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43
ARTIZANS' DWELLINGS, STONEY LANE, HOUNDSDITCH.
These buildings, erected by the late Commissioners of Sewers during
1884-1885, were opened in January of the latter year.
They stand upon ground formerly the site of Mount Court, Wood Green
Court, Ebenezar Square, Meeting House Yard, Angel Court, Coak's
Buildings, George Court, and Petticoat Square, in the Ward of Portsoken.
There are five "blocks," severally named King's—Queen's—Prince's—
North—and South, of dwellings, designed for occupation by persons of the
artizan class. Some of the ground floors are let as shops.
Exclusive of the shops and cellars, they contain 539 rooms, arranged in 260
tenements, and are occupied by 916 persons. Fifty-eight per cent. are adults
and forty-two per cent. children (under 16 years).
The total cost of the buildings and land upon which they stand was
£202,242, which are now maintained at an annual expenditure of about
£2,500. The income derived last year from letting the tenements was
£5,664, being about 1½ per cent. interest on the capital outlay.
They are much sought after, and the rooms are rarely empty. The rent
varies from 4s. 6d. to 9s. per week.
The death rate for 1902 was 9.8 per 1,000 per annum [of which 44.4 per
cent. was of children under 5 years of age].
Deaths of children under one year to 1,000 births were 48, as against 124
for the City generally.
The number of births was 42, viz.: 25 males and 17 females.
The birth rate, 45.8 per 1,000, is the highest recorded since 1896, and
is 4.8 per 1,000 above the average for the previous five years.
There has only been one illegitimate birth in these buildings since 1894, a
fact that speaks well for the morality of the inhabitants, who are mostly
Jews.