 2,599 | 26.6 | 24.3 | 21.8 | 19.8 |
| Lewisham | 3,635 | 25.3 | 23.9 | 20.1 | 19.0 |
| Woolwich | 3,330 | 29.3 | 25.8 | 21.6 | 18.9 |
| London | 121,408 | 27.6 | 25 6 | 21.7 | 20.2 |
It will be seen from the above table that the differences in the birth-rates of the several sanitary
districts are very marked, ranging from 13.9 in Hampstead to 26.2 in Stepney, when the rates based
on the number of married females are compared.
The Registrar-General has compared the birth-rate of London, in 1870-2 with that of subsequent
periods, showing these rates when calculated on the total population, and on the female
population aged 15-45 years, and further has compared rates belonging to the same periods of
legitimate births calculated on the married female population, and of illegitimate births calculated
on the unmarried and widowed female population aged 15-45 years. When compared with the
birth-rate in 1870-2, the birth-rate of 1907 has decreased by 26.7 per cent, when calculated on the
total population, and 29.8 per cent, when calculated on the female population aged 15-45 years, the
legitimate birth-rate has declined 25.1 per cent, when calculated on the married female population
aged 15-45 years; and the illegitimate birth-rate has declined 37.9 per cent, when calculated on the
unmarried and female population of that age period. The Registrar-General finds reason for stating
that approximately 19 per cent, of the decline in the birth-rate of the last 37 years is due to the
decrease in the proportion of married women of conceptive ages in the female population, and over
5 per cent, is due to the decrease in illegitimacy. Some of the remaining 76 per cent, of the decrease,
he states, may be ascribed to changes in the age constitution of married women, but he thinks that
much of it is due to other than natural causes.
Deaths.
The number of deaths in the Administrative County of London in 1907 (52 weeks) was 69,268,
giving an annual death rate of 146 per 1,000 persons living.
18560
1 See footnote (1), page 6.
B 2